MPA
The mission of the Master of Public Administration program at KIMEP is to prepare students for careers and leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit organizations and to nurture their commitment to ethical public service in a diverse society. To achieve our mission, the MPA program provides an intellectual, collaborative and engaged learning environment in which students learn to act as facilitators in defining and pursuing the public interest. Key ideas and concepts are presented within the historical, political, social, cultural and economic contexts of public administration.
The Master in Public Administration (MPA) program started in 1994 shortly after the inception of KIMEP. Since then, over 250 MPA’s have graduated, contributing skills, knowledge and abilities to public, non-profit service at the national as well as the international level. We are currently working to internationalize the student body to bring people together to share ideas from across the world, and particularly China and South Asia, as well as former Soviet republics. The program:
Advances excellence in public and non-governmental policymaking and management through strengthening leadership capacity, analytical skills, ethics, account ability, diversity, and responsiveness of current and future leaders of public service, and of community and non-government organizations
Prepares professional policymakers and managers whose skills enable them to adapt to changes caused by economic transition and development, and to meet new demands on organizations at the local and international levels.
Is a two-year full-time postgraduate program taught in English, but may be completed in one-year for those with significant and relevant previous study.
It is suitable for people who wish to make a career (or second career) in government, public service and development management, bilateral and multilateral institutions, nongovernment organizations and government relations for private sector organizations.
The Master of Public Administration degree requires 60 credits of coursework for students new to the field or 30 credits for students with significant experience in public management and/or KIMEP graduates. This includes 12 credits of foundation courses, 24 credits of major required courses, and 24 credits of concentration courses and electives.
The courses taught for MPA students are conducted in a number of ways: as advanced lecture course; as seminars in which faculty and students present critical studies of selected problems within the subject field; as independent study or reading courses; or as research projects conducted under faculty supervision. It is important to note that all graduate courses are offered during evening time to ensure that our students keep their full-time jobs at KIMEP or outside of KIMEP.
Graduate studies imply developing scientific curiosity and acquiring special skills to be able to do the research. Nurturing research culture among MPA students is one of our very first priorities. Upon completion of five required courses, a MPA student may choose to write a thesis (6 credits) under the guidance of a Department of Public Administration faculty member. A thesis is expected to make a genuine contribution to the understanding and analysis of public policy issues, management and administration in Kazakhstan. Those students who choose a non-thesis option will complete a Creative Component Seminar (3 credits) plus one major elective course (3 credits).
To make our graduate program even more attractive and competitive we offer on-line courses such as “Macroeconomics,” “Microeconomics,” and “Health Administration and Policy,” which is the beginning of a long-distance MPA Program. This program will combine long-distance and traditional teaching. For example, students who choose this blended delivery model have to come to the university to take entrance exams, and attend intensive (modules) courses, where they will meet instructor, receive assignments, and become acquired with KIMEP’s rules and regulations such as grading policy, cheating and plagiarism policy, tuition policy and so on. At the end of the term, students will come again to attend intensive courses (quick review of topics covered in the course) and to pass exams.
