https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Smart Cities & Technology


Article

Kaplan University’s MPA program enables students to focus on key subject areas

Kaplan University’s MPA program enables students to focus on key subject areas

The Kaplan University MPA is designed to help practicing and aspiring administrators develop the skills and techniques needed to provide leadership in a variety of public service fields.
  • Written by mikekeat
  • 9th January 2017

GPN recently checked in with Kaplan University’s Karla Drenner to find out about the Kaplan MPA. Drenner is on the graduate faculty in the Department of Public Administration in the College of Social and Behavioral Science of Kaplan University.

This item is one in a series of descriptions of Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) degree programs. The series on the GPN site outlines the value of those programs to government administrators. 

The Kaplan MPA is designed to help practicing and aspiring administrators develop the skills and techniques needed to provide leadership in a variety of public service fields. The program focuses on teaching students a variety of management and decision-making skills Kaplan grads have the knowledge to become a successful leader in the public sector.

The core curriculum teaches students how to evaluate, implement, and manage policy and spans diverse topics including public administration and management, ethics and leadership, budgeting and the administration of public funds, strategic planning, and applied research. In addition, the program offers students the flexibility to pursue a general MPA or to focus on a concentration in health care management, governmental management, fire science and emergency services or criminal justice.

Below are Karla Drenner’s views.

GPN: Can the Kaplan MPA degree offer new opportunities to our audience of government administrators?

Karla Drenner: The MPA program at Kaplan University is delivered in a flexible, fully on-line format. It allows students to balance the demands of school with their jobs and families. The program’s courses have multiple start dates which give students scheduling flexibility.

The curriculum focuses on a core area of study designed to provide the underpinnings of public administration and analytical methods to assess administrative policy implementation and effectiveness. The courses cover public administration, ethics, leadership, budgeting, strategic planning, and human resource management.

One of the unique aspects of the program is that students can specialize in areas of focused studies:  criminal justice, emergency and disaster management, government or healthcare management. Students can also select from other concentrations to create a program based on their interests or career aspirations.

GPN: Is 2017 a great time to earn an MPA for government administrators?

KD: All levels of governments have increased responsibilities and strive to produce better service with fewer employees. This trend is increasing the demand for a highly skilled, professional administrative staff.

Added to growing governmental demands, organizations are facing a qualified labor supply shortage arising from the “silver tsunami” as baby boomers become eligible for retirement.  Addressing these concerns is critical, making 2017 the perfect time to earn the MPA.

Kaplan’s MPA program aligns with these opportunities and provides students with the competencies to compete for positions in the public sector.

GPN: Do you have any advice for our readers on choosing an MPA program?

KD: Whether you are a current or aspiring leader in fields like health care, corrections, emergency management, or state/county/municipal governance, choosing a program should be based on personal interests. The program should prepare you for employment or advancement opportunities.

If you have a passion to a make difference in the world, the rewards of a public-service career offered by Kaplan University’s Master of Public Administration student-focused program could help you develop the skills and techniques to provide leadership in a wide variety of public service fields.

 

Tags: Administration Economy Smart Cities & Technology Article

Most Recent


  • identity
    How decentralized identity technology can make access to government services more equitable
    Governments debate how much they should spend on public services, as witnessed by the recent debt-ceiling standoff, and by the annual budget process that plays out in every city and county. But everyone can probably agree that access to public services should be simple and equitable. Too often, though, services are difficult to consume. As […]
  • Mental health
    Survey from U.S. Conference of Mayors details mental health crisis faced by cities
    Exacerbated by the pandemic, mental health has become a key mayoral issue over the last several years. A new survey published recently by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USMC) describes these challenges in detail.  “Mayors are sounding the alarm on the mental health crisis in the U.S.,” said Hillary Schieve, mayor of Reno, Nev., incoming […]
  • cybersecurity
    State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program: Where local governments must allocate funds to support the future of cybersecurity
    This past February, the Department of Homeland Security’s State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program began to distribute funds to states with approved cybersecurity plans. For budget and resource strapped state, local and territorial governments (STLGs), these grants enable crucial cybersecurity investments to protect our nation from unprecedented cybersecurity risks and help bridge the gap between […]
  • landfills
    Keeping reusable stuff out of landfills: Organization redistributes office furniture and more to nonprofits, other groups
    Tons of office furniture ends up in landfills, and it could get worse as office workers continue to work from home rather than return to the office. Green Standards, a specialized environmental firm that works with corporations and government organizations to redistribute surplus office furniture, equipment and supplies, is working to make a difference. The […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Today’s infrastructure needs greater than roads and bridges - It’s time to face our digital connectiveness

White papers


5 reasons why Plan Examiners need Objective Trapeze

30th May 2023

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth

24th May 2023

The Secret Ingredient to Local Government Employee Retention

23rd May 2023
view all

Webinars


How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization

24th May 2023

Making Permitting Easier: What We’ve Learned Helping America’s Largest Cities Improve Their Permitting Process

16th May 2023

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

16th May 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


10 best suburbs for city-like living

1st June 2023

Gallery: Annual index ranks America’s top performing cities; most are in the West

30th May 2023

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs

25th May 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

How decentralized identity technology can make access to government services more equitable dlvr.it/SqRHBF

9th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Survey from U.S. Conference of Mayors details mental health crisis faced by cities dlvr.it/SqQffD

9th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Federal government launches $11B in green energy grants for rural utilities dlvr.it/SqNFBH

8th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program: Where local governments must allocate funds to support the future of c… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

8th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Boston’s commuter rail system is outdated and needs an overhaul, according to advocacy report dlvr.it/SqKHmC

7th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

San Antonio-based study highlights effectiveness of urban farms dlvr.it/SqGDbh

6th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Keeping reusable stuff out of landfills: Organization redistributes office furniture and more to nonprofits, other… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

6th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: Police response to homelessness is inherently punitive dlvr.it/SqCFwh

5th June 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.