This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember your browser. We use this information to improve and customize your browsing experience, for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media, and for marketing purposes. By using this website, you accept and agree to be bound by UVic’s Terms of Use and Protection of Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the above, you must not use this website.

Skip to main content

Public Administration - on-campus (MPA)

Our thesis-based on-campus MPA program will challenge you with a curriculum that focuses on strategic awareness, analytical thinking, communication and leadership.

You’ll complete coursework and two co-op work terms. These experiences and your research will prepare you to create an original thesis. You can create your thesis in collaboration with a client organization.

Expected length Project or thesis Course-based
2 years, 6+ academic terms, depending on completion of thesis Yes No

Quick facts

Program options:
Master's
Study options:
Full-time study
Program delivery:
On-campus
Dynamic learning:
Other: Mandatory co-op

Outcomes

MPA thesis-based (on-campus) students will build competencies in strategic awareness, analytical thinking, collaboration, engagement, communication, research-design, professionalism and leadership.

Your thesis will involve researching problems and considering strategic options to address a policy or management challenge for a government agency, non-profit organization or community client. You’ll reviewing literature, undertake empirical work, best practices, and develop options and recommendations.

Find a supervisor

You are not required to find a supervisor before applying to our programs. We recommend that you list three potential supervisors in your letter of intent.

Astrid Brousselle

Professor Evaluation approaches and methods, planetary health, theory-based evaluation, ecological transition, public health, health system analysis, collaborative/participative/community-based approaches, qualitative methods

Accepting graduate students

Astrid V. Pérez Piñán

Associate professor Decolonial feminism, transnational and Indigenous feminisms, global sustainable development, diverse economies/economic development and wellbeing, colonization and decolonization, reproductive justice, food sovereignty, global South/Latin America, the Caribbean/Puerto Rico, Africa

Bart Cunningham

Professor Human resource issues, leadership, organizational behaviour and change, insight problem solving, stress and mental health, action learning and research

David Castle

Professor Science, technology and innovation policy, focused on open science, data governance, and biodiversity conservation

Accepting graduate students

Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly

Professor Border studies: border disputes, border security, border management, management of cross border regions, European Union: regional and urban policies, immigration and border security policies, Canada-United States border policies

Evert Lindquist

Professor Public sector and public service reform, designing and implementing policy interventions, digital and collaborative governance, horizontal governance and administration to support policy interventions, organizing for policy and administrative innovation, role and influence of think tanks in policy networks, competing values in public sector leadership and reform

Heather Castleden

Professor, Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health Transformative governance, planetary health, decolonizing energy, decolonizing the academy, climate change, climate justice, climate displacement, renewable energy water, social justice, environmental racism, health equity, Indigenous-settler relations, research ethics, relationality, accountability, Indigenous rights, critical methods, anti-colonial, anti-racist, participatory methods, qualitative inquiry, community-based participatory research

Helga Hallgrímsdóttir

Professor and deputy provost citizenship and citizen participation, governance and participatory governance, collective bargaining and dispute resolution in the public sector, social movements, protest and contentious politics, welfare states and social policy, gender and sexuality, work and social vulnerability, labour movements, labour and union politics

Jill Anne Chouinard

Professor and director Program evaluation, developing/adapting culturally responsive methodologies, evaluator engagement and community change, teaching evaluation, critiques of epistemology in evaluation/social sciences, ethics & collaborative practice, equity & community coalitions

Katya Rhodes

Associate professor Multi-attribute climate policy analysis, political economy of climate policy, pro-environmental behaviour, survey-based methods, energy-economy modelling, comparative climate policy

Kim Speers

Associate teaching professor Performance measurement, project and program management, food policy and politics, animal policy and politics, business and strategic planning in government, local government and administration, management consulting and the public sector

Lynne Siemens

Associate professor

Richard Marcy

Associate professor Public and non-profit sector, leadership and management, cognition in organizations, social innovation, non-violent avant-gardes on the left and right, autism and employment

Accepting graduate students

Robert Lapper

Lam Chair in Law and Public Policy, MPA program lead Justice system policy and reform, access to justice, Indigenous law and legal issues, technology and design in law and policy

Sarah Wiebe

Assistant professor & graduate adviser Environmental justice, public engagement, critical policy studies, climate emergencies and displacement, states of emergency, interpretive research and arts-based methods, community development, Indigenous community engagement and governance

Susanne Thiessen

Assistant professor

Tamara Krawchenko

Associate professor Comparative public policy, regional development, sustainability transitions

Walter Lepore

Assistant professor Organizational analysis and design, organizational performance assessment, program and policy monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, transparency, accountability, corruption and conflict of interests in the public sector, public sector reforms, mixed methods research, experimental research designs, community-based participatory research, capacity development in participatory research, community-university research partnerships, community development

Program details

Providing you accurate admission requirements, application deadlines, tuition fee estimates and scholarships depends on your situation. Tell us about yourself:

Program details

This information assumes you are . If this is incorrect, please update your information.

Application deadlines

September entry – apply by January 31

September entry – apply by January 31

Admission requirements

  • completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an institution recognized by UVic
  • equivalent of a minimum B+ (6.0 G.P.A.) average in the final two years of your undergraduate degree

If your first language is not English, you must provide proof of language proficiency. Learn more about language requirements, including allowable exemptions and tests.

Review our general admission requirements for more information.

Program specific requirements

As part of your application, you must submit:

  • references letters from two academic referees
    • If it has been more than five years since you last attended a post-secondary institution, you may have three professional references in place of academic referees.
    • In your application, include the names and email addresses of your referees.
      • Graduate Admissions will send your referees a link to complete an assessment report and/or upload their reference letters.
  • unofficial transcripts all post-secondary institutions
  • a letter of intent describing why you are seeking an MPA and how the degree relates to your career plans, personal values and goals
  • a professional résumé

Note: If you do not have a Canadian undergraduate degree, you will need to write and submit your official GRE (Gradute Record Examination) or GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) scores.

  • completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an institution recognized by UVic
  • equivalent of a minimum B+ (6.0 G.P.A.) average in the final two years of your undergraduate degree
  • GMAT or GRE results from the last two years

If your first language is not English, you must provide proof of language proficiency. Learn more about language requirements, including allowable exemptions and tests.

Review our general admission requirements for more information.

Program specific requirements

As part of your application, you must submit:

  • references letters from two academic referees
    • If it has been more than five years since you last attended a post-secondary institution, you may have three professional references in place of academic referees.
    • In your application, include the names and email addresses of your referees.
      • Graduate Admissions will send your referees a link to complete an assessment report and/or upload their reference letters.
  • unofficial transcripts all post-secondary institutions
  • a letter of intent describing why you are seeking an MPA and how the degree relates to your career plans, personal values and goals
  • a professional résumé

Note: If you do not have a Canadian undergraduate degree, you will need to write and submit your official GRE (Gradute Record Examination) or GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) scores.

Completion requirements

View the minimum course requirements for this program.

View the minimum course requirements for this program.

Funding & aid

Tuition & fees

Estimated minimum program cost*

* Based on an average program length. For a per term fee breakdown view the tuition fee estimator.

Estimated values determined by the tuition fee estimator shall not be binding to the University of Victoria.

Ready to apply?

You can start your online application to UVic by creating a new profile or using an existing one.

Apply now    How to apply

Need help?

Contact Darian Sernoski at paservice@uvic.ca or 250-721-6448.

0 saved