New Year, New Degree: MPA@UNC Welcomes First Class

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Classes recently began for the first students enrolled in the online Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the top-ranked School of Government at the University for North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The innovative program at UNC's School of Government aims to shape leaders in public service, a field that is expected to grow in visibility and importance over the next decade and beyond. The MPA@UNC program is designed with working professionals in mind, offering the accessibility and flexibility of online education with the best of UNC's on-campus experience, including a virtual classroom setting, to effectively teach tomorrow's public service leaders.

The program employs the same rigorous curriculum and courses as the on-campus program, and students are held to the same academic standards. Students attend live, face-to-face online classes led by UNC School of Government faculty. The program also includes self-paced coursework and hands-on learning through a professional experience component, which is designed to empower students with the knowledge and relationships needed to progress in their career. Upon completion of the program, students will have developed and practiced the skills necessary to be a public leader with the core knowledge, perspectives, and relationships necessary to manage local, state, and federal agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations. The knowledge and skills gained from the program can be applied in any organization, city, state or country.

"There is a critical need for leadership in government and public service throughout our country," said Todd Nicolet, associate dean for operations and director of MPA@UNC. "With an online format, we are able to reach students regardless of their geographic location—creating an even more diverse student body. As part of MPA@UNC, students gain a unique opportunity to interact with classmates in different parts of the country, offering new perspectives in addition to classroom learning, which they bring back to benefit the organizations and communities in which they work."

The UNC School of Government is proud to welcome its first cohort of 10 outstanding students, hailing from North Carolina, Florida, Washington D.C., and Virginia. These students are on a journey to join more than 800 Tar Heel graduates who have completed the MPA program at UNC-Chapel Hill and have gone on to lead nonprofit organizations and work in local and state government, as well as support the U.S. Congress and a variety of federal government agencies.

For more information, visit http://onlinempa.unc.edu/. 

About MPA@UNC

The UNC School of Government's MPA@UNC is a groundbreaking online MPA program that gives professionals seeking to advance their careers in public service the opportunity to earn an accredited MPA degree online from a top-ranked school of government from anywhere in the world. The online Master of Public Administration at UNC-Chapel Hill combines the flexibility of online education with the best of an on-campus experience through the delivery of live online classes led by UNC School of Government faculty. The program also includes self-paced coursework and hands-on learning through a professional experience component. Learn more about this top online MPA degree program available through MPA@UNC.

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SOURCE MPA@UNC