Overview

As a student of the Public Administration programme at the Wilder School at Virginia Commonwealth University , you’ll learn how to be a creative and principled leader who understands the demands of local, national and global public and non-profit institutions, and develop the programme management and policy analysis skills to make lasting change. Graduates take their next step with careers at all levels of government, in non-profits, and with for-profit organizations that cooperate with the public sector.

Why choose this programme at VCU?

Practice space: Richmond offers incredible opportunities to put theory into practice through engagement with local, state, and federal policymakers, valuable internships, professional networking and career development.

The flexibility you need: Choose from fully online or in-person programmes, with courses offered at times that fit your schedule.

Lasting legacy: The mission is informed by Governor L. Douglas Wilder, with a strong focus on community engagement, social equity, cutting-edge research and leadership.

An uncommon education: VCU’s M.P.A. is ranked among the top 15% for public affairs programmes nationwide.

Career Opportunities

Budget analyst

City manager

Community health specialist

Government affairs director

Health programme consultant

Human resource management specialist

Nonprofit director

Research coordinator/research associate

Systems analyst/systems programme consultant

Urban planner

Get more details

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Programme Structure

Courses:

Public Human Resource Management

Financial Management in Government

Critical and Creative Thinking for Public Managers

Policy Insights: Assessing Public Policies

Equity-centred Public Policy

Check out the full curriculum

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Key information

Duration

Part-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-01 00:00:00
Starting 2027-01-12 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-01 00:00:00

More details

These deadlines are designed to allow sufficient time for application review and admission processing. Applications may be submitted after the deadline;

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

110

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TOEFL^® IBT

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

36 SCH

36-39

Delivered

Online

Campus Location

Richmond, United States

Disciplines

Public Administration View 313 other Masters in Public Administration in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

GRE^®

Required

GMAT

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

110

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Selection is made on the basis of prior academic performance, professional accomplishments and other indicators of the ability to pursue graduate studies and a professional career in public management successfully.

Specifically, the application for admission requires a transcript documenting the completion of a bachelor’s degree, three letters of reference (including both academic and professional references if possible), and a current resume.

In addition, applicants must have taken an undergraduate math course (algebra, statistics or finite mathematics) and passed with a minimum grade of C.

A minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate work

Virginia Commonwealth University requires international students to meet specific health insurance standards. For complete information, please consult a university representative.

Make sure you meet all requirements

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

19950 USD / year

≈ 19950 USD / year
Out-of-State

19950 USD / year

≈ 19950 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

18724 USD / year

≈ 18724 USD / year

Additional Details

Yearly Tuition Fee for In-State Residents: $18,724 USD.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Public Administration.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Career Opportunities

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Additional Details

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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