Applications open for UC's new Master's of Public Administration

"I think not having the MPA program highlighted a missed opportunity for engagement with local government agencies, public officials and nonprofit organizations,” she says. “The MPA SJ program creates an opportunity to develop mutually beneficial relationships. Community-engaged research projects and internship experiences provide local organizations with the expertise and person power of faculty and students.

“Students, on the other hand, get a chance to bridge theory and practice and learn how to work alongside community leaders and residents to solve complex problems in real time.”

The new MPA SJ program is designed to give students an opportunity to gain the skill set necessary to become effective agents for change by allowing them to access curricula in areas from Sociology to Africana Studies to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. The program also offers students the unique opportunity to connect with a network of professionals currently working for social justice in the field of public administration, and to study with award-winning faculty.

Blessett recently received the national 2019 Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award from the American Society for Public Administration. The award recognizes lifetime achievement and effort in the cause of social equity.

Blessett’s research focuses on administrative responsibility, disenfranchisement and social equity. Her research interests offer insight to the effects of institutional and systemic injustice and their contemporary implications for underrepresented communities. Much of her recent work acknowledges the disproportionate effects that the criminal justice system specifically, and public institutions broadly, have on people of color. Her research agenda advocates for ethical practices, professional standards and accountability measures to promote equity, justice, and fairness to all factions of U.S. society.

The Master’s in Public Administration is designed for pre-service students (recent undergraduates) and in-service professionals who are interested in developing their skills for leadership roles in public, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. These include students and professionals interested in nonprofit leadership and management; local government; public policy; and community engagement.

Classes begin on UC’s Uptown Campus in the fall semester of 2019. Application requirements include two letters of recommendation, undergraduate transcripts, a 3.0 GPA minimum and an essay.

For more information about this program, please contact Brandi Blessett, MPA Director, associate professor of Political Science at brandi.blessett@uc.edu.