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Columbia University's School of International and Public
Affairs will launch a new part-time master's degree program
in public administration for working professionals in the
1999 fall semester.
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The Executive Master of Public Administration Program is the
first degree program launched through the new Picker Center
for Executive Education, made possible by a $2 million gift
from former SIPA Dean Harvey Picker, who led the school from
1972 to 1983 and launched the MPA program in 1977.
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The new program will meet on Saturdays during the fall and
spring semester and in the evening during the summer term,
allowing students to complete the degree on a flexible basis
in either two or three years.
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"We have long believed that we needed a more flexible
structure to deliver our education and training to varied
audiences," said Dean Lisa Anderson. "We are confident that
we have this structure with the Picker Center."
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The new center will be directed by William Eimicke, who
previously served as Director of SIPA's Public Management
Training Center and has been a policymaker in state and city
government for 20 years.
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"Increasingly, we were finding excellent candidates for the
MPA program who were not able to make the commitment to come
here either because of the scheduling and time demands of
their personal lives or because they could not afford to
give up their jobs to attend our full-time program," said
Eimicke.
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The program will allow experienced managers in government
and the nonprofit and private sectors the opportunity to
earn a graduate degree from a premier university while they
continue to build their careers, Eimicke said.
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The curriculum includes core courses in advanced management
and finance techniques and a three-course "context" sequence
with seminars in public policymaking. Students with
professional management experience will be granted nine
graduate credits of advanced standing to count towards the
54-point program.
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Open houses have been held at the school through the spring
semester. The goal is to admit 20 to 30 students for the
first class. The application deadline for September
admission is July 15.
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In the future, the Picker Center expects to expand its
programs to meet the need for skilled managers in the public
and non-profit sectors. The center's offices are currently
on the 14th floor of the International Affairs Building.
Plans call for expanded facilities in the building. The
telephone is (212)854-2710.
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