About

The mission of the WVU Department of Public Administration is to help fulfill the aspirations of the citizens, communities, and governments of West Virginia, the region, and beyond.

The Department of Public Administration is a dynamic academic environment. Every day, students work with faculty to create positive social, economic, and environmental impacts through learning, research, and service.

Through experiential learning activities, our faculty and students engage in service learning in West Virginia communities, participate in national competitions to advance public policy, and conduct international research to help solve public problems.

These diverse activities revolve around a complementary set of academic programs:  

• The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program is a 39-credit hour academic program that prepares students for a career in public service. 
  
• The Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree program is a 30-credit hour online academic program that prepares students for careers that interact with the law and the legal system. 
• The Community Development Policy and Practice (CDPP) graduate certificate program is an 18-credit hour plan of study designed to enable in-service practitioners to enhance and advance their work in the field of community development.