Master of Public Administration career planning

Graduate placement

The M.P.A. program annually monitors the careers of its graduates. The most recent study was conducted in September 2024 as part of the program's continuous improvement process.

Recent graduates have been successful in finding professional employment. In the academic year 2023-2024, 82% of our graduates secured or continued employment in the sector within six months of graduation. Of these graduates, 27% worked in nonprofits, 18% in state government, 18% worked in local government and 18% worked in private sector firms.

Government job openings

Nonprofit job openings

Recruiters

If you're an employer interested in sharing a job with our students, please email Program Director Brady Baybeck at mpa@wayne.edu.

Career services

The Office of Career Services offers career counseling and several job search resources and can be helpful in developing a professional résumé.

Handshake is WSU's online hiring platform where students can explore on- and off-campus opportunities, including part-time jobs, internships, or full-time employment.

M.P.A. alumni

Alumni are usually in the best position to help students, so all students are encouraged to engage them. Most alums are willing to help and are waiting for your contact. The M.P.A. director can assist you in finding alums that may be of assistance and the director can also provide the relevant contact information. The M.P.A. LinkedIn group is another resource to connect with alumni.

M.P.A. faculty members

All M.P.A. faculty members, particularly the director, are available to provide you with guidance in planning a career. It is your responsibility to contact M.P.A. faculty members for this purpose. They may help you to identify internship possibilities. They may suggest that you talk with a public service professional, perhaps with one of the M.P.A. program's graduates. They will furnish you with advice on professional development. M.P.A. faculty members, especially the director, may be alerted by M.P.A. program alumni and other public service professionals about job openings, particularly locally. The director will post information on such openings on the student email list.

Professional development

Professional development refers to the socialization of public service professionals the education, community involvement and service, organizational membership and participation and study and reflection that contribute to acquiring the knowledge, skills, professional norms and ethical values and personal relationships that are distinctive to the public service professions.

Things that contribute to professional development include participation in M.P.A. program activities, attendance at the Department of Political Science and Wayne State University events, membership and activity in professional associations, attendance and participation in community and public service-related meetings and organizations and the reading of newsletters and journal articles.

For M.P.A. students, professional development contributes to the acquisition of what is often called the professional edge and it is the sum of qualities that define excellence in a public service professional. There are many organizations for public service professionals.