The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) is currently the only school in Alaska that offers an online Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. The UAS online MPA curriculum is centered around classes and coursework relevant to public governance in the state of Alaska and the surrounding Yukon Territory. UAS is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and is an Institutional Member of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)*.
Learn more about University of Alaska Southeast’s online MPA program below and additional online options for residents of Alaska.
Schools in Alaska with Online MPA Programs
The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) offers a fully online MPA Program with the option of following a General Public Administration curriculum or concentrating in Higher Education Administration or Rural Development. Mirroring a classroom experience within a virtual format, students attend weekly lectures live via the web-based platform Zoom from 6:00pm to 8:45pm Alaska Standard Time. Lectures and class discussions are led by local practitioners in the field.
In addition to live classes, students utilize the online course management system Blackboard to communicate with professors, engage in peer discussion groups, view announcements, and access course archives, student portfolios, assignments, and syllabi. All UAS MPA classes are recorded and archived, and the UAS student portal offers a personalized dashboard with access to other university resources.
While UAS does not have a mandatory requirement for course sequencing, students should pay attention to which classes are offered during the fall, spring, and summer terms. Students are required to take 36 graduate credit hours to earn their degree, which can be completed in a minimum of two years by taking two, three-credit courses per semester. UAS’s curriculum includes 21 credits of core courses, 12 elective/concentration credits, and a final three-credit capstone class.
As part of the core curriculum, all MPA students complete courses such as Introduction to Public Administration, Public Policy and Accountability, Applied Research Methods, and Leadership. Through a cooperative agreement with other master’s degree programs within the University of Alaska system, UAS allows its MPA students access to approved elective courses offered through the University of Alaska Anchorage’s MPA/Master of Public Policy program and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Master of Business Administration and Master of Security and Disaster Management programs. The four required elective courses are selected under the guidance of a faculty advisor.
Additional Online MPA Programs for Residents of Alaska
Students interested in an online MPA concentration not currently offered by UAS can research out-of-state online MPA programs that accept applicants who reside in the state of Alaska, Yukon and Northwest Territories. Many online MPA programs can be completed entirely online, without the need to travel or relocate, while others include mandatory in-person elements such as on-campus residencies or intensive studies. Prospective students should research degree requirements prior to applying.
Learn more about specialization options for MPA programs and see a complete listing of online MPA programs on our Online MPA Specializations page.
*NASPAA’s Institutional Membership differs from national programmatic accreditation. Institutional members have access to NASPAA resources and may align their curriculum with national NASPAA standards. Due to its size, the MPA program at UAS is not eligible for national NASPAA accreditation.