How Effectively Do Public Administration Schools Use #SocialMedia?
As the popularity of social media grows, more college students are using these platforms to connect with their schools both before and during their enrollment. It’s important for schools to keep up with the most popular platforms in order to meet students where they are and help them feel like they are a part of the program even before they set foot on campus for the first time.
To continue on their quest in evaluating social media activity in education, the staff at MPADegree.org evaluated almost 200 public administration schools to determine which ones are doing the best job of building their presence social media presence. Each school was given a score based on the level of activity in each of the social media accounts, with 100 being the highest possible score. The maximum scores for each platform were determined by their level of popularity among the public administration schools we researched, with 36 points possible for Facebook, 22 for Twitter, 17 for LinkedIn, 14 for YouTube, 5 for Flickr, 3 for Google Plus, and 3 for Pinterest. For schools that had more than one relevant account (for the school itself and also for the MPA program or the political science department, for example), we used the account that resulted in the highest score.
Here are the top 25 social media friendly public administration schools for 2013. If your school made the top 25 list, pat yourself on the back for a job well done and feel free to display the badge on your website or social media accounts to show off your achievement.
#1) Harvard University
In addition to its regular MPA, Harvard
offers a Mid-Career MPA for established professionals and a joint
Master in Public Administration/International Development (MPA/ID)
#2) University of Southern California
The MPA program at Sol Price has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top MPA programs in the US. The full-time program takes two years to complete, and the part-time program takes three.
#3) University of Pennsylvania
The core of the Fels MPA program consists of two courses each in quantitative analysis, management, finance, and politics. Students can choose four electives that cover a specific specialty or take a variety of courses for a broader focus.
#4) The Ohio State University
As part of OSU’s two-year MPA program, Student Services will help you locate an internship to put your newly acquired skills to the test. During the second year, you’ll be able to concentrate your studies on a particular issue or area of interest that fits with your career goals.
#5) New York University
The MPA program at NYU Wagner explores the topics of community development, program evaluation, social entrepreneurship, organizational development, nonprofit management, education policy, public finance, and more.
#5b) Syracuse University
Syracuse University has the oldest professional public management and policy program in the nation. The regular program consists of 40 credit hours, but there is a 30-credit version available for professionals with relevant work experience.
#6) Columbia University
The faculty of Columbia’s MPA comes from all over the world, so students get an international perspective on local and national issues. More than half of Columbia’s MPA students come from foreign countries, adding to the international flavor of the program.
#7) University of Michigan
MPP/MPA students at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy are required to obtain a summer internship related to public policy. More than 20% of Ford’s students choose an international experience for their summer internships.
#8) Nova Southeastern University
The H. Wayne Huizenga School offers a weekend MPA program for working professionals. The program meets on campus every other weekend and can be completed in as little as 18 months. There is also an online program, which offers even more flexibility to accommodate your busy schedule.
#9) Arizona State University
ASU’s MPA program offers an internationally renowned faculty with real-world executive experience. The program provides the skills you’ll need to excel in a public administration career, whether it’s at the local, state, or national level.
#10) The City University of New York
John Jay offers an MPA in Policy and Administration or Inspection and Oversight. Both programs share a common core, and you can easily transfer from one to another if you change your mind about your focus.
#11) Texas A&M University
Texas A&M’s Master of Public Service and Administration provides opportunities for public service and helps students develop skills in leadership, management, and policy analysis.
#12) University of San Francisco
USF’s MPA program typically runs over the course of 27 months. The classes are small, and students can choose to attend classes either one evening each week or a full day every other Saturday, which makes it easy to fit the course into your schedule while working.
#13) Auburn University
Auburn University offers a general MPA as well as a dual MPA/Community Planning degree. There is an economic development option available as a minor. You can also receive graduate certification in Elections Administration, Non-Profit Organizations, and Community Governance.
#14) University of Missouri-Kansas City
At the Bloch School of Management, you can get an MPA with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management, Health Services Administration, or Urban Policy and Administration—and you don’t need to take the GRE if you have 3.5 or better undergraduate GPA.
#16) American University
The American University MPA requires 42 hours of approved graduate work, including courses in quantitative methods, management analysis, and finance. Students can choose from 15 concentrations or create their own with the assistance of an academic counselor.
#17) Louisiana State University
LSU’s MPA program consists of a 33-hour core with courses in finance, budgeting, economics, program evaluation, organizational behavior, and human resource management. There are nine hours available for electives of the student’s choice.
#18) Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – Newark
The Rutgers MPA provides a foundation in public administration, examines methods of analyzing data and research, provides an understanding of managerial organization and human resources management, and teaches finance and budgeting skills.
#19) University of Washington
The University of Washington’s MPA program requires 72 credit hours, 36 of which make up the core courses. The program also requires four credits of a values elective, and 24 credits in the student’s area of specialization, along with an 8-credit degree project and a 3-month internship.
#20) Villanova University
At Villanova, you’ll have to complete a management internship if you do not have relevant work experience. The program consists of an 18-credit core and 18 credits of electives.
#21) University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut’s MPA program uses problem-oriented courses to give students practice in one of the most important skills needed in a public management career: decision-making. Students learn to diagnose problems, analyze information, and decide what course of action to take to correct the problem.
#22) University of Oregon
The University of Oregon’s MPA program focuses on evidence-based policy. Students will learn to implement policies based on evidence that they have already been put into place elsewhere and found to be effective.
#23) The University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers an MPA program that is tailored to fit into the busy professional’s life. Consisting entirely of evening classes, the program is designed to allow students to continue working while earning their master’s degrees.
#24) California State University, Northridge
CSUN has the largest MPA program of any public university in the US. The only two schools that award more MPA degrees are private schools with high price tags: Harvard and Columbia.
If your school didn’t make the list—and maybe even if it did—there’s room for improvement in your school’s social media strategy. For best results, try starting with the most popular platform—Facebook—and build a solid presence there before moving on first to Twitter, then LinkedIn, and so on. If you work on one platform at a time until using it becomes second nature, you can build your social media presence slowly but steadily, without becoming overwhelmed by trying to do everything all at once.
Note: If you find an error in your school’s stats or logo, please let us know.
