What is an MPA?
With this professional degree, you will be prepared to work across disciplines in careers that serve the greater good. You’ll be ready for a management or leadership position across the field of public affairs—in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Brooks School graduates work in a wide range of federal, state, and local government agencies, nonprofits, and private firms that interface with the public and nonprofit sectors, and international organizations, where they serve as executives, managers, analysts, and planners.
Why Brooks?
The Cornell Brooks MPA is intentionally designed to prepare leaders who can solve today’s most pressing public challenges through evidence-based decision-making, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the leadership skills needed to drive meaningful change.
Our graduates are known for their:
- Analytical and evidence-based policymaking skills
- Strategic leadership and organizational management
- Ability to work across sectors and disciplines
- Practical experience solving real-world policy challenges
- Commitment to creating positive public impact
Through rigorous analytical training, on-the-ground experiences, and access to Cornell’s extensive network, students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead throughout the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Who Is This Degree For?
The Brooks MPA is designed for students who want to lead with purpose and make a measurable impact. The program attracts aspiring public servants, early-career professionals, and career switchers who are motivated to work at the intersection of policy, management, and social impact.
Whether you are launching a career in public service, transitioning into a mission-driven role, or seeking the skills to advance into leadership, the MPA provides the foundation to move confidently across sectors.
Program Formats
Residential MPA
The two-year residential MPA offers a full-time, immersive, on-campus experience in Ithaca, New York. Students engage deeply with faculty and peers while taking advantage of experiential learning opportunities, campus resources, and professional networks.
Explore the Residential MPAExecutive MPA
The Executive MPA is designed for working professionals who want to invest in new skills, networks, and leadership capacity while continuing their careers. The 18-month program is designed to be completed alongside a career, with an emphasis on applying learning directly in professional contexts.
Explore the Executive MPANondegree Executive Certificates
The Brooks School’s executive certificate programs provide flexible, fully online professional development for individuals looking to expand their expertise in public affairs, leadership, nonprofit management, and sustainability while continuing to work full time.
Explore Executive CertificatesWhich MPA Program is Right for You?
Feature | Residential MPA | Executive MPA |
| Duration | 2 years | 18 months |
| Format | Full-time, in person in Ithaca | Hybrid format designed for working professionals |
| Experience Level | Recent graduates and early-career professionals | Mid-career and senior professionals |
| Schedule | Full-time study | Continue working while earning your degree |
| Ideal Candidate | Individuals seeking an immersive academic and career development experience, whether launching a career in public policy and administration or transitioning into the field and building foundational knowledge and skills | Mid-career, practicing professionals with 8+ years of experience who need to balance a rigorous graduate education with the demands of a full-time job |
| Learn more about the residential MPA | Learn more about the Executive MPA |
Curriculum
The Cornell Brooks MPA features a dynamic curriculum that evolves alongside today’s public policy challenges. Informed by alumni, employers, distinguished faculty, and practitioners, the program prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed to lead in a rapidly changing world.
Students develop expertise in:
- Data analytics and evidence-based decision-making
- Leadership and organizational management
- Politics, policy, and governance
- Microeconomics and public finance
- Strategic communication and stakeholder engagement
- Global citizenship and cross-sector collaboration
Whether enrolled in the Residential MPA or Executive MPA, students build a strong interdisciplinary foundation before tailoring the program to their interests through electives, concentrations or specializations, and applied coursework.
Experiential Learning
At the Brooks School, learning extends beyond the classroom. Whether you’re enrolled in the Residential MPA or Executive MPA, you’ll apply your knowledge to real organizations and public policy challenges through hands-on experiences that build professional skills and confidence.
Students may participate in:
- Internship experiences (Residential MPA)
- Applied consulting projects
- Case-based learning
- International field treks
- External semesters in Washington, D.C., and Albany, New York (Residential MPA)
- Capstone projects focused on real-world public policy and management challenges
Capstone
The capstone experience serves as the culmination of both MPA programs. Residential MPA students work in teams with public, nonprofit, and international organizations to develop recommendations that address complex policy and management challenges for real clients.
Executive MPA students complete an individual capstone project focused on a strategic priority identified by their current employer, applying the leadership and management skills they’ve developed throughout the program.
Throughout the capstone experience, Cornell faculty and Executives-in-Residence provide guidance and mentorship, helping students translate their learning into meaningful organizational impact.
Featured Faculty
Matthew Hall
Professor; Faculty Director of the MPA Program and Cornell Population Center
Research areas:
- Immigration and migration
- Racial and ethnic inequality
- Population change
- Demographic methods
Professor Hall is a demographer who examines the economic and social impacts of unauthorized migration, the emergence of new immigrant destinations, and changing patterns of inequality in housing and neighborhoods.
Aubryn Sidle
Assistant Teaching Professor; Director of Undergraduate Studies
Research areas:
- Gender and education policy
- Program evaluation
- Community-driven development
- NGO and nonprofit management
Professor Sidle is a mixed-methods researcher who works with communities, schools, and organizations to develop research that responds to community needs and informs policy, practice, and the measurement of quality education for diverse young people.
Ning Su
Visiting Associate Professor
Research areas:
- Digital innovation
- Technology policy
- Qualitative research methods
- Globalization and governance
Professor Su studies how digital technologies are transforming organizations, markets, public policy, and governance, drawing on research and advisory experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors around the world.
Student Experience
Students consistently cite close faculty relationships, collaborative cohorts, and real-world projects as defining elements of the Brooks MPA experience.
The MPA program has sharpened my ability to approach problems systematically, combining data analysis, policy design, and stakeholder engagement. Courses, group work, and my internship with the City of Ithaca and field research in Kenya through the Cornell SMART Program helped me connect theory with practice and navigate real institutional constraints.
– Syed Abdullah MPA ’26
As a seasoned nonprofit executive, I always felt like something was missing from my professional toolkit. Based on my experience, passion and future plans, I decided to pursue an MPA. As a passionate lifelong learner, I knew I wanted a program that would stretch me intellectually and give me frameworks and techniques for solving professional problems. The Executive MPA at Cornell fit with every one of my goals.
– Ashlie M. Bryant EMPA ’22, CEO and Co-Founder, 3Strands Global Foundation
Admissions at a Glance
Applying to the Brooks MPA is a straightforward process designed to holistically review each applicant’s academic background and professional experience
Application Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- Unofficial transcripts for application review
- Resume
- Two academic or professional recommendations
- Statement of purpose and supporting application materials
- GRE/GMAT not required and not considered
International Applicants:
- Proof of English-language proficiency is required through TOEFL, IELTS, or an approved exemption pathway established by Cornell Graduate School.
For application questions, contact BROOKSGRADADMISSIONS@CORNELL.EDU
Ready to lead through change?
Public policy shapes lives, and effective leadership requires the ability to adapt, navigate uncertainty, and deliver results when it matters most.
A Master of Public Administration from Cornell prepares you to tackle the challenges that define our time while building a career that grows and evolves alongside the public, nonprofit, and policy-facing sectors.