The Master of Public Administration (called a Joint Masters Program or JMP) is offered jointly by The University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. Students in the program acquire indepth knowledge of both the theory and the practice of government organizations, including knowledge of political, economic, social and other contexts in which they operate.
MPA students have the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience through the Cooperative Education option in the program.
The objective of the joint MPA program is to provide students - both full- and part-time - with a sound knowledge of public administration. The approach is interdisciplinary, although courses in Political Science (at UWinnipeg) and Political Studies (at UManitoba) are emphasized.
The core program exposes all students to a common set of courses designed to encourage both innovative and integrative perspectives. There are also opportunities to take a range of policy courses in the areas of health care, public finance, aboriginal government, and organizational change.
Students complete 36 credits of course work in the program, and two work terms of 13 weeks each. The maximum time length to complete the MPA Program for part-time students is six years.
SAMPLE CAREERS Graduates may find employment in local, provincial, or federal government offices. They may also find work in the fields of international law and organization, teaching, journalism, public relations and public administration. They are valued as management consultants in public opinion research or in law enforcement services, labour unions, political parties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Many lawyers and business people also find that the degree provides them with valuable background knowledge.
SAMPLE COURSES
PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC FINANCE FOR POLICY ANALYSIS - An introduction to basic economic theories and tools used in public sector economics, which may include the economics/politics of taxing policies, externalities, theories of intergovernmental grants, major Canadian government spending programs, and new developments.
MPA CAPSTONE SEMINAR - Students pursue individual supervised projects that allow them to integrate theory and practice in an original topic in public administration and/or public policy, drawing on their skills and knowledge gained throughout the program. These projects will be presented in a semester-end colloquium.
MORE SAMPLE COURSES
Public Policy Process & Issues • Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis • An Indigenous Approach to Program Evaluation • Governance & Administration
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
September 2025
Faculty of Graduate Studies
515 Portage Avenue,
WINNIPEG,
Manitoba (MB),
R3B 2E9, Canada
The joint MPA Program is a multi-disciplinary program admitting students with undergraduate work from a variety of backgrounds including political science, sociology, social work, science, economics, business and nursing. Students may be recommended for admission with a four-year undergraduate degree and a GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours of their undergraduate degree.
Test of English as a Foreign Language: Requirement/Score: Internet-based - Achieve a minimum score of 86 with no less than 20 in each component.
International English Language Testing System: Requirement/Score: IELTS Academic - Minimum overall band score of 6.5
Cambridge Assessment English: C1 Advanced: Requirement/Score: Minimum score 180
Cambridge Assessment English: C2 Proficiency: Requirement/Score: Minimum score 180
CanTest: Requirement/Score: An average score of 4.5 in Listening and Reading; and a score of 4.0 in Writing*
*A score of 3.5 in Writing may be considered, depending on the program of study, and provided the student is registered in Academic Writing Extended (ESL).
CAEL and CAEL-CE - Minimum score of 60; CAEL online - Minimum score of 70
Pearson Test of English (Academic): Requirement/Score: Minimum of score of 58
Deadlines: Fall (September) Intake – January 15
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
UWinnipeg attracts students from around the world due to its for academic excellence, small class sizes, environmental commitment and diversity.