Offered by the Department of Public Administration and Policy , School of Public Affairs , and using executive education models, the Key Executive Leadership (MPA) prepares public servants to become more effective organizational leaders. Begun in 1975, the Key Executive Leadership Program is a graduate course of study in the skills, knowledge, and values needed by top-level public executives and offers participants the perspectives and competencies necessary for effective performance in high-level executive work. This program measures success on two levels - increased capacity to deal with complexity and long-term, positive behavioral change. Toward achieving these two measures of success, participants are challenged to understand the way they conceptualize and learn effective behavior, and unlearn ineffective behavior.
Aligned with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), the Key Executive Leadership MPA prepares mid-career professionals holding a G-12 (or above) level or equivalent NGO, private sector, or other leadership experiences. Classes are held on selected Fridays and weekends. Participants continue to work at their jobs while completing their studies.
With the expectation that graduates of the program will move from managerial to leadership roles within their organizations, the executive MPA curriculum encompasses the principal components of public service education: the leadership of public service organizations, the implementation of public policy, the ability to operate effectively in complex organizational environments, the substantive analysis of issues facing public service leaders and the development of the leadership capacity to implement what is learned in the classroom.
