News

The School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University has received accreditation for its Master of Public Administration [MPA] and Master of Public Administration (Management) [MPA(M)] programs from the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA).

The Dalhousie MPA programs are the first to be accredited under CAPPA's new standards, which are based on five key student competencies relating to critical thinking, leadership, engagement, ethics and communication.

CAPPA's evaluation includes a review of the program's mission statement, program structure, leadership, faculty, resources and student demographics, as well an assessment of how each of the five student competencies are acquired during the program.

"The School of Public Administration is very proud and excited to achieve accreditation with CAPPA," says school director Lori Turnbull. "We fully embrace CAPPA’s competency-based approach, which will make our students even more competitive as leaders and critical thinkers as they embark on their careers."

"As a graduating student, I believe that the CAPPA accreditation legitimizes Dalhousie’s MPA program as one of the strongest in the country," says Troy Mrazek, an MPA candidate for 2018 who served on the accreditation steering committee. "It acknowledges the program’s strengths and identifies opportunities for improvement in the future. Hopefully the accreditation helps provoke interest in funding scholarships and bursaries for the program so that Dalhousie can improve its attraction of high-level academic talent."

The accreditation is for a seven-year period.

About Dalhousie's SPA

The School of Public Administration, part of Dalhousie's Faculty of Management, develops public sector professionals with the integrity, knowledge and competencies necessary to promote innovative public policy, values-based leadership and good governance. The School’s research, teaching and community outreach are marked by creative program design, effective delivery and collaborative relationships. It offers an MPA(M) blended/online program for mid-career professionals, and an on-campus MPA program designed for highly motivated and dedicated individuals interested in pursuing a career in public service.

About CAPPA

For the past 40 years, the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration has been the leading Canadian association for those with an interest in education and scholarship in public administration. It is an institutional membership organization with approximately 25 graduate and undergraduate program members across Canada all of which are involved in public administration teaching and research.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Maunsell
Communications Manager, Dalhousie Faculty of Management
nicole.maunsell@dal.ca
902-494-3716