• Introduction
• Recognition
• Partner Universities
• Curriculum
• Course Delivery Format
• Admission
• Graduation Requirement

Introduction

The Gulf Arab States - and in particular the United Arab Emirates - are in the process of transforming their public administration systems. Most of the governments in the region have traditionally promoted developmental activities, provided citizens with many social services, maintained an income tax free environment, and provided employment in the public sector to citizens. The reform process tries to deal with some of the difficult aspects of this ambitious agenda through promoting a leaner public sector and effective policy implementation.

The Executive Masters in Public Administration (EMPA) program is offered in partnership with Indiana University and The University of Utah. The program aims to educate public sector administrators in the best practices of public administration, making them able to assimilate and process information from their community, their region and the world, and to develop and implement policy that will efficiently serve the United Arab Emirate's ambitious development plans. New public managers must be skilled in modern management and public administration methods, and should be aware of how these work in other countries. Furthermore, they should be leaders who can bring other administrators up to their high standards of achievement.

Another unique feature of the EMPA program is that it offers an option in Police Studies for students wishing to specialize in the area of police administration. Students taking this option will enrol in three specialized Police Studies courses that are substituted for three other EMPA courses. (See Curriculum for details.)

Recognition

The Executive Masters in Public Administration (EMPA) program is approved by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. As Zayed University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the program is internationally recognized for further education and employment in private and public sector organizations.

Partner Universities

Indiana University and The University of Utah

The participation of the partner universities allows the Executive Masters in Public Administration program to select experts in their respective fields of study who bring a depth of knowledge and an emphasis on practical application, both of which are essential to creating a relevant masters program.

The School of Public Policy and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University has been selected both because of its consistent top ranking among MPA programs and because of its extensive experience in delivering graduate degrees with local partners around the world.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Utah has been selected for the high quality of its program at the Center for Public Policy and Administration.

Curriculum

At the beginning of the program, students take an intensive one-day orientation. The orientation offers a number of workshops to introduce students to the program, during which students are introduced to Blackboard (virtual classroom software), case study and analysis, library resources, and the writing of reports and reference citations.

The EMPA program is designed to prepare graduate students for senior managerial and leadership roles in their organizations. The curriculum is firmly grounded in the functional areas of the business enterprise, with a focus on the public administration industry. The curriculum also offers an option in Police Studies for students wishing to specialize in the area of police administration.

The EMPA curriculum consists of 12 six and one-half week courses for a total of 36 credit hours for the Executive Masters degree.*

• EMPA 502 Governance in a Global Context
• EMPA 503 Comparative Public Sector Administration (or EMPA 520 Criminology: The Sociology and Economics of Crime - for students specializing in Police Studies)
• EMPA 504 Public Human Resource Management
• EMPA 505 Quantitative and IT Methods for Public Policy and Administration
• EMPA 506 Applied Research Methods in Public Policy and Administration
• EMPA 507 Public Policy Formulation and Analysis
• EMPA 508 Public Sector Budgeting and Finance
• EMPA 509 Program Evaluation (or EMPA 521 Strategic Police Management - for students specializing in Police Studies)
• EMPA 510 The Practice of Public Administration (or EMPA 522 Future Directions in Policing - for students specializing in Police Studies)
• EMPA 511 Strategic Leadership for Organizational Improvement
• EMPA 512 Legal and Ethical Issues in the UAE: The Public Administration Context
• EMPA 599 Capstone Seminar

*The course delivery sequence may vary from cohort to cohort.

Course Delivery Format

The format for delivering the EMPA program is designed to minimize time away from work and family while maximizing interaction with fellow students and faculty.

Faculty members utilize a mix of in-classroom and distance learning instruction that demonstrate the flexibility needed to accommodate experienced working graduates. The four-day on-site (in-classroom) instruction for each course is normally conducted every six and one-half weeks on a Saturday and Sunday and the following Friday and Saturday in full day sessions. Additional off-site lectures are provided on CDs. Blackboard customized courseware, with e-mail and course management features, is used to deliver the offsite computer-based portion of the curriculum. Portions of some courses involve videoconferencing. Students and faculty interact frequently to exchange e-mail, transfer files, submit papers, and access course materials in the form of PowerPoint slides during courses.

The EMPA program is delivered over a period of 24 months at Zayed University located in Abu Dhabi and/or Dubai.

For more information on the admission deadline, please visit the Key Dates section of our website.

Admission

• Admission is open to males and females of all nationalities.
• The ideal candidate will be a mature, motivated individual with an administrative or government background. Individuals who are currently, or who plan to be, associated with the local public administration sector in the United Arab Emirates or the international public administration industry form our pool of candidates. Business managers who are currently employed in the public administration field, government officials associated with ministries, departments, agencies, and authorities responsible for supervising public policy, and senior administrators from a variety of government agencies all are prime candidates to benefit greatly from this program.
• Applicants must have earned a four-year baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 2.5 or higher from an accredited university.
• Applicants must have at least three years of mid- to upper-level management experience.
• Applicants must demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to manage a challenging, fast-paced program.

For more information on the admission requirements, application procedure and program cost, please visit the Admissions and Fees section of our website.

Graduation Requirement

Graduate students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in course work taken in fulfillment of the requirements of a masters degree.