Talk:Master of Public Administration

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[edit] globalmpa

I don't know who and hwhy have taken out globalmpa.net link from the page. This is not-for-profit the most comprehensive database about MPA/MPP degress? I don't who and how make these decisions.


[edit] Joint degrees

I am also thinking that adding information on joint degrees would also be of information value.

Such as:

MPA or MPP/MBA (Master of Business Administration) This joint degree is usually ideal for students interested in public-private partnership initiatives, social entrepreneurship, government funded private/voluntary programs and etc. This joint degree is usually a three-year program.


MPA or MPP/JD (Juris Doctor) This joint degree enables students to combine their analytical and management skills from MPA/MPP programs with the knowledge of the legal system. Students typically complete this joint degree in 4 years.

MPA or MPP/ID (International Development) This two-year joint degree enables students to combine their policy analysis and management skills with the knowledge in international development and global policy. The curriculum usually includes analytical, quantitative, management courses and international development issues and concepts.

What you think about this idea? --Rembranth 21:22, 22 August 2006 (UTC)


I don't see any reason to explain joint degrees in detail. A simple list with links to the other degrees would be fine. Readers could logically infer that one who obtains a joint MPA and JD would be interested in both public administration and law. --Ntmg05 04:46, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

If everybody agrees, I can go on and list the names of joint links. --Rembranth 14:32, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

This material is already covered in depth on double degree. -James Howard (talk/web) 01:46, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Have seen the page itself. It is very general and mostly talking about MBA programs. And then there are supposidely sample institutinos. But you delete any reference that we put to our unversities. This is total discrimination. Good that you showed this web site and let us know that what you have been tlaking about advertising is actually activly practiced by others in other pages, inclduing one that you have refered us. --Rembranth 17:43, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Actually, the list of sample institutions at dual degrees looks out of place. It is ugly, (obviously) not comprehensive, and susceptible to boosterism. Rkevins82 21:10, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
Read the edit history and you will see my opinion on this is just as strong there. However, that article has a lot of problems with it, starting with the list there. -James Howard (talk/web) 12:59, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Specializations

I am planning to add some sample specializations available in MPA/MPP programs. I believe the information might give full understanding to people about specializaitons that are available.

The following are some of the specializations offered in MPA/MPP Programs.

Public and Nonprofit Management This concentration enables students to develop managerial skills and introduces them to analytical tools necessary in organizational decision-making. Coursework covers the basics of nonprofit management, from budgeting and human-resource management, to strategy and organizational behavior.


Finance and Fiscal Policy This concentration equips students with skills and knowledge to grapple with fiscal issues that affect leaders and managers in national, state and local governments. Students learn financial accounting, public finance, expenditure forecasting and expenditure limitations, cost-benefit analysis and trends in fiscal conditions. Students specialized in finance and fiscal policy generally seek positions in national, state or local financial institutions.


Environmental Policy and Management This concentration enables students to analyze and understand domestic and/or international environmental policy. Students explore the ecological and political origins of current environmental policy issues and learn how to propose resolutions via organizational analysis, budgeting, financial analysis and reporting, political analysis, statistical analysis and microeconomics.


Health Policy This concentration provides future leaders and managers with tools both to synthesize current health policy knowledge in new ways, to formulate innovative solutions to achieve improvement in the quality of health care and to create the requisite interdisciplinary approach that will improve the understanding of global, national and local health issues.


Education Policy This specialization allows students to gain a deeper understanding of policy and management issues in three main contexts: primary and secondary education, higher education, and international education and to propose policy solutions applying their analytical and qualitative and quantitative research skills.


Global Public Policy This MPP concentration gives students the skills and knowledge that would enable them to see beyond national boundaries, to think globally and act locally, nationally and internationally. Within this concentration students can focus on international development, global trade and finance, global environmental policy, human rights and democratization, security, humanitarian intervention and governance.


Social Policy This concentration provides students with quantitative and qualitative analysis skills that will enable them to formulate and evaluate social policies, taking into consideration budgetary constraints, stakeholder interests and ethical dilemmas. Social policies usually address such critical issues as poverty, inequality, education, crime, family wellbeing, social inclusion, social mobility and sustainable livelihoods.


Science and Technology Policy This concentration trains future managers to evaluate the effect of new technologies on policy decisions. Students interested in this concentration, for example, may examine the role of the Internet in public schools, analyze how organizations enact information technologies, consider how giant steps in military technology have altered modern warfare, or weigh whether or not telecommunications regulation have kept up with innovations in that sector.


