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MPA Environmental Concentration at Mason. Peter Balint George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA June 2009 pbalint@gmu.edu. Outline. George Mason University Public Policy/Public Administration programs MPA program Students Core requirements Environmental concentration requirements
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MPA Environmental Concentration at Mason Peter Balint George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA June 2009 pbalint@gmu.edu
Outline • George Mason University • Public Policy/Public Administration programs • MPA program • Students • Core requirements • Environmental concentration requirements • Issues and concerns
George Mason University • Public university in the state of Virginia • Located in the suburbs of Washington, DC • 30,000 students; 12,000 grad students; 100 grad programs • On the web: http://gmu.edu • Young, and growing rapidly along with the region • 1957, branch of University of Virginia • 1972, independent
Policy/PA Programs • MPA: Department of Public & International Affairs http://mpa.gmu.edu • MPP: School of Public Policy http://policy.gmu.edu • MS: Department of Environmental Science & Policy http://esp.gmu.edu
MPA Students • Nearly 300 students enrolled in total • Most with social science undergraduate degrees • Limited financial aid • Most have jobs and attend university part time • 25% federal government • 20% state/local government • 20% nonprofit sector • 10% private sector • 25% pre-service/between jobs
MPA Concentrations • Nonprofit management: 20% • State/local government: 15% • Emergency management: 8% • International: 7% • Administration of justice: 5% • Environmental: 5% (~15 students) • Other, or individualized: 15% • No concentration: 25%
MPA Requirements • 12 courses (3 courses/semester is full time) • 8 core courses • Introduction to public administration • Research methods and data analysis • Organizational theory • Public policy process • Ethics and public administration • Third-party governance • Choice of second methods course • Choice of finance course
Environmental Concentration • 4 courses in addition to the core courses • Environmental policy • Plus three courses selected with advisor • Many options from across the university, e.g.: • Geography • Economics • Science (climate science, earth science, life science) • Anthropology/sociology • Communication • Conflict resolution • Civil engineering
Environmental Concentration • Environmental concentrators go to jobs in – or advance their careers in: • State and local government • Federal government • Non-governmental organizations • Private sector: e.g., contractors and consulting firms
Issues & Concerns • How much science to require • How to balance flexibility and focus in the concentration electives • Whether, and if so how, to grow the concentration • How to track the concentration more effectively
MPA Environmental Concentration at Mason Peter Balint George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA June 2009 pbalint@gmu.edu