Master Public Administration

Master Public Administration (MPA) – the management programme for public administration

The Master Public Administration is tailored to the real-time  challenges of higher-level management tasks and leadership activities in the public administration field. This programme is aimed at those with experience working in the public administration sector and can be undertaken as a distance learning study programme alongside your career.
The MPA programme at BPS offers you:

• In-depth knowledge concerning the concepts and methods of public administration management
• Interdisciplinary action strategies as well as enhanced methodical and personal skills
• Specializations in the areas of changing public administration staff, digital administration and administrative innovation, management in administration, bureaucracy and social innovation
• A dedicated Career Service and a strong network

Programme Structure

The Master Public Administration is a distance learning programme and commences twice annually, in April and October. It runs over 2 years and is taught in a blended learning format. With a combination of online and attendance phases, you learn efficiently and flexibly. The Master Public Administration is divided into three sections:

• In the introductory and specialisation phase, you learn the fundamentals and develop and build upon key skills such as decision-making and communication
• During the profile phase, you will specialise via elective modules
• The master phase encompasses the written and final oral exams

In online phases, you spend about 15-20 hours a week studying flexibly using Moodle, the online learning platform.

In addition to e-learning elements, further study materials are also provided, as well as opportunities to communicate and exchange opinions with fellow students and expert lecturers. Expect 10-12 attendance seminars (Friday afternoons and/or Saturdays) over the course of the entire study programme.

Programme Content

The Master Public Adminstration follows an interdisciplinary approach, focussing on the area of administrative sciences.
While studying, you will acquire solid knowledge of public management and influential factors from the worlds of finance, politics and society. You will also enhance and strengthen your communication and leadership skills, becoming qualified and confident in making decisions in complex situations where action is essential.
In the profile phase, depending heavily upon your own career objectives, you will specialise in the areas of changing public administration staff, digital administration and administrative innovation, management in administration, bureaucracy and social innovation.
In addition to the annual MPA expert forum on current public sector issues, the highlight of the Master Public Administration study programme is the study visit. This can be to Bolzano, for example, to visit the Institute for Public Management of the European Academy (EURAC) and the elaborate simulation game. Here, you can put yourself to the test and build upon what you’ve learned thus far.

Download the Curriculum here