Master of Public Administration (MPA)
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Degree LevelMaster's -
School & CollegeSchool of Public Affairs -
Total Credit Hours36 -
Class Type12 months -
Time CommitmentFull-time -
Start Term(s)Fall
Master of Public Administration (MPA) Degree Options
With coursework rooted in research, analytics, ethics, and leadership, MPA students are well equipped to thrive in public service and drive meaningful change. Versatile options—including a one-year accelerated or an executive-focused program—allow you to customize your journey to fit your career goals. The MPA program empowers skilled, open-minded leaders ready for impactful roles in public service, from city management and policy analysis to nonprofit and emergency management leadership.
Highly Ranked and Accredited Program
CU Denver’s MPA program is accredited and nationally recognized, ranking #27 among public affairs programs in the U.S. and #1 in Colorado.
Why MPA?
Highly Ranked and Accredited Program
CU Denver’s MPA program is accredited and nationally recognized, ranking #27 among public affairs programs in the U.S. and #1 in Colorado.Tailor Your MPA for Career Success
Choose a concentration that fits your goals while gaining key skills in leadership, data analytics, budgeting, policy, and decision making—culminating in a hands-on capstone for real-world impact.
Flexible Learning Modalities
Complete the program full-time or part-time, with in-person, online, and hybrid course modalities to fit your schedule.Career-Driven Curriculum and Outcomes
Learn essential skills in leadership, data analytics, budgeting and finance, policy development, and strategic decision-making — culminating in a hands-on capstone for real-world public or nonprofit sector experience.
The program requires 36–39 credit hours including core courses, electives, and a capstone or thesis option. Courses at CU Denver are offered three times a year — fall, spring and summer. Not all courses are available every semester.
Introduction to Public Administration and Public Service (PUAD 5001)
Explores U.S. governance theories, structures, and processes, covering constitutional foundations, federalism, publ
Evidence-Based Decision Making (PUAD 5008)
Course lets students apply Research and Analytic Methods skills to develop questions, design surveys, and analyze data for decision-making in policy and program evaluation.
Capstone Seminar
In this seminar, students apply core course skills in a client-based project, presenting and reporting findings to demonstrate mastery of program concepts and research skills.
Specializations
You will also have the opportunity to pursue the standard MPA degree or choose an area of concentration. You can choose between the following seven MPA program concentrations:
- PUAD 5720: Public Policies for Hazards & Disasters (3 credits)
- PUAD 5650: Public Service in Emergency Management & Homeland Security (3 credits)
- PUAD 5655: Principles of Emergency Management (3 credits)
- URPL 6645: Disaster/Climate Change Planning (3 credits)
- PUAD 5130: Collaboration Across Sectors (3 credits)
- PUAD 5271: Managing Conflict & Change (3 credits)
- PUAD 5320: Public Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- PUAD 5350: Program Evaluation (3 credits)
- PUAD 5440: Negotiation & Conflict Resolution (3 credits)
- PUAD 5631: Seminar in Environmental Politics & Policy (3 credits)
- PUAD 5632: Seminar in Environmental Management (3 credits)
- PUAD 6620: Crisis & Emergency Communication (3 credits)
- GEOG 5080: Introduction to GIS (3 credits)
- GEOG 5710: Disasters, Climate Change & Health (3 credits)
- PUAD 5200: Education Policy (3 credits)
- PUAD 5210: Education Finance (3 credits)
- PUAD 5110: Seminar in Nonprofit Management (3 credits)
- PUAD 5120: Nonprofits & Public Policy (3 credits)
- PUAD 5140: Nonprofit Financial Management (3 credits)
- PUAD 5170: Strategic Management for Nonprofit & Public Managers (3 credits)
- PUAD 5180: Social Entrepreneurship (3 credits)
- PUAD 5230: Education Systems Leadership (3 credits)
- PUAD 5310: Principles of Policy Design (3 credits)
- PUAD 5320: Public Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- PUAD 5350: Program Evaluation (3 credits)
- PUAD 5460: Political Advocacy (3 credits)
- PUAD 5625: Local Government Management (3 credits)
- PUAD 5626: Local Government Politics & Policy (3 credits)
- PUAD 5628: Social Problems & Policies (3 credits)
- Other electives may be taken with approval from the concentration director.
- PUAD 5650: Public Service in Emergency Management & Homeland Security (3 credits)
- PUAD 5655: Principles of Emergency Management (3 credits)
- PUAD 5720: Public Policies of Hazards & Disasters (3 credits)
- CRJU 5510: Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement (3 credits)
- PUAD 5130: Collaboration Across Sectors (3 credits)
- PUAD 5271: Managing Conflict & Change (3 credits)
- PUAD 5320: Public Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- PUAD 5350: Program Evaluation (3 credits)
- PUAD 5440: Negotiation & Conflict Resolution (3 credits)
- PUAD 5631: Seminar in Environmental Politics & Policy (3 credits)
- PUAD 5632: Seminar in Environmental Management (3 credits)
- PUAD 6620: Crisis & Emergency Communication (3 credit)
- PUAD 5631: Seminar in Environmental Politics and Policy (3 credits)
- PUAD 5632: Seminar in Environmental Management (3 credits)
- PUAD 5130: Collaboration Across Sectors (3 credits)
- PUAD 5440: Negotiation & Conflict Resolution (3 credits)
- PUAD 5628: Social Problems & Policies (3 credits)
- PUAD 5650: Public Service in Emergency Management & Homeland Security (3 credits)
- GEOG 5265: Sustainability in Resources Management (3 credits)
- LDAR 6632: Site Planning (3 credits)
- URPL 6250: GIS for Urban Planning (3 credits)
- URPL 6510: Energy/Natural Resources Planning (3 credits)
- URPL 6549: Environmental Impact Assessment (3 credits)
- URPL 6650: International Development Planning: Theory & Practice (3 credits)
This concentration provides advanced education in the management of emergencies, hazards, disasters, and community resilience. The DHEM program is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to work, or are currently working, in the field of natural and man-made hazards, community resilience, and, emergency management.
