ONLINE MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The Online Master in Public Administration (Online MPA) program is designed for in-service professionals seeking rigorous education and training in public administration. The program provides students a strong foundation in public administration (theory and practice), applied economics and statistics, public service leadership, essential software skills, program evaluation and research methods.
The standard duration for completing the degree requirements of the program is 20-24 months. However, students pursing the degree through the accumulation of micro-credentials, are allowed up to 48 months to complete their studies.
The program’s adaptive and flexible schedule combined with its online format, allows students to tailor their studies to fit their work commitments.
Program Aims
- To provide public sector officials with academic and professional education which will inform their working practices;
- To raise the quality of governance in Kazakhstan and Central Asia;
- To build public sector capacity and help Kazakhstan attain its strategic goal of modernizing the economy, the society and the state apparatus.
Program Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the program graduates will have the ability to:
- Lead and manage in the public interest;
- Participate in and contribute to the policy process;
- Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make evidence-informed decisions in a complex and dynamic environment;
- Articulate, apply and advance a public service perspective;
- Communicate and interact productively and in culturally responsive ways with a diverse and changing workforce and society at large;
- Apply their education, such as through experiential exercises and interactions with practitioners across the broad range of public affairs, administration, and policy professions and sectors.
Qualifications and Program Completion Requirements
Successful completion of the Online MPA program requires the student complete the orientation, cores modules (48 ECTS), elective modules (32 ECTs) and the Master’s Project (12 ECTS).
To graduate with an MPA degree, students must have obtained a total of 92 ECTS with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.67 out of 4.0.
Depending on the number of ECTS credits earned a student may exit the MPA program and earn a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate or Badge in certain specializations.
The program structure includes the following key components:
Orientation:
The Online MPA program will involve a compulsory online or on-campus immersion that introduces candidates to relevant concepts in public administration, economics, research methods and leadership, the requirements for the Master’s Project, and the academic resources available to support their studies at NU.
This Orientation provides an invaluable opportunity to visit the Nazarbayev University campus in Astana; network in person with faculty, peers, and alumni; and engage in hands-on learning.
Core Courses
Core Courses – courses that all Online MPA program students are required to complete within the program. These courses are aimed to build core competencies in students and deliver the program learning outcomes.
After mastering the core competencies, students are expected to assimilate and apply their knowledge to specific topical issues. Through elective coursework, they can explore a particular area of interest in greater depth, and develop specialized skills in their chosen field.
Elective Courses
Elective Courses in the Online MPA program allow students to choose from a range of options. Elective courses are subject to change as they are based on students’ interests and preferences, faculty availability and program design.
Master’s Project
The Master’s Project (MP) is a capstone project where students complete a client-oriented study focused on an organization’s needs. This may involve evaluating programs, addressing management issues or analyzing organizational policies. Students may also choose to complete a project for their current employer or another organization as long as all course deliverables are sufficiently met. Students may work on projects individually or in a team under the supervision of a GSPP faculty member.
The Master’s Project should demonstrate the students’ ability to effectively 1) integrate ideas, concepts, and skills learned throughout the Online MPA curriculum; 2) design a data driven research project to study the chosen issue; and 3) effectively communicate their research results to both academic and professional audiences.
The Online MPA program incorporates a range of interactive teaching and learning methods including:
- Orientation classes: these include lectures, laboratory work, group work, simulations, real-world case studies, debates, and other engaging instructional methods.
- Weekly live online classes (lectures): Each week students will participate in live classes (via video conferencing platform) allowing real-time interaction with GSPP professors and peers. To enhance students’ learning experience, the online classroom offers customization and collaboration tools, such as:
- Small group breakout rooms
- Live chats, surveys, and polls
- Asynchronous content: Pre-recorded video lectures, readings, and assignments are accessible 24/7 through the online learning platform enabling students to study at their own pace and from any location.
- Distinguished speaker series and research seminars: Students will have the opportunity to attend lectures and seminars delivered by politicians, business consultants, senior government officials, and researchers on current issues.
Tuition Fee
Tuition fee for full Online MPA degree program (92 ECTS): US$15,000.
Tuition fee per ECTS: $163 or approx. $652 for each module of 4 ECTS.
Discount of 25% for those who enroll in 2024-25 i.e. $11,250 for full degree.