Government, Politics and Policy Studies This concentration provides students with skills and knowledge to evaluate actionable research and information to address political and social issues. Students who choose this concentration generally become policy analysts who advise government officials and executives on policy issues and political strategy.


International/Comparative Policy This specialization prepares students to take a comparative approach to public policy, including both comparative analyses of policy development and implementation, and analyses focused on international relations and foreign policy. This specialization allows students to explore international and domestic institutions, political development and culture, political economy and policymaking, law, and social and political change.


International Development Studies Students interested in this concentration are concerned with governance and policy issues in developing countries. Students in the international development concentration explore a broad range of disciplinary perspectives such as anthropology, economics, organization theory, regional planning, information technologies and legal studies.


Human Rights and Social Justice Students in the human rights and social justice concentration focus on human rights, which remain controversial in world politics. What are the political and economic constraints that stand in the way of the full realization of human rights? This concentration explores the relationship between politics and human rights with a social sciences approach.

Please, let me know what you think about this information. --Rembranth 21:20, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

These would be fine on the MPP page. I don't think they're really MPA specializations. --Ntmg05 04:43, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

If everybody agrees to list the list of joint degrees, I can go and do it. If there is no objection I can do it tomorrow. --Rembranth 14:32, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Actually, this isn't all that bad. You just need to tone it down so it sounds less like an advertisement. -James Howard (talk/web) 01:44, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
I still think it focuses too much on MPP specializations. --Ntmg05 04:56, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New info

I have added some more info about MPA. I think we need to have them to give idea about the functinoing of MPA programs. Similar sections do exist in MBA page as well.#REDIRECT --Roman123 19:44, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

Who has deleted the new sections that I added? Why? I don't know if this place is managed by totalitarian person or who? If you delete somehting that someone added, you at least have to provgide your justification and reasoning. I suspect that this has been rkevbin or someone with that name. Can you provide your reasoning why you have done so? Or you think that since somebody appointed you as an administrator you can delete info entered by otheres? Are you dictator?—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Roman123 (talk • contribs) .

Howardjp and I have both cut the additions. The information you posted did not conform to a neutral point of view and falls outside of what Wikipedia is not. Also, you may want to look at the Manual of Style. You can check who has made edits by looking in the page's history. Please remember to sign your comments with four tildes (~~~~). Thanks. Rkevins82 18:32, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

Rkevin can you please go and look at the MBA program wiki page? Then tell me what was not in conformity of your standards. Second why you stubbornly avoid discussion before deleting any piece of information. Do you know everything? Let people discuss it and if they find it not neutral then it will not remain there. But before deleting something look at other web sites.Roman123 19:38, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

It seems that you apply different standards to MBA and MPA web pages. This will definitaly be more ethical. Second, I would wish to see more knoweledgable and repectful mediator than you. If you don't respect yourslef at least respect others and substantiate your actions before taking them. Are you God that taking actions without consulting and discussing it? --Roman123 19:38, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

I just saw the comment from howradjb or somebody. I have looked at what I have written and couldn't find what is advertisement in there? May be since you don't have approporiate education, you can understand it in that way, but since you are not God, neither a standard please leave other competent people to discuss these writings. My suggestion is that you repair the version that left and then discuss what further actions need to be taken. --Roman123 19:42, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

oops, wrong section --Ntmg05

[edit] MPA/MPP Alumni List

Regarding notable MPA/MPP alumni, I think it is important that we have them in this section to show what people with MPA degree can do with their degrees. If you are an administrator and have deleted them, please provide your substantiation why you have done it.

MPPA, Ramil—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.105.132.47 (talk • contribs) .

I am also asking the person who deleted the MPA/MPP distingusihed people from the page, please provide your explanation and substantiation before deleting the hardwork of somebody else. Your action is not more legitimate than mine in any way. I will go on and reinstate the list of MPA/MPP distinguished list of people unless I don't see your reasoning for the deletion of that section that we have kindly put there.

Bests Ramil MPPA—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.105.132.47 (talk • contribs) .

