Realize your full leadership potential, gain critical problem-solving skills, and learn how to work across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors through an Ivy League program dedicated to learning and leading for local, national, and global human well-being.

Global Master of Public Administration (G-MPA) Landing Page

Passionate about making a large, positive, and lasting difference in people's lives across the globe? Want to become a transformational, civic-minded leader?

The Global Master of Public Administration (G-MPA) program at the University of Pennsylvania is an online master’s program dedicated to developing leaders with diverse backgrounds who can make a difference in today’s most important global issues.

This unique program allows you to earn an Ivy League master’s degree on a full-time or part-time schedule from wherever you live—without putting your career on pause.

Apply to the G-MPA program now >

“What must happen if the next century-long chapter in the annals of global human well-being—the chapter to be written between now and the 2120’s—is to be a tale of greater wealth, health, and happiness for all or most people worldwide, including not just we the living but billions of people yet to be born?"

- Professor Charlotte R. Ren

"How shall diverse governance institutions—families and social networks; neighborhood or community groups; nonprofit or social sector organizations; for-profit firms; and, most importantly, government institutions themselves—act, either independently or in tandem with each other, and either within or across regional or national borders, to maintain or improve human well-being?"

- Professor Donald F. Kettl

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More about the program

Penn’s G-MPA is led by an interdisciplinary and multilingual team of world-class scholars and leaders in government, business, and nonprofit sectors. The G-MPA emphasizes cross-sector collaboration and public value creation. You’ll have the chance to explore your interests in a wide variety of global contexts, and discover your unique path to building a successful, high-impact career in public service.

What to expect

Earn a Master of Public Administration from an Ivy League university
Pursue the degree online, either full time or part time, and continue to work and meet family obligations
Complete 10 courses, in as little as one year or as many as three years
Receive synchronous online course advising and faculty mentoring throughout the program
Study with and learn from students of diverse backgrounds from all over the world
Complete one intellectually challenging, skills-stretching capstone research paper

What are the G-MPA qualifications?

Students with a distinguished academic record
Experience that shows your dedication to helping others
A desire for a successful professional career as an effective and ethical leader
Proficiency in English plus at least one other language

More about Penn

The University of Pennsylvania, known as Penn, is a highly selective and top-ranked Ivy League university that is located on a beautiful urban campus in historic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn is consistently ranked among top-tier American universities in the U.S. News & World Report and Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings.

Application deadline

Fall 2024

July 1, 2024

2023 G-MPA tuition

Per course: $4,500 plus $144 online services fee

Total for 10 courses, including online services fees: $46,440

The rate listed above is estimated. All tuition and fee charges are subject to the approval of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and may change without notice.

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Note: A country may or may not regulate distance education provided to students in its jurisdiction and may or may not require foreign higher education institutions to comply with distance education regulations. At this time, Penn cannot guarantee that a course meets curriculum requirements or professional licensure requirements in a country.