MPA Professional Degree Entrance Examination Syllabus

Author: Compiled by the Office of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee and other organizations
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-14
Features: In response to the new requirements for the modernization, scientification, and professionalization of social public management, the establishment of an efficient, coordinated, and standardized public management system adapted to the socialist market economy, the improvement of the training system for national public affairs and administrative cadres, and the development of a high-quality, professionalized team of national public affairs and administrative cadres, the 17th meeting of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee passed the "Plan for the Establishment of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Professional Degree Program" in May 1999. Starting from 2001, China launched a pilot program for the MPA professional degree program, aiming to cultivate high-level, applied specialists for government departments and non-governmental public institutions. Currently, nearly 8,000 MPA students are enrolled in the 2001 and 2002 classes. The national MPA application and examination process for 2003 is about to begin. Public management involves numerous social affairs from "cradle to grave" and has long held an important position in social life. In China's history of reform and opening up, public management has undergone two significant changes: First, the expansion of the field of public management. With the rapid spread of contemporary science and technology, population growth and mobility, the rise of service industries, urban and transportation development, enhanced environmental protection, the universalization of social security and healthcare, the prominence of social crime and public safety issues, and the trend of global market integration, the role of public management in social life has become increasingly important. It permeates all aspects of social life, expands its scope, increases its technological content, and broadens its fields. Second, the reform of the government itself. The government cannot handle all public affairs and must shift toward a more democratic management model. Therefore, the trend of reform is the diversification of public management subjects. As the government shifts its functions, clarifies relationships with the market, society, enterprises, and internal government structures, decentralizes power, transfers authority, streamlines institutions, although the government remains the primary and authoritative subject of public management, non-governmental public institutions such as people's organizations, public institutions, and social intermediary organizations have also joined the ranks of public management subjects, managing public affairs. These two changes have made the task of educating and training practicing public management personnel even more urgent. The English name of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) professional degree is the internationally recognized Master of Public Administration, abbreviated as MPA. MPA is a career-oriented education program, primarily targeting university graduates with bachelor's degrees (generally requiring a degree) and more than four years of practical work experience in government departments and non-governmental public institutions. The learning mode is primarily part-time, emphasizing direct professional degree education in the field of public management. Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, simulation training, case studies, and social surveys, among others, with the goal of cultivating and training practical public management skills. The thesis is mainly in the form of thematic research results, consulting reports, research reports, policy evaluations, project planning, case study reports, and research on countermeasures for public management issues. Those who complete the required credits and pass the thesis defense will be awarded the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. Compared to other management master's degrees, the MPA is at the same level but of a different type, with specific emphases. In terms of training objectives, target students, curriculum design, training methods, knowledge structure, and ability structure, there are specific requirements and quality standards that differ from the training requirements for teaching and research personnel, emphasizing direct professional degree education in the field of public management. The MPA professional degree is interdisciplinary, composite, and applied. Its knowledge structure is based on the discipline of public management, but it involves other related disciplines depending on the training direction and management field. The emergence of MPA education is closely related to the development of public management. In 1924, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in the United States pioneered MPA education. Public management graduate education in some developed countries in Europe and North America has a history of more than half a century. Especially after World War II, with the increasing and growing complexity of social problems, government functions faced unprecedented challenges, demanding more scientification and professionalization of public management. As a result, the professional quality requirements for government officials and non-governmental public institution managers have become increasingly high, promoting the vigorous development of public management talent training. Today, the MPA has become one of the main pathways for many countries to cultivate high-level, applied public management talent, alongside the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Master of Laws (LL.M.), forming the three pillars of high-level professional graduate education in humanities and social sciences in market economy countries. For example, there are currently more than 220 universities in the United States offering MPA programs, with over 30,000 students enrolled. In recent years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Province of China have also been actively developing public management education, with many universities establishing MPA programs. The career paths of MPA graduates are mainly in government departments and non-governmental public institutions. In the United States, MPA graduates primarily work in local, state, and federal government agencies, non-profit public organizations (various social intermediary organizations, foundations, associations, etc.), think tanks, or consulting firms, and some work in human resources or administrative departments of enterprises. In the U.S. federal government, 10% to 20% of employees and 50% to 60% of employees in the field of public policy hold an MPA or a similar degree. In South Korea, among the 600,000 civil servants, 10,000 hold the rank of section chief or higher, and 30% of them have obtained an MPA degree through part-time studies. The Master of Public Administration (MPA) professional degree is the latest professional degree established in China's education system after the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Laws (LL.M.), Master of Education, Master of Architecture, Master of Engineering, and Master of Clinical Medicine. The successful establishment and development of professional degrees have demonstrated that they effectively meet the urgent demand of the socialist market economy for high-level, applied, and composite talents. To cultivate applied specialists for the 21st century, vigorously developing professional degree education is an effective approach. Currently, China's MPA education has started well and is developing positively, having formed a broad social impact and playing a positive role in cadre training. The MPA admission and examination process is conducted through a joint examination by national training institutions, with unified question papers and unified admission standards. The examination subjects include: political theory (set by each examining institution), foreign language, management, public administration, and comprehensive knowledge (Chinese, mathematics, logic). In addition to the English and Russian offered last year, Japanese will be added in 2003. The number of examining institutions will also be further expanded, with more universities joining the ranks of MPA education, which is undoubtedly good news for the vast number of working professionals who aspire to further their studies and obtain master's degrees. We wish all candidates who are determined to take the exam success in realizing their dreams and pursuits through their relentless efforts.