Complete the following course, for a total of 3 credits:
Complete at least one course from the list below (all three courses are recommended) for a total of 3 credits:
Select two additional elective courses from the list below or select unlisted courses that have been approved in advance by the program director to reach 12 credits:
This concentration provides students with an understanding of how K-12 education is governed, financed and regulated in the United States. Students will become familiar with the interaction between federal, state, and local policies and with the context in which education policy is formulated and implemented.
Complete the following two courses, for a total of 6 credits:
Additionally, students must complete two elective courses from the list below for a total of 6 credits.
This concentration provides advanced education in the management of emergencies, hazards, disasters, and homeland security. Students completing the concentration will have the knowledge and skills necessary to assess and manage a broad range of hazards and disasters, and to understand the policy environment in which emergency management occurs.
Complete the following course, for a total of 3 credits:
Complete at least one other course from the list below for a total of 3 credits:
Select two additional elective courses from the list below or select unlisted courses that have been approved in advance by the program director
The environmental policy and management concentration provides an understanding of how our natural environment is governed and affected by relationships between various entities, including: legislatures; administrative agencies; courts; federal, state, and local governments; government and the nonprofit and private sectors; and government and the public it has been established to serve.
Complete the two courses below for a total of 6 credits:
Select two additional elective courses from the list below or select unlisted courses that have been approved in advance by the program director.
MPA graduates are prepared for lifelong careers leading in public service organizations. Browse these sample career briefs to learn about duties and responsibilities, career paths, salaries, and more.
Charter School Leader
View Career Brief
City Manager
View Career Brief
Emergency Management Director
View Career Brief
Environmental Program Director
View Career Brief
Interpersonal Violence Specialist
View Career Brief
Nonprofit Executive Director
View Career Brief
Nonprofit Leader
View Career Brief
Policy Analyst
View Career Briefs
Public Finance Officer & Budget Analyst
View Career Brief
For the past eight years, Jeremiah Unger has worked for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) as an Environmental Program Manager. Jeremiah focuses on water quality from roadway run-off.
Kelli received her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from the University of Colorado Denver in 2019, where she developed a capstone thesis centered on strengthening corporate-nonprofit relationships in an ever-evolving corporate landscape.
Ali Rhodes is Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Boulder. Her two key responsibilities as Director are to ensure the community is experiencing a high-quality parks and recreation system and that BPR’s teammates have the support and skills they need to operate that system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, residents of Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) states receive in-state tuition rates. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, regardless of residency, receive in-state tuition rates. Students residing in non-WRGP states completing their credentials entirely online may be eligible for a discounted tuition rate.
Yes, the MPA and Executive MPA options allow students to select different course modalities based on their needs.
Yes, the MPA and Executive MPA options are designed for working professionals, offering evening, online, and hybrid courses to fit various schedules.
Yes, students have access to an extensive alumni network and career services, which assist with internships, job placement, and professional connections.
Graduates pursue careers such as City Manager, Policy Analyst, Nonprofit Executive Director, Public Finance Officer, or Emergency Management Director.
The School of Public Affairs offers three MPA completion options. Regardless of your choice, you’ll be taught by the same faculty, and all graduates receive the Master of Public Administration degree.
Accelerated MPA
Complete your MPA in just 12 months. Fast-track your career in the public or nonprofit sector.
MPA
Choose your pace—online, in-person, or hybrid. The MPA is designed to fit your busy schedule.
Executive MPA
Advance your career with strategic leadership skills. The Executive MPA blends online convenience with in-person intensives for mid-to-senior professionals.
MPA Program Comparison
| AMPA | MPA | Executive MPA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Time to Completion | 1 year | 2.5 years | 2.5 years |
| Time Commitment | Full-time | Full-time / Part-time | Full-time / Part-time |
| Total Credits | 36-39 | 36-39 | 30 |
| # of Courses | 12 | 12 | 10 |
| Modality | In Person | In Person, Hybrid, Online | In Person, Hybrid, Online |
| Starting Semester | Fall | Fall, Spring, Summer | Fall, Spring, Summer |
| Cost* | AMPA | MPA | Executive MPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Resident, WGRP Resident, Return Peace Corp Volunteer | $27,500 | $23,907 | $27,600 |
| Non-Colorado US Residents/Intl. | $27,500 | $56,784 | $45,300 |
| Out-of-State / Online Only | N/A | $28,704 | $30,200 |
Please refer to our program pages and contact spa.admissions@ucdenver.edu to learn more about the cost for each program.
*Values based on 2024-25 charges and fees not included.