Another Highly Regarded Master’s Program in Public Finance in the U.S.

Posted by John L. Mikesell, Chancellor’s Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University 

Duke University’s new Master’s Program in public financial management joins a long-standing program at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) in providing graduate professional education in the field in the U.S.

SPEA’s public financial administration concentration, in its highly-ranked and internationally respected Master of Public Affairs degree, forms a strong base for development and acceleration of careers in government finance and budgeting, applied program and policy analysis, fiscal consulting, and management in public, private, and nonprofit organizations throughout the world. The professional distinction and practical experience of our faculty, the great success of our alumni, and the hands-on nature of our professional degree programs ensure a high demand for our graduates.

The program builds on a core curriculum of graduate courses in managerial economics, public finance and budgeting, and statistics that moves to concentration courses in budgeting and program analysis, public debt and capital markets, revenue policy and administration, benefit-cost analysis, governmental accounting and financial reporting, and public program evaluation.  The focus of all courses is upon applications to practical problems of government finance and relies heavily on exercises and cases that bring general principles into direct and immediate application. 

SPEA’s public finance graduates are employed in a wide array of positions. These include the usual U.S. Federal suspects (GAO, OMB, CBO, Treasury, agency budget shops), state and local budget agencies (executive and legislative), city finance offices, state revenue departments, international organizations (IMF, World Bank, UNDP, etc.), foreign governments, investment banks, rating agencies, and public sector practices of the major  accounting firms.

The MPA is a 48 credit hour program that normally requires two years of study.  Students with considerable professional experience may obtain credits that reduce the credit hour requirement. SPEA also offers a 15 credit hour graduate Certificate in Public Budgeting and Financial Management that can be completed in shorter time. 

More information about the public financial administration MPA concentration can be found at the program website and information about the certificate can be found in the graduate bulletin.

General questions about public financial administration teaching and research at Indiana can be directed to John L. Mikesell, Chancellor’s Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, at mikesell@indiana.edu.

Note from the PFM Blog editor:

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