Master of Public Administration

Professional Associations

ASPA - American Society for Public Administraiton

Students are strongly encouraged to join the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the professional organization. Established in 1939, ASPA has taken pride in its contributions to the public service community. With a diverse membership composed of more than 12,000 practitioners, faculty, and students, ASPA has emerged as the focal point for intellectual and professional interaction, serving as the principal arena for linking thought and practice within the field of public administration. ASPA is comprised of local chapters, national special interest sections, and thousands of members. As a member of ASPA, you will:

Expand your professional network through chapters and sections.
Join your colleagues from various professional specialties in advocating the importance and value of public service through local seminars and meetings
Stay ahead with the latest information, trends, and research with PA Times and Public Administration Review
Take advantage of professional development opportunities offered by chapters.

LINK TO ASPA

Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society

The MPA program has an established chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honor society for public affairs and administration. Pi Alpha Alpha objectives foster integrity, professionalism, and effective performance in the conduct of government and related public service activities. Invitations extended for membership identify those with the highest performance levels in educational programs preparing them for public service careers.

Current students will be considered for membership at the time they submit the Admission to Candidacy form, which will occur later in the program of study when the student can list course information on all 36 credit hours of the degree program. If the student's grade point average is at least a 3.7 in the OU MPA coursework, the student will be invited to join Pi Alpha Alpha. Invitations are distributed by our office twice a year, usually in February and October.

Link to Pi Alpha Alpha

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management

APPAM is dedicated to improving public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis and education.

APPAM promotes its mission through activities that include:

A multidisciplinary annual research conference that attracts the highest quality, research on a wide variety of important current and emerging policy and management issues, and is structured to encourage substantive interaction among participants.
A peer-reviewed multidisciplinary journal that publishes the highest quality research on public policy and management.
A dedication in all activities to respecting and enhancing racial, ethnic, gender, disciplinary, and other forms of diversity among participants in all of the Association's activities.
The involvement of policymakers, practitioners and scholars in the Association's governance and the Fall Conference.
Initiatives that include and foster participation in the Association among students interested in public policy and management.

Link to APPAM