POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Marist College’s Master of Public Administration program has received an extension of its accreditation by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the gold standard in public service education. The MPA program, within Marist’s School of Management, gives students the opportunity to develop leadership skills within a curriculum that links theory and practice by emphasizing contemporary issues grounded in the foundation of public administration.

The accreditation extension will be for a period of seven years and will be included on the annual Roster of Accredited Programs. NASPAA-accredited programs are leaders in the field of public service education, where faculty members produce research and engage in service activities appropriate to the mission of the program. NASPAA accreditation is an acknowledgment of a program’s commitment to public service education as a discipline.

“This recognition from NASPAA serves as a further affirmation of the academic excellence of the MPA program, which applies theory to practice and connects students to professionals and organizations. The MPA program is a dynamic example of the perfect blend of the liberal arts and pre-professional preparation that takes place at Marist,” said Dr. Kevin Weinman, Marist College President. “Under Dr. Tony Carrizales’s excellent leadership, Marist’s MPA program is poised for an incredible future. I would like to thank Tony and all MPA faculty and staff, for their hard work over these many months to make this possible,” he said.

“Marist’s MPA program features a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum where students study and explore core subjects and current trends related to public service,” said Dr. Will Lamb, Dean of Marist’s School of Management. “This program utilizes innovative techniques that integrate online and in-person classes where students apply theory to practice. The faculty places a premium on getting to know their students well and addressing each student’s needs. This extension of our accreditation affirms the great work the faculty have done and will continue to do.”

Marist’s MPA program was first awarded accreditation from NASPAA in 2015. During a two-year renewal process, faculty collaborated with program stakeholders in assessing and planning the program's curriculum, goals, and outcomes. Faculty worked on developing an extensive self-study report over the last year in preparation for a NASPAA accreditation site visit that took place this past spring.

“I am extremely proud of the MPA program’s reaccreditation and of all the work and dedication that went into the process,” said Dr. Tony Carrizales, Chair of Marist’s Department of Public and Nonprofit Administration. “Faculty, students, alumni, and administration worked closely together over the last two years to prepare for reaccreditation, a time that was spanned entirely by the pandemic.”

Marist’s School of Management has offered an MPA degree to prepare public sector leaders and executives since 1980. The program was the first online MPA approved by New York State in 1998, and has since been delivered in both a hybrid and fully online format for students and institutional partners. The program emphasizes applied course content through dynamic delivery platforms and is dedicated to the spirit of continuous evaluation and improvement.

MPA students at Marist can select a concentration in Public Management, Ethical Leadership, Analytics, Nonprofit Management, and Healthcare Administration. Marist also partners with law enforcement agencies such as the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police. The MPA program is offered to civilian executives and sworn officers onsite at the NYPD and State Police training academies.

About Marist’s School of Management

Marist’s School of Management offers three graduate degrees: a Master of Public Administration, a fully AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration program, and a Master of Science in Professional Accountancy.

The School of Management will also benefit from the massive transformation of the Dyson Center, which is undergoing an extensive expansion to provide Marist students with world-class gathering and learning spaces.

About NASPAA

NASPAA is a recognized global accreditor of master’s degree programs, featuring over 300 institutional member schools at U.S. and non-U.S. universities that award degrees in public administration, public policy, public affairs, nonprofit and related fields.