Home > Academics > Degree Programs > EMPA Programs > Curriculum
Curriculum
Program Overview
Like all of SIPA's degree programs, the EMPA curriculum is designed to strengthen students' analytical and management skills and to deepen their policy knowledge; making them more effective in their chosen careers. Students enrolled in the Executive MPA program may complete the degree in either two or three years of study, depending on the course load they wish to carry. All students complete a set of core courses and choose between two concentrations. Students in each concentration complete a three-course context of public policy sequence and four concentration courses.
Core Curriculum
All EMPA students complete a core curriculum consisting of the following courses:
- Public Management
- Quantitative Techniques I and II
- Microeconomics and Policy Analysis I and II
- Financial Management and Government
- Accounting
- Portfolio Presentation Workshop
Students obtain a total of 24 credits upon completion of the core courses.
Concentrations
Students have the option of concentrating in Advanced Management and Finance, International Economic Policy and Management, or our newest concentration,
Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management.
. Please be advised, these are the only three concentrations offered by the EMPA program.
Advanced Management and Finance
The Advanced Management and Finance concentration offers courses in public finance, management innovation, nonprofit management and finance and public sector marketing and communication.
International Economic Policy and Management
The International Economic Policy and Management concentration consists of courses in international trade and finance, open economy macroeconomics and international political economy.
Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management
Our goal is to cultivate a new profession that manages earth systems in ways that will ensure the long-term viability of life on our planet. This concentration, coupled with the rigorous Executive MPA core, emphasizes integrated thinking and learning so that our graduates will see beyond linear and fragmented approaches to holistic planning for environmental sustainability.
Students must complete a total of 21 credits within their concentration. Nine of those credits are obtained upon completion of the three-course context of public policy sequence that students must take for their concentration. Students can obtain the remaining 12 credits by completing four elective courses offered within their concentration.
Credits
Each EMPA class is worth three credits and students complete a total of 54 credits to earn their Executive MPA. Upon matriculation, students are granted 9 graduate credits of advanced standing for previous professional and management work experience. Those credits, along with the 45 points earned during the program of study at SIPA, comprise the 54 points of the Executive MPA program.
Transfer Credits
EMPA students who have previously completed a graduate degree in a related discipline may apply to transfer up to six credits from their previous graduate degree toward the EMPA degree. Students who wish to apply for such transfer should contact the EMPA office as early as possible in the fall semester. Criteria for determining whether credits may be transferred include: whether the course(s) in question was part of a completed graduate degree, the degree to which the course(s) in question relates to the EMPA course(s) for which a transfer is requested, and the student's performance in the course(s) elected to be transferred.