Executive Master of Public Administration, Course Schedule

Course Schedule
Consists of 22 five-week, online core courses, and 4 online electives. Online courses are 1 credit. The degree includes three 1-week residential sessions in Ithaca and a substantial capstone project which unfolds over the duration of the program and culminates in a final presentation. The entire program (online courses + on-campus intensive sessions + capstone project) comprises 36 credits. Students should expect to spend an average of 18-20 hours per week on their studies.
Online Courses
Instructor-led core courses:
- Public Administration
- Managerial Statistics
- International Public and NGO Management
- Nonprofit Finance and Management
- Special Topics in Public Affairs 1
- Special Topics in Public Affairs 2
- Microeconomics for Management and Policy
- Effective Writing for Public Affairs
- Public Finance and Budgeting
- Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management
- Systems Thinking and Modeling for Public Affairs
- Translation of Research into Policy and Practice
- Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision Making
- Corporate Responsibility
- Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Lobbying
- Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
- Leadership in Public Affairs
- Negotiation Skills
- Project Management
- Market Regulation and Public Policy
- Program Evaluation
On-Campus Courses
Students will make three 1-week visits to Cornell’s campus, where they will meet their classmates and professors in person. These Ithaca residencies include intensive courses in:
Year 1 Summer residency week:
- Microeconomics for Managers, Part 2
- Nonprofit Finance and Management, Part 2
- International Public and NGO Management, Part 2
Year 2 Summer residency week:
- Vulnerability and Resilience Planning
- Politics of the Policymaking Process
- Public-Private Partnerships
Year 2 December residency week:
- Project Management
- Capstone Project Presentations
During the third visit, students will participate in program wrap-up sessions and present their capstone projects.
Concentration Elective Courses
Tailor your program by choosing from two concentrations:
- Public and Nonprofit Management, with elective courses in managing technology, managing personnel, decision analytics, and leadership and strategy
- International Policy, with elective courses in frontiers of international policy, human rights, international management, and leadership and strategy
Course Sequence
- You will take your core courses in a prescribed sequence, together with your cohort.
- You will take your four credits of elective courses during the second year of the program
Course Grading
- Letter grades.
EMPA Admissions Counselors
If you have questions, please feel free to contact our EMPA Admissions Counselors:
- Margaret Johnson at maw338@cornell.edu
- Devin Pappas at dep92@cornell.edu