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Master_of_Public_Policy"

No, it isn't important show people what you can do with an MPA. This is an encyclopedia, not a advertisement. -James Howard (talk/web) 23:15, 19 June 2006 (UTC)
I am not sure yet, but there are many pages in Wikipedia which name alumni of different schools. Farmanesh
This is slightly different. A better comparison is look at Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Science, neither of which has a list of recipients. I would not object to a category called Category:Masters of public administration (or whatever the standard form is, I am not sure), which was included in biography articles. The problem with the list, as presented, is both technical and administrative. Technically, it is a backwords use of the software (and highly inefficient). Administratively, the list too difficult to maintain. For instance, when Zoellick resigned yesterday, I am sure his page was updated, but did someone get every page that says "deputy secretary of state?" It's too much hassle, and the category would alleviate this problem. On a somewhat related note, Zoellick (since I have already mentioned him) doesn't have an MPA, which is another sign of the administrative burden inordinate listmaking leads to. -James Howard (talk/web) 20:50, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the answer. First to say I'm not yet decided I'm just trying to have the discussion to reach a conclusion. I'm not sure about the comparison with PhD or MS, they are very general while I see MPA/MPP of more specific use. I agree with your point on difficulty to maintain the list, but doesn't such difficulty goes for any list on wikipedia? They are many lists on Wikipedia now which I'm not sure difficulty of having them has made people to delete them. Farmanesh
A lot of lists don't suffer from this problem. For instance, a list of members of NATO is relatively fixed. It's also entirely objective. Another frequent problem with inordinate lists is the red link. I have, for some time, advocated that if someone is not important enough to warrant an actual article, they should not be on a list (objective lists, again, excepted, such as a list of presidents of a major university). -James Howard (talk/web) 01:33, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Nobody is stupid here James. Everybody knows this is an encyclopedia. So please keep your good words for yourself and do not insult others. Let us not cross the border of ethics.

Second I don't think that putting names of people in a small section who have been successful and made notable achievements is anything close to advertisement. Those people's names are put there as a reference to what people have done with their degree and diversity of career options people can pursue, since there is no way to put this vast arrays of possible career options or activtities in a simpe paragraph.

Also woudl be good to know who are you James. THere is not a bit of info in your page and with what degree and legitimacy you are here dictating others what to do in a very similar way to Stalin. Ramil—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.105.132.47 (talk • contribs) .

James does not need to tell you who he is any more than your being an MPPA matters. No one is dictating anything, but merely discussing (and disagreeing with you). Also, comparisons to Josef Stalin are personal attacks. I am against including a list of people with MPA's as it seems unnecessary. Individual schools may include lists of notable grads. Rkevins82 19:05, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

I don't know how do you understand wrods, but I understood James's words as an insult and in this case as well your feeling or interpretation of words or phrases are not any importnat or better than mine. My degree gives me legitimacy to come here and to discuss MPA and MPP information. Any information about James would help me to see whether he has adeguate background to come here and tell me/us what to do and how to live. In addition, Rkevin it is not your business what I tell to James. James is a free person and can respond to me. You don't need to help him out or to act on his behalf. Ramil

He needs to tell me who is he just for the simple case that he is the one who has deleted this information and acts as an administrator. It would be good to know who has given him this rigt and on what grounds. If he hasn't any background on these issues, let him not to spend his time on these pages. The same applies to you Rkevin as well.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.105.132.47 (talk • contribs) .

We do not require people to be experts on the topics they edit, nor must they personally have an MPA (for example). JamesHoward is invited by wikipedia to be bold in editing, just as you are. At the same time, please be civil on the talk pages. Also, you can register an account for free. We do ask you to sign your comments whether you register an account or not. In the meantime, please do not suggest that users should not be allowed to edit pages without giving credentials (which we do not require and you have not done). Rkevins82 19:53, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

I think the discussion is going out of the point. Lets do cost/benefit for having alumni list or not. Benefits: Seems to me having the name of notable alumni would help describing the degree better and gives better picture of potentials of the degree to readers. cost: It has been seen by some as advertisment, I'm not sure if that implies here in that way. Having name of notable alumni for specific schools sounds more of an advertisment than having them here. With respect to oponents, I'll appricite to hear their answer. Farmanesh

A possible solution is to be sure that persons with MPA's are identified on their pages and are correctly linked (not to MPA). Someone interested could easily see from "What links here" who has one. Rkevins82 21:13, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
Those links ought to exist anyway, but that is just my opinion. -James Howard (talk/web) 01:29, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

I think I can do it. If there is consensus on this I will go on and seperate these alumni based on their MPA and MPP degrees and list them under MPA or MPP articles as appropriate. Please, let me know if everybody is okay with this. Ramil

sounds fine to me... thanks Farmanesh
I am not sure what you are saying, but I think you said you're going to restore the list. As I said before, this is inappropriate. -James Howard (talk/web) 03:53, 24 June 2006 (UTC)
Agreed. The lists should not be restored.Rkevins82 05:37, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

Hi James and Rkevin. So I think we are tie about those who want to place it and those who don't. Me and Farmanesh think we shoudlpost this list, you, friends, James and rkesvin say no. I have provided my legitimate reasons why these names should be listed. But I haven't heard any single reasonable and legitimate reason from, apart from the fact that none of you have MPA or MPP degrees and I even don't know with what moral rights you are even here discussing this with us. FYI, I have MPPA.

