October 8, 2020 (Jackson, Miss.) - Belhaven University is now offering the Master of Public Administration (MPA) with Finance Concentrationfor students who want careers in public and government finance.
This degree program equips graduates for increased leadership and management responsibilities within government agencies. The program also enhances knowledge, skills, and abilities of public sector professionals and serves other students who desire careers in public and non-profit organizations.
Dr. Brenda Redfern, assistant professor and Belhaven's Director of Public Administration, said, “A solid understanding of governmental financing is important regardless of the public position a person may hold. Every public servant -- from the laborer to the manager to the agency head -- is required to work within the constraints of governmental funding and rules.”
According to Redfern, public financing is impacted by factors not experienced by the private sector. A finance concentration allows the MPA student to enhance his/her skills by fully examining governmental financing from every angle.
Students can earn their MPA in finance at Belhaven's Jackson Adult and Graduate Campus or via Belhaven Online. Both formats are flexible to for students who are employed full-time. Students who graduate can pursue a variety of jobs that could include: administrative services manager, urban and regional planning, local government manager, political scientist, state and federal manager, public housing manager, and budget analyst.
“It is critical to understand the sources of funds, the budgetary process, expenditure authorizations and controls, and more,” said Redfern. “It is simply impossible to be a public manager without dealing with public finances and its unusual elements. Belhaven's MPA degree, coupled with the finance concentration, equips the individual to step into a managerial position with a full understanding of governmental finances and ready to tackle the related challenges.”
Belhaven's finance classes teach the techniques that managers use to make and evaluate all types of organizational decisions. The program will convey knowledge and develop competencies in public sector management practices, public policy analysis, and public decision-making processes.
Redfern adds, “Every course in Belhaven's MPA program is tailored to public administration. Classes prepare the student for immediate, practical application of the substantive concepts to the governmental job. Students learn today and then apply what they learn the very next day in their governmental jobs. For someone in public service or desiring to be a public servant, there is no better preparation than the MPA degree.”