Discounts are available for those in socially vulnerable groups, for employees of NU and of state institutions and state enterprises of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
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Orientation |
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Introduction to key concepts in:
Master’s Project requirements and milestones Introduction to NU resources |
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Course |
ECTS Credits |
Workload |
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Class Hours |
Self-study Hours |
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Core 1: Public Administration in Theory and Practice I |
4 |
20 |
80 |
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Core 2: Public Administration in Theory and Practice II |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 3: Economic Applications for Public Managers I |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 4: Economic Applications for Public Managers II |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 5: Research Methods for Public Managers I |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 6: Research Methods for Public Managers II |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 7: Program Evaluation I |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 8: Program Evaluation II |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 9: Fiscal Management and Budgeting I |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core 10: Fiscal Management and Budgeting II |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core: 11: Human Resource Policy and Management I |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Core: 12: Human Resource Policy and Management II |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Master’s Project |
12 |
30 |
270 |
|
Elective 1 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Elective 2 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Elective 3 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Elective 4 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Elective 5 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Elective 6 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Elective 7 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
|
Elective 8 |
4 |
20 |
80 |
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PROGRAM TOTAL |
92 |
430 |
1870 |
Public Administration in Theory and Practice
The course provides students with an understanding of the theories and practices of public administration in various contexts. Combining historical, contextual and theoretical perspectives, this course gives students a comprehensive overview of the discipline and focuses on the practical implications of public administration theory. Students will read and discuss literature that explores theory and practice of public administrative and governance. Students will also examine several cases that explore practical examples in public administration in various geographical and political contexts.
Economic Applications for Public Managers
This course provides a public sector manager’s guide to key economic principles, and their applications to public sector activity. Public policy issues are addressed within an economic paradigm. The aim is to help public sector managers make better decisions when allocating scarce resources, when pricing and delivering public sector goods and services and when designing regulations.
Research Methods for Public Managers
This course aims to provide students increased understanding of the scientific research process and the tools they will need to read and conduct empirical research in organizational settings. Students should expect to read and analyze scientific literature, write briefs or reports, perform basic qualitative and quantitative analysis. Upon completion of this module, students will know the structure and components of an empirical research paper, the key elements of the scientific method, the different types of investigations developed by the public administration research community. The course will equip the students with the relevant tools to develop their final Master’s Project.
Fiscal Management and Budgeting
This course is designed to allow the students to develop a thorough understanding of the theory and practice of public budgeting and financial management. It explores various dimensions of public budgeting and financial management and the significance of resource allocation and management decisions within the public sector in promoting macroeconomic stability, social equity and economic growth/development. It describes the ‘political context’ of public budgeting identifying key actors and processes involved in budgeting and management of public funds. Through a series of lectures, readings, seminars, and interactive workshops you will learn how public managers and ministers work within the budgetary frameworks to balance competing objectives and complex demands for accountability and external control. You will also learn fiscal rules and principles, role of oversight agencies and the approaches they use towards ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, equity and ethical use of public funds. Finally, the course focuses on issues and challenges in public sector financial management & contemporary trends and developments in this regard.
Human Resource Policy and Management
This course introduces GSPP and other graduate students to theory and practice of human resource management and development (HRM/D) in public and non-profit organizations. It focuses on both on practical aspects of HRM/D as well as challenges that public sector and non-profit managers/leaders and professionals face today. Topics covered include both essentials of HRM such as recruitment, selection, motivation and job satisfaction, training, development and retention of staff as well as more cutting-edge issues surrounding HRM/D such as workplace well-being and equal employment opportunity in public and non-profit organizations in an international and comparative context.
Program Evaluation
Public resources are limited, and decisions regarding how to use these scarce public resources must be informed by an understanding of how well public programs and policies produce their desired outcomes. Knowledge of evaluation methods enables public administrators to: 1) use evaluation findings to improve ongoing programs; 2) work with evaluation consultants to design an evaluation project; and 3) critique evaluation studies cited by various organizations in a policy debate. This course will introduce you to the art and science of evaluation. You will learn methods of collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating information used in evaluation studies.
Master’s Project
The Master’s Project is a final requirement for students on the MPA program. It may be conducted as a public policy or management exercise. In both cases, it is expected to be an exercise in which students will be able to apply relevant knowledge and skills gained during the MPA program including: defining and structuring the problem; organizing data; defining and carrying out analysis of the issue; developing specific action recommendations; and defending their findings publicly. The Master’s Project is an opportunity for students to focus on a policy problem of their own preference in greater depth than is available in a classroom setting. The Master’s Project will include identification of a public policy problem, preferably in the Kazakhstan or Central Asia context, its analysis from a theoretical or empirical prospective, and in case of practical exercise, formulation of a policy proposal and a feasible program of implementation.
ILLUSTRATIVE LIST OF ELECTIVE MODULES OFFERED BY GSPP
• Applied Public Economics and Finance
• Behavioral Insights and Public Policy
• Benefit Cost Analysis
• Comparative Policy Making & Public Policy
• Contemporary Security Challenges in Central Asia and Beyond
• Collaborative Governance
• Communications for Public Leadership
• Development Assistance and Governance
• Environmental Economics and Policy
• Energy Systems and Climate Policy
• Ethical Challenges in Governance
• Foreign Policy Analysis
• Game Theory and Public Policy
• Global Energy Policy
• Global Food and Agricultural Policy Analysis
• Globalization and Public Policy
• Good Governance and Anti-Corruption
• Health Systems and Policy
• International Financial Policy
• National Identity and Public Policy
• Natural Resource Management and Policy
• Political Economy of State Building
• Sustainable Development and Environmental Governance
• The Third Sector: Civil Society & Non-profits
• Water Resource Management and Policy
A complete list of courses, including electives, can be found on the Registrar’s website.