Perceptions of Employers About the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program at Texas State University

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to describe the perceptions and opinions of employers about the graduates of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at Texas State University in regard to their knowledge, skills, and abilities. This research benefits the MPA program at Texas State University by knowing how the labor market perceives its graduates. An employer assessment survey was created to examine how effectively MPA graduates of Texas State University demonstrated their acquired knowledge, skills, and abilities at their respective workplace by surveying the perceptions and opinions of their employers. The employer assessment survey included four major categories, which were the MPA program mission statement, MPA program student learning outcomes, NASPAA accreditation standards for MPA program on student learning, and other relevant skill sets. Survey results revealed that most subcategories in each of the four major categories achieved more that 80% of agreement percentages, which indicated that MPA graduates are meeting most of the expectations of these categories at their workplaces. This research study provided several recommendations for future study.