Research Facilities
The Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs (STI), which houses the MPA program at Clemson, is located at the center of the main campus and is the focal point for applied research in the public administration and policy in local, state and federal governments including non-governmental entities. The STI also houses the PhD in Policy Studies program which presents additional academic opportunities for MPA students.
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has been offered by Clemson University since 1992 and in 2008 was granted approval by the SC Commission on Higher Education to offer a revitalized degree to take full advantage of Clemson's status as the 22nd ranked top public university in the nation (US News & World Report, 2009).
The Clemson MPA program will be offered live online across South Carolina. We are developing courses that can be taken online and asynchronously to further meet student needs. One of the distinctive strengths of the Clemson MPA program is that we will have unique cooperative arrangements with the College of Charleston and other institutions so students can take selected courses at these local institutions and transfer those courses to count for the Clemson MPA program.
Courses are organized and scheduled so that the degree can be completed from any of the classroom sites with no residency requirement. Occasional visits, to Clemson, for seminars and orientations are required.
The MPA degree has proven to be very attractive to employers and can be tailored to meet the diverse needs of students. The program is working across disciplines to build focus areas in local government management; parks, recreation and tourism management; health services administration; nonprofit administration; and community development and planning.