As I've tried to note before, though wikipedia does not disregard the opinions of experts, having an academic degree does not give you sole control over the edits to its page. Wikipedia editors should be ready to have articles which they have worked on edited. Per the list, Juris Doctor, Masters of Business Administration, and Master of Public Health (the most similar degrees) do not have lists. Also, there does not appear to be a good reason. We are not trying to recruit people to pursue a MPA or hire MPA's, only report what they are. At the bottom of the page there are links to the organizations which represent the profession, each of which can give people an idea of what their degree can be used for. I have included some information on your talk page. Please remember to sign your posts with four tildes (~~~~). Thanks! Rkevins82 16:08, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] MPSA Texas A&M

Please explain how the program is different from most MPA's and why it is notable. Rkevins82 02:31, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

That's my point! It's exactly the same as an MPA, so why exclude it from the MPA article? More specifically, the original author added the line (paraphrased), "Some universities call their programs XYZ, but they are still MPA's." A&M calls their's an MPSA. If Wikipedia is intended to capture knowledge about a topic, in this case the MPA, and one of the subjects noted in the article is other names by which the MPA is known and/or closely related degrees, I fail to see how not including that information would be a responsible thing to do. The article is incomplete at that point.
As for the "promoting" argument, if another school called their program the MPSA, then we could easily say "...while other universities refer to their programs as an MPSA." But, A&M is the only one that does that to my knowledge, so it would be awkward not to refer to them by name. That would be like saying 14 nations on the UN Security Council voted for something, but one didn't, and we're not going to tell you which one it is because we don't want to show favortism toward that country.
I see three choices. Either add Texas A&M as an outlier that refers to their MPA as the MPSA (using neutral language like I did originally), or strike the entire sentence about what some universities call their degrees, or do nothing. The former is the most thorough course of action, while the two latter choices specifically and intentionally delete information that is relevant to the discussion. I'll let you decide which to go with. --Ntmg05 03:13, 5 July 2006 (UTC) (minor edits: I can't type today.)
Your UN example is not very helpful. It would be more like saying 14 nations voted for "aye" and one voted "yes", but it is we won't mention that one used a different word. The TAMU program is similar, as are others (which you can see by digging through the history). If you desire to create a page for MPSA I would have no issues. As it is, I don't see how TAMU's program is notable, other than its name (and not being accredited). Rkevins82 15:50, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
So you agree that it's notable because of its name, which is the point I'm trying to make. The MPPA's aren't really any different other than their name, yet no one questions them being listed. Why should the TAMU version be specifically excluded? And what does accreditation have to do with anything? That's irrelevant to the discussion. --Ntmg05 17:25, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
I agree with not going into details of one specific program, all programs could claim to have thier own specific addition to usual MPA which without naming them Wikipedia would be incomplete but I don't see this proper reason to start mentioning each MPA program. If we mention this specific program soon others would come up with thier program's special case. You can start a new page with link to MPA about details of MPA programs. Farmanesh
I'll agree to that if the MPA page will include a "See Also" section linking to both the MPSA and MPPA (the MPPA comments should be removed if the decision is to exclude the MPSA). I also think the article should be rewritten to focus more on the characteristics of the MPA and less on "why the MPA is different than the MPP." --Ntmg05 17:49, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
This is a great compromise. Rkevins82 18:05, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
Yes, this way sounds proper Farmanesh
Ok then. I'll work on this as soon as I get a chance. Thanks!--Ntmg05 19:53, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Online MPA's

I fail to see why online degrees are worthy of special recognition. Their subject matter does not differ substantially from traditional MPA's, and the status of their accreditation is no more relevant to online degrees than it is non-accredited traditional programs (which is unmentioned in this article but probably should be). At most, a short paragraph noting that at least X number of universities now offer programs online is all that's needed. --Ntmg05 05:12, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Little Value

Where is the research or study that shows there are dim prospects? Where are the links to substantiate these inferences? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.167.18.112 (talk) 06:19, 20 March 2008 (UTC)