CAREERS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ALUMNI

Why Study Public Administration?

Given the broad range of career options, public administration is an excellent field for students who are committed to serving the public good and becoming ethical, creative, inclusive and intelligent leaders in a number of industries. You can tailor the curriculum to match your career goals, and you will be joining a community of engaged students, faculty, staff and alumni who share your passion for public service.

Student interest in our major and minor is stable. The majority of our public administration degree students are working professionals who attend classes part-time. For detailed information regarding enrollments, please refer to the Office of the Provost - University Statistics.

Our Vibrant Alumni Network

Our alumni are well prepared to respond to the increasing need for collaboration across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Our alumni continue to support our students by serving on our Advisory Board, participating in professional development efforts and informing our program of trends and opportunities in public service. Below is just a sampling of the sectors where our alumni work.

Nonprofits

Arts and Culture
Higher Education
Hospitals
Social Service Organizations
Foundations
Faith-Based Organizations
Chambers of Commerce
Private Schools

Government: Local, State and Federal

Townships, Cities, Boroughs, Counties
State and Federal Agencies
Law Enforcement
Military Service
Public Schools

Private Sector

Community and Government Relations
Corporate Foundations
Benefit Corporations

Community Partnerships

The MPA program has a strong internship program for students without prior management experience in the field. Previous opportunities have included townships and boroughs in the Greater Philadelphia region, the Pennsylvania Ballet, SAP, the City of Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services, Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia and the American Cancer Society. Some courses in our program also provide opportunities for community partnerships. MPA students have worked in teams on projects for organizations such as:

Office of Policy and Planning, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Policy advocacy proposals
Congreso de Latinos Unidos – Community Research and Event Planning Project
Eastern State Penitentiary – Marketing Plan, Membership Program
Simon’s Fund – Advocacy and Fundraising Strategy
National Constitution Center – The Constitution Happened Here Marketing Plan
Global Philadelphia Association – Marketing and Communications Plan
Salvation Army – Lobby Day Campaign in Harrisburg, Pa.

Graduate Student Outcomes

In the 2022-2023 academic year, 81 students received their MPA degree. At six months after graduation:

Five students were employed by the federal government in the U.S.
Five students were employed by the state government in the U.S.
Twenty students were employed in city, county, or other local governments in the U.S.
One student was employed by a foreign government.
Twenty-four students were employed by a domestic nonprofit organization.
One student was employed by an internationally-oriented nonprofit organization.
One student was employed by the military.
Twelve students were employed in the private sector, with three specifically in the research and consulting industry.
Two students sought further education.
One student was unemployed seeking employment.
The status of 9 students is unknown.

Alumni News

Keep up with everything Villanova MPA and the Department of Public Administration at the Leaders Lounge blog! See alumni stories, networking events, job postings and more!