Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration) Course Details - Admissions, Eligibility, Duration and Course Fees

About Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration):

• Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration) or Master of Arts in Public Administration is a postgraduate Public Administration course.

• This program is a professional degree and a graduate degree in the public sector and it prepares individuals to serve as managers.

• The course duration is two years divided into four semesters.

• The average tuition fees for this course ranges between Rs. 5,000 - 4,00,000 depending on the college.

• This course gives students a basic understanding of the mechanism of various government agencies and several socio-political issues which needs to be addressed in our society.

• Some of the top MA Public Administration colleges which offer a course in Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration) are listed below 

  • Presidency College, Chennai

  • Madras Christian College, Chennai

  • Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar

• This course deals mainly with financial administration and the basics of the Administrative theory.

• Candidates need to pass certain eligibility criteria to pursue this course.

• There are certain admission procedures which a candidate needs to follow to get admitted to a college offering this course.

What is Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration)?

• The Master of Public Administration [MA] (Public Administration) is a professional post-graduate degree in public administration similar to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of governance.

• It places a focus on the systematic investigation of executive organization and management. Instruction includes the roles, development, and principles of public administration.

• Those who have a temperament of problem-solving, organised approach, research skills, evaluation and analytical skills, sensitivity to the values and interests of others can go for this course.

• Through its history, the MPA degree has become more interdisciplinary by drawing from fields such as economics, sociology, law, anthropology, political science, and regional planning in order to equip MPA graduates with the skills and knowledge covering a broad range of topics and disciplines relevant to the public sector.

• Candidates who possess good communication skills, both written and verbal, team-spirit, the ability to handle and comprehend numerical data are most suitable for this course.

• This course also demands leadership abilities which helps the candidates carry out their practical work(field work) efficiently.

• The MA Public Administration curriculum has been mindfully designed to incorporate all the necessary theoretical knowledge that a master's candidate requires.

Why Choose Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration)?

• MA (Public Administration) degree serves as a basis for further higher studies and research in this field such as Ph.D and M.Phil Degree in Public Administration.

• Master of Public Administration graduates currently serve in some important positions within the public sector including Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, former CIA Director David Petraeus, former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

• On successful completion of Master’s degree in Public Administration, a student can apply for the UGC-NET or JRF exam; the success in these exams makes teaching or research as good options.

• Many public administration and social policy graduates find employment in management positions either within public sector organisations, such as the NHS(National Health Service) authorities and the criminal justice system.

• Opportunities also occur in social work and other personal social services work, social and political research organisations and further and higher education institutions with sufficient compensation.

• The greatest scope after doing M.A. Public Administration is that it not only makes you eligible but also gives you a fairly better chance to qualify for the Indian Civil Services exams but also many other options.

• There are several MA Public Administration job opportunities for graduates offered by Indian Civil Services, Land Revenue Bodies, Municipal Corporations and various healthcare organizations.

Top Colleges for Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration):

Top MA Public Administration Colleges in India

Eligibility Criteria for Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration):

• The basic eligibility criterion for pursuing MA (Public Administration) degree is having graduation degree in any stream with a three-year study duration.

• Candidates should have a minimum aggregate of 50% or its equivalent CGPA. This criterion may vary depending on the institute.

• However, many of the reputed universities demand graduation degree with Honours in Public Administration or Public Administration as one of the subjects studied in graduation from any of the recognised university/college of the country for admission to MA (Public Administration) degree course.

• Some of the very reputed universities and institutes demand a minimum of 45-50% marks in graduation as qualifying criteria to secure admission in this course and some also conduct entrance examination to get admission to their MA (Public Administration) degree course.

Admission Procedure for Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration):

• The admission to Master of Arts in Public Administration is through a subject-specific Entrance Test which is conducted by many universities/colleges such as Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

• The entrance test comprises of at least 100 objective type questions testing the student's aptitude and knowledge about the subject

• Selection to the degree course in these colleges is based on marks secured in the final merit i.e. total marks aggregated in the final exams of graduation and the entrance exam.

• Candidates can also attend this course through distance mode of education from colleges like Indira Gandhi National Open University, Annamalai University etc.

Entrance Exams for Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration):

• Jamia Millia Islamia University, Entrance Exam. 

• Aligarh Muslim University, Entrance Exam.

• Jawaharlal Nehru University, Entrance Exam.

• Banaras Hindu University, Entrance Exam.

Entrance Exam Pattern for Master of Arts [MA] (Public Administration):

• The entrance test is generally of objective type and contains a minimum of 100 questions. The duration of the entrance test may be 1-2 hour.

• The questions are generally asked from the following topics:

  • Indian Constitution

  • Government and Politics in India

  • Current Affairs

  • Public and Private Administration in India

  • Budget, Planning etc.

• Note that Certain universities may also conduct a personal interview after the entrance test for admission to the program.