An Executive MPA Program for China: Lessons from the Field

Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs are offered in more than 100 universities in China. All require applicants to pass a competitive national entrance exam in five subject areas. This requirement significantly discourages senior-level public administrators, many of whom graduated from college several years ago and have work schedules that do not allow time to prepare for an academically focused examination. These senior-level administrators need an Executive MPA (EMPA) or similar program with more realistic entrance requirements and a curriculum designed for people with significant professional experience. Drawing on the data collected from surveys of MPA students enrolled in six MPA programs in China and students enrolled in an EMPA program in Singapore specifically designed for Chinese public servants, this article reports how the demographic differences between MPA students and EMPA students affect their preference for professional public administration education in terms of knowledge components, managerial competencies, teaching modalities, and examination methods. The findings of the study significantly challenge not only Chinese universities that would like to adopt the existing MPA education model for EMPA education but also universities outside of China that are establishing EMPA or joint EMPA programs with Chinese governments or universities.