The mission of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program at the University of South Carolina is to provide an education that imparts the managerial and analytical skills necessary for students to ethically and effectively serve the public interest in increasingly diverse societies, and to improve the understanding and practice of public affairs through our research, teaching, and service.

NASPAA Accreditation supports a global network of programs bound by a commitment to public service values, programmatic improvement and educational quality. 

Career Placement

USC MPA alumni work across the country in all levels of government, non-profit organizations and the private sector. With an excellent graduation rate, MPA alumni have gone on to work in offices such as:  

• Knight's Company, Columbia (Environmental Health Safety Manager)
• Executive Officer, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon
• Billing Assistant Mayer Brown, Chicago
• Callison Tighe & Robinson, LLC (Project Assistant)
• City of Kennesaw (Community Development Admin Asst)
• City of Columbia
• Assistant District Attorney, Gaston County, NC
• Department of Justice
• USC Upstate
• Unum (Customer Service Specialist)
• USC Faculty Senate
• University of South Carolina, Advising Center (2)
• University of South Carolina Lancaster
• Clemson University
• Senate of South Carolina, Medical Affairs Committee
• SC Public Charter School District
• SC State Government
• SC Department of Administration
• SC Department of Education
• SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
• SC Department of Health and Human Services (2)
• South Carolina Election Commission
• NC Air National Guard
• Pike Engineering                 
• SC Army National Guard 
• Special Olympics North Carolina 
• South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health
• North Carolina Office of the State Auditor
• South Carolina Republican Party
• Richland County Government

(AY 22-23, 23-24, 24-25)

Graduation Rates for MPA Program AY 19-20 cohort

Initial enrollment: 9

• 2 years graduation rates: 56%
• 3 years graduation rates: 89%
• 4 years graduation rates:  89%

Note: website has “graduation” on years 2 and 4; “Graduation” on year 3

Job Placement AY AY 23-24

US Federal Government	0
State Government	5
City, County, or other Local Government	0
Nonprofit domestic-oriented	1
Nonprofit/NGOs internationally-oriented	0
Private Sector but not research/consulting	1
Military Service	2