MPA Environmental Concentration at Mason Peter Balint George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA June 2009

Outline George Mason University Public Policy/Public Administration programs MPA program  Students  Core requirements  Environmental concentration requirements  Issues and concerns

George Mason University Public university in the state of Virginia  Located in the suburbs of Washington, DC  30,000 students; 12,000 grad students; 100 grad programs  On the web: Young, and growing rapidly along with the region  1957, branch of University of Virginia  1972, independent

Policy/PA Programs MPA: Department of Public & International Affairs MPP: School of Public Policy MS: Department of Environmental Science & Policy

MPA Students Nearly 300 students enrolled in total Most with social science undergraduate degrees Limited financial aid Most have jobs and attend university part time  25% federal government  20% state/local government  20% nonprofit sector  10% private sector  25% pre-service/between jobs

MPA Concentrations Nonprofit management: 20% State/local government: 15% Emergency management: 8% International: 7% Administration of justice: 5% Environmental: 5% (~15 students) Other, or individualized: 15% No concentration: 25%

MPA Requirements 12 courses (3 courses/semester is full time) 8 core courses  Introduction to public administration  Research methods and data analysis  Organizational theory  Public policy process  Ethics and public administration  Third-party governance  Choice of second methods course  Choice of finance course

Environmental Concentration 4 courses in addition to the core courses  Environmental policy  Plus three courses selected with advisor Many options from across the university, e.g.:  Geography  Economics  Science (climate science, earth science, life science)  Anthropology/sociology  Communication  Conflict resolution  Civil engineering

Environmental Concentration Environmental concentrators go to jobs in – or advance their careers in:  State and local government  Federal government  Non-governmental organizations  Private sector: e.g., contractors and consulting firms

Issues & Concerns How much science to require How to balance flexibility and focus in the concentration electives Whether, and if so how, to grow the concentration How to track the concentration more effectively

MPA Environmental Concentration at Mason Peter Balint George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA June 2009