Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development online

The online Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Economic Development from Murray State University delves into municipal development and building private-public partnerships.

Apply by: 1/8/25
Start Class: 1/14/25
Apply Now

Program Overview

Gain insights into our online MPA in Economic Development

$16,290* Total Tuition
As few as 12 months Program Duration
36 Credit Hours

Help stimulate job creation, create tax revenue and nurture economic prosperity for communities with the skills you will gain in the Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development online program from Murray State. You will learn about restructuring market incentives to leverage private investment, developing community-based businesses, affordable housing, and financial institutions in order to improve community life.

Our relevant core coursework gives you a background in key areas of public administration, including policy analysis, budgeting and finance, organizational theory, human resource management and more. A choice of electives enables you to shape your degree to meet your career goals.

This 100 percent online economic development program from Murray State’s College of Humanities and Fine Arts includes a capstone experience in which you will integrate theories and methods by proposing and executing a project involving a substantive management or analytic issue in the public sector.

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Among the Best in the South

Ranked #1 among the "Best Value Schools in the South" by U.S. News & World Report (2025)

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This program will prepare you for careers such as:

  • Urban/Regional Planner
  • City Planner
  • City Manager
  • Economist
  • Economic Developer
  • Economic Development Manager
This program will prepare you for careers such as:+
  • Urban/Regional Planner
  • City Planner
  • City Manager
  • Economist
  • Economic Developer
  • Economic Development Manager
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Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Also available

Murray State University offers a variety of specialized Master of Public Administration concentrations. Check out all of our online MPA programs.

Tuition

Our budget-friendly tuition can be paid as you go

Master of Public Administration online programs from Murray State University offer affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition. All fees are included in the total tuition.

Tuition breakdown:

$452.50 Per Credit Hour
$16,290* Total Tuition
View full tuition breakdown
Program Per Credit Hour Per Course Per Program
MPA – Economic Development $452.50 $1,357.50 $16,290*

*The tuition rate is subject to annual changes based on approval by the Murray State University Board of Regents and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. Refer to Graduate Tuition Rates for more information on the cost of attendance for Murray State.

Calendar

Know when to apply, when classes start and when tuition is due

Murray State University online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.

Now enrolling:

1/8/25 Next Application Deadline
1/14/25 Start Classes

View full calendar  + 

TermStart DateApplication DeadlineDocument & Financial Aid DeadlinePriority Registration DeadlineTuition DeadlineLast Class DayTerm Length
Fall 210/15/2410/9/2410/10/2410/11/2410/14/2412/8/247 weeks
Spring 11/14/251/8/251/9/251/10/251/13/253/5/257 weeks
Spring 23/11/253/5/253/6/253/7/253/10/255/6/257 weeks
Summer 15/12/255/6/255/7/255/8/255/9/256/21/257 weeks
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Murray State?
Apply Now

Admissions

See the requirements for this online economic development program

At Murray State University, we’ve streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development online, including where to send your transcripts.

The requirements include:

Online application accepted on a rolling basis
Bachelor’s degree FROM A 4-YEAR DOMESTIC INSTITUTION
Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended
2.5 GPA ON UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK
View all admission requirements

For admission to this MPA online program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree from a 4-year domestic institution
  • Undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher
  • Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended

Official transcripts, test scores and other documents should be sent from issuing institutions to:

Email address: [email protected]

Mail address:

Graduate Admissions
Murray State University
B2 Sparks Hall
Murray, KY 42071

Questions? Call 866-906-0541.

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Courses

Discover what you will learn in our online MPA in Economic Development classes

For the Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development online, you must complete 21 credit hours of core courses and 15 credit hours of electives.

Expand All
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the process of research in public affairs, with an emphasis on quantitative methods and techniques.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A graduate-level introduction to the study of public administration, covering substantive topics in the field as well as the political dimensions of public service and the ethical issues faced by government practitioners. Emphasis is placed on the development of the discipline as a field of inquiry.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Problems and methods in perception of public problems, determination of goals, generation and evaluation of alternative policy practices and programs, and explanation of policy choices. Emphasis on political and analytical methods of examining policy making and policy outcomes. Includes a survey of literature dealing with theories of the policy process.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An intensive, graduate-level overview of public agency and governmental budgeting and finance at the federal, state, and local government levels. This course examines budgeting as a tool of governmental economic and public policy. Specifically, the course considers the evolution and purposes of budgeting with special attention given to recent efforts to improve government resource allocation.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces management of public and nonprofit organizations by reviewing the history and evolution of organization theory and the application of these theories to 21st century public and nonprofit organizations. Topics such as organizational culture, conflict, stress, communication, leadership, groups, power and politics, and ethics will be examined in an attempt to explain and predict employee behavior in the context of public organizations.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An intensive, graduate-level overview of public sector human resource and human capital management in the federal, state, and local governments, including such topics as types of personnel systems; recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; training and development; performance management; legal compliance; diversity; and labor-management relations. Students address the literature in one of these areas.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1
A course integrating the theories and methods of public administration in a major research project related to a substantive management or policy problem in the public sector. Students must propose a research design for an original project after completing a major review of public administration literature. Normally this course shall be taken in the last semester of graduate work within the M.P.A. program. Required for all MPA students.
Students must take three electives from the following.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce students to the process, purpose, and background needed for the local economic development process.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce students to the methods and sources of information used in the economic development process.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce the student to the techniques of benefit-cost analysis and program evaluation tools used in business and government applications.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce students to the financial concepts, tools, programs, and practices needed by economic development professionals.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The role of government and politics in the regulation of business activities and the administration of major legislative enactments.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of political, economic, administrative, and legal aspects of government regulation. The course is intended to prepare practitioners for work in the field of regulatory policy.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An intensive, graduate-level examination of major planning and evaluation techniques for government programs.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An intensive study of the economic, political, and social environments of cities and other forms of local governments and the impact those environments have on local government administration. The roles and tasks of local government management, as affected by metropolitan conditions and state, regional, and federal governments, are also examined.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Comparative study of state and regional governments, administration, policies, and problems. Empirical research concerning structures, institutions, and political processes and the relationship between them and the policy outputs is examined and analyzed. Contemporary issues are examined from a comparative perspective to determine explanations for the variation among executives, legislatures, and bureaucracies in addressing or resolving these issues.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A comprehensive examination of the legal, political, and economic aspects of efforts to control the use of land. The course will cover constitutional, statutory, and common law issues regarding nuisance suits, private covenants, subdivision controls, zoning and zoning procedure, planning processes, and the exercise of eminent domain.

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