About the Department
The Department of Public Administration
at the University of Maine is, at once, both venerable and cutting-edge.
Public administration has been part of the curriculum at the University
since the close of the Second World War. More than half a century later,
the Department continues to instill in students the classical concepts,
theories, and ethical principles that underpin top-quality public
management and policy analysis.
Public administration education at UMaine then goes further. It engages
students in examining hot-button contemporary issues in public policy
and public service,
encourages students to explore the influence of rapidly-evolving
technologies that affect government and nonprofit administration, and
even offers students an opportunity to tackle techniques essential for
futures research as it applies to public organizations.
In fact, the Department's mission embodies the University of Maine's
mission of learning, discovery, and service:
Learning
Prepare students for productive, fulfilling careers in public and
nonprofit administration -- particularly in the dynamics of state and
local government.
Discovery
Promote an understanding and appreciation of the functions and
value of government in society.
Service
Contribute to the improvement of governance and societal institutions
Ethics & Credentials
Students taking public administration courses are held to the high
ethical standards the public has a right to expect of anyone entering
public service. Ethics policies
of the Department, the University, and the
American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) set the tone
for public administration students, faculty, and staff.
The University's Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program is
accredited through the
National Association
of Schools of Public Policy and Administration (NASPAA); the MPA
program was first included on NASPAA's register of approved programs in
1980 and was most recently reaccredited in 2001 for a seven-year term.
The University of Maine has been accredited since 1929 through the
New England Association
of Schools and Colleges; the University of Maine's most recent
reaccredidation was in 1999.
Students who sustain high academic standards while majoring in public
management may be eligible for induction into
Pi Alpha Alpha,
the national honor society for public affairs and administration
education.
Enduring Traditions. Programs offered through the Department of Public
Administration have served -- both long and well -- the State of Maine,
its localities, and its nonprofit institutions. The programs contribute
to public service around the country and around the world. That
evolution takes strength from the University itself and from the people
of the State of Maine.
- Institutional Setting
- Historical Development
- Constituencies
- Educational Philosophy
