Admissions status:
Open. The current round closes on October 15, 2025.| Course Details | Description |
|---|---|
| Level | Postgraduate |
| Degree | MPA |
| Length | 6 terms (2 years) |
| Department | Department of Public Policy |
| US degree credits | 60 |
| Austrian degree ECTS credits | 120 |
Program Description
The Master of Public Administration blends theoretical knowledge and applied skills in an interdisciplinary setting to teach our students how to engage with policy processes and debates critically.
During your courses, you will explore and build upon the methods and training crucial to implementing evidence-based policies. You will gather and analyze data and other information sources necessary for providing informed policy recommendations. You will learn from practitioners in the field to move from "contemplation to application" and effectively address pressing issues in modern societies, such as anti-corruption, climate change preparedness, education, governance, migration, reproductive rights and rule of law.
This integrated and experiential approach to teaching and learning equips you with the confidence to navigate the complex and fast-paced landscape of modern public administration.
How the Master of Public Administration Works
The two-year Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is built upon three core competencies:
- Knowledge
- Skills for Impact
- Practice
In the Knowledge module, you will focus on understanding theories that support the discipline of public administration. You will take mandatory courses in public policy analysis, the rule of law, economics and research methods. Through these subjects, you will get a clear picture of the driving forces and political influences behind public policy practiced in governmental institutions.
You can choose the area that interests you the most as one of the four specializations offered in the program and to major in one of the following thematic areas that cover core public policy concerns:
- Development
- Governance
- Social Justice and Human Rights
- Quantitative Policy Analysis
In the Skills for Impact module, you will explore practical topics such as emotional intelligence, awareness, leadership, negotiation and team building capacities, as well as media training and documentary filmmaking. This module will equip you with the practical skills you need for a successful public administration career.
In the Policy Lab, you will put your knowledge to the test and work with an external client in a consultancy-style format. Under the guidance of the Policy Lab instructors, a faculty advisor, and the client, you will collaborate with public policy actors and contribute to resolving some of today's most pressing issues.
Expanding Your Expertise with Advanced Certificates
Advanced Certificates are student-only programs that enable you to dive deep into different subject areas through highly specialized training. This unique option offers you the possibility to tailor your learning experience at CEU according to your future academic and professional career.
The following certificates are available for students of MPA:
- Advanced Certificate in International Political Economy
- Advanced Certificate in Political Thought
- Advanced Certificate in Religious Studies
- Advanced Certificate in Romani Studies
- Advanced Certificate in Visual Theory and Practice
Please note that depending on the course selection, students might end up taking courses beyond the required total of 60 US credits to fulfill the requirements for an advanced certificate. Therefore, each student must individually align with the department to check whether an academic certificate is doable within the two-year timeframe or not.
Who Is This Program For
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at CEU's Department of Public Policy (DPP) is designed for individuals who aspire to make a significant impact in the field of public policy. During this MPA, you will learn to combine knowledge, skills and practical experience to design, implement and evaluate public policies at various levels—local, national and global.
Our specializations ensure that you gain theoretical knowledge that supports your future academic and professional endeavors:
- The Developmentspecialization provides students with the tools to analyze the effectiveness of development policies beyond the traditional confines of economic development.
- The Governance specialization focuses on governance within and beyond the nation-state and related changes to the underlying structure of the global political economy.
- The Social Justice and Human Rights specialization welcomes students who intend to develop an overview or more thorough knowledge of equality and social justice issues.
- The Quantitative Policy Analysis specialization provides those interested in policy analysis and practice with data and analytics expertise to meet the demand for evidence-based policymaking.
Check If You Meet the Eligibility Criteria
You can find out more about the eligibility criteria for master’s degrees at CEU here.
What Awaits You
Our Master in Public Administration is an interdisciplinary program that blends theory with practice. Your academic knowledge will be enriched with hands-on courses, where you will explore the policy process from design and implementation to monitoring and evaluation. In addition, you can select one specialization to guide your academic and professional journey. Advanced Certificates are available to all enrolled students to create an even more personalized study program.
Specializations
Development
- Economic Development Policy
- Introduction to Development
- Labor and Population Policy
- Macroeconomics and Public Finance
- Migration, governance and Inequality
- Politics and Policies of Development Aid
- The Political Economy of Non-Democracies
- The Politics of South-South Development in Africa
Governance
- China and Global Governance
- Climate Change: Politics and Policy
- Corruption and Global Governance
- European Integration and Governance: an Introduction
- Law and Public Policy
- Public Choice
- Public Sector Economics
Social Justice and Human Rights
- Degrowth and Public Policy
- Equality Policy in Comparative Approach
- Gender and Public Policy
- Intervention in Africa: Humanitarianism, Conflict and the Politics of Peace
- Law and Public Policy
- Migration, governance and Inequality
- Post-Cold War Inequalities in CEE
- Religion in the Public Sphere
- Technology and Human Rights
- The Ethics of Government Propaganda
Quantitative Policy Analysis
- Advanced Impact Evaluations
- Applied Regression Analysis
- Big Data for Public Policy
- Corruption and Economic Favoritism in Policymaking
- Data Analytics for Anti-Corruption in Public Procurement
- Impact Evaluation – Policy Applications with R
- Mixed Methods for Public Policy Research
- Skills for Impact – Data Management
- Skills for Impact – Data Visualization
MPA Program Overview
MPA Program Overview
- Fall Term:
- Academic Writing for Public Policy Students
- Research Methods for Public Policy
- Skills for Impact - Managing Cultural Diversity
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
- Winter Term:
- Economic Analysis for Public Policy
- Policy Analysis and Public Management
- Rule of Law
- Thesis Workshop
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
- Spring Term:
- Thesis Workshop
- Skills for Impact - Applying Psychology to Public Policy
- Skills for Impact - Data Management
- Skills for Impact - Data Visualization
- Skills for Impact - Engaging International Organizations in Vienna
- Skills for Impact - Media Advocacy
- Skills for Impact - Negotiation Workshop
- Skills for Impact - Turning Conflicts into Collaboration
- Skills for Impact - Video Advocacy
- Courses from the list of electives
- Fall Term:
- Policy Lab
- Project Management
- Winter Term:
- Policy Lab
- Spring Term:
- Skills for Impact - Applying Psychology to Public Policy
- Skills for Impact - Data Management
- Skills for Impact - Data Visualization
- Skills for Impact - Engaging International Organizations in Vienna
- Skills for Impact - Media Advocacy
- Skills for Impact - Negotiation Workshop
- Skills for Impact - Turning Conflicts into Collaboration
- Skills for Impact - Video Advocacy
- DPP MPA students may undertake an independent, in-depth research project in the Spring term of the second year.
