Arizona State University Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions 14 courses 42 total credits
ASU ranks No. 9 for best graduate urban policy program and No. 11 for best graduate public affairs programs by U.S. News & World Report, 2025. The Master of Public Administration program is a professional degree program designed to prepare you for public service at all levels of government as well as in the nonprofit and private sectors. The program consists of a core curriculum emphasizing managerial and analytic skills required for work in a wide variety of careers that serve the public good. The urban management concentration prepares you to be a leader in local government, where most services and programs for residents are managed. Through a focused set of electives and interactions with experienced city managers, you gain knowledge and develop the skills you need in order to contribute to the operations of local government and help communities better serve the people who live there.
| Required Core | 27 credits |
| Concentration | 9 credits |
| Elective | 3 credits |
| Culminating Experience | 3 credits |
| Total Credits | 42 credits |
Required Core
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PAF 501 | Public Service Research I | 3 |
| PAF 502 | Public Service Research II | 3 |
| PAF 503 | Public Affairs | 3 |
| PAF 504 | Microeconomics of Public Policy I | 3 |
| PAF 505 | Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PAF 506 | Public Budgeting and Finance | 3 |
| PAF 507 | Public Human Resource Management | 3 |
| PAF 508 | Organization Behavior | 3 |
| PAF 574 | Diversity, Ethics and Leading Public Change | 3 |
| Total Required Core | 27 credits | |
Concentration
Select three of the following:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PAF 523 | The City and County Manager | 3 |
| PAF 525 | Public Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| PAF 530 | Management of Urban Government | 3 |
| PAF 534 | Urban Services Infrastructure | 3 |
| Total Concentration | 9 credits | |
Elective
Culminating Experience
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PAF 509 | Public Affairs Capstone | 3 |
| Total Culminating Experience | 3 credits | |
Additional Curriculum Information
Students should see the academic unit for a complete list of approved electives.
Click a course code or title to read the full course description.
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