[Radhika Hamal]

MPA in Nepal:
Master of Public Administration (MPA) program of Tribhuvan University is a common purpose program in yearly system, designed to produce high-level human resources for professional careers to serve in the public affairs management of the government, non-government, public enterprises and private sectors.After successful completion of the program, a student should be able to function as an administrator/manager in government, non-government, public enterprises and private sectors. The program especially aims to:

Equip the students with required knowledge of administrative science and management
Prepare high-level manpower in the area of public administration, development administration, policy formulation and analysis, international administration, personnel administration and contemporary issues in public affairs management
Enhance research capabilities of students
Graduation Requirements

Successful completion of 1000 marks as prescribed with passing grades in all the courses
The passing scores obtained separately in all the required courses and/or thesis
Completion of courses for the fulfillment of the MPA program must occur within the time limit as prescribed by Tribhuvan University
Minimum General Requirements

The minimum general requirements for the MPA programme are as follows:

An academic year will consist of a minimum of 150 teaching days excluding the days taken for admission and annual examinations.

The total instructional periods in an academic year for the programme will be 150 days x 5 periods = 750 periods.

A paper of 100 marks will have 150 lectures and a paper of 50 marks will have 75 lectures. Each lecture will be of 1-hour duration.

[Radhika Hamal]

Here are a few general characteristics worth noting about Masters in Public Administration (MPA) course:

-It’s a professional degree, rather than an academic one. Like most professional degrees, it can lead to a wide variety of careers and open various new career paths. MPAs work in nonprofits, government agencies, NGOs, INGOS, social sector, private businesses, financial institutions, and other different industries.
-Classes will usually cover management topics (e.g. strategy, finance, human resources) with a focus on government and not for profit organizations, and also public policy issues (e.g. economics, policy analysis, social sector analysis, and issue-specific courses).
-Most programs have opportunities to specialize. Various schools offer specializations/concentrations in international affairs, health care, environment, education, human rights, finance, urban policy, management, specific geographic regions, and more. (I don’t know exactly how much advanced this course has become in Nepal)
-An MPA is usually a two-year degree and some others offer one-year programs (abroad), and many schools offer shortened Executive/Mid-Career MPA programs.

I should also note that a Master of Public Administration program (MPA) can be almost indistinguishable from some similar programs in management faculty: Master of Public Affairs, Master of Public Policy, Master of Business Administration, etc. It all depends on the university and how the program is customized.