- Advanced Impact Evaluation
- AGEG: Advanced Topics in Global Environmental Governance
- Applied Regression Analysis
- Artificial Intelligence for Public Policy
- Behavioral Economics and Public Policy
- Big Data for Public Policy
- China and Global Governance
- Climate Change: Politics and Policy
- Competition Policy: Economics in Applying European Competition Law
- Corruption and Economic Favoritism in Policymaking
- Corruption and Global Governance
- Data Analysis 1: Exploration (EDP)
- Data Analysis 2: Finding Patterns with Regressions (EDP)
- Data Analytics for Anti-Corruption in Public Procurement
- Data-Driven Reasoning in the Social Sciences
- Degrowth and Public Policy
- ECEC: Ecological Economics
- Economic Development Policy
- EM: Energy Markets
- Equality Policy in Comparative Approach
- Ethics of Big Data
- EU Industrial Policy in a Global Economy
- European Integration and EU Governance: An Introduction
- Fiscal Policy in Practice
- Fundamentals of Documentary Filmmaking
- Gender and Public Policy
- Grants and Project Proposal Writing
- Higher Education Policy Design and Implementation
- IEP: Introduction to Environmental Policy and Society
- IGA: Introduction to Geospatial Analysis
- Impact Evaluation: Policy Applications with R
- International Political Economy of Development
- Intervention in Africa: Humanitarianism, Conflict and the Politics of Peace
- Introduction to Development
- Labor and Population Policy
- Law and Public Policy
- Machine Learning, Modelling, Simulation, and Data Visualization for Policy and Data Analysis
- Macroeconomics and Public Finance
- Migration, Governance and Inequality
- Mixed Methods for Public Policy Research
- Mobilizing Contention? Social Movements as Democratic Actors
- Money, Banking, Central Banking, Monetary Policy
- Policy Advocacy and Video for Social Change
- Policy Evaluation: Praxis and Politics
- Political Ideologies - Ideologies and Intellectuals
- Politics and Policies of Development Aid
- Post-Cold-War Inequalities in Central and Eastern Europe
- Public Choice
- Public Opinion and Surveys
- Public Sector Economics
- Qualitative Methods for Interpretivist Research
- Regimes of Culture
- Religion in the Public Sphere
- Seminar on Regulation and Governance
- Social Networks 1 & 2
- Standing for Values and Defending Democratic Heritage in Illiberal Regimes
- Technology and Human Rights
- Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
- The Ethics of Government Propaganda
- The Law and Politics of Gender-Based Violence
- The Political Economy of Non-democracies
- The Politics of South-South Development in Africa
- TSPJ: Transformative Society, Politics, and Justice
- Visual/Aural Knowledge Production
- Welfare States in the Current Era: Origins, Issues and Challenges
- Writing for Policy Audiences
This program overview is provided as an example based on previous years' curricula. It is for informational purposes only and subject to change. Course offerings, schedules and content may be updated or modified at any time without prior notice. Please refer to official sources or contact the relevant department for the most current program details.
Program Accreditation
The Master of Public Administration at CEU is registered with the New York State Education Department in the United States and accredited by AQ Austria in Austria. CEU is accredited in the United States by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Find out more about accreditation at CEU.
Your Instructors
See the full list of professors that are currently teaching in the program.
After Graduation
Your Career Prospects with a Master of Public Administration
Graduates of the two-year Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at CEU are well-equipped for careers in public policy, government, international organizations, nonprofits and the private sector. You may consider exploring roles with the following job titles:
- Budget Analyst
- City Manager
- Community Service Manager
- Development Coordinator
- Environmental Consultant
- Health Services Manager
- Healthcare Administrator
- Human Resources Manager
- Policy Analysis
- Public Relations Manager
- Urban and Regional Planners
5 Reasons to Study Public Administration at CEU
- Dual degree: Earn both an American and Austrian degree and expand your career prospects internationally.
- Focus on practical skills: Our MPA program combines theoretical knowledge with applied skills to prepare you for a career in the key areas of public administration.
- Real-world application: Through the Skills for Impact and Practice modules, you will gain hands-on experience working with external clients and developing practical skills such as leadership, negotiation and media training.
- Tailored to your aspirations: You focus on areas that align with your career goals and develop expertise in specific public policy domains by choosing from four specializations: Development, Governance, Social Justice and Human Rights, and Quantitative Policy Analysis.
- Study in Vienna: For the duration of the program, you will be based in Vienna, which was named the world's most livable city for the third consecutive year in the Global Liveability Ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
