The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service prepares graduates to become effective leaders who are committed to the values of public service. The MPA program includes five required core courses and a choice of four structured specializations in management, policy, or finance.
Students will be expected to complete the required 60 credits, including the core requirements (20 credits), specialization requirements (20 credits), the Taub Seminar (4 credits), the Capstone requirement (4 credits), and a range of electives (12 credits).
Shared credits – 8 credits of coursework at the Skirball Department will count towards the 12 elective credits at the Wagner School (leaving students the choice of one additional Wagner elective).
All students in the dual degree program take the Taub Seminar in the second semester. While the specific content of the seminar will vary, depending on the educational needs and interests of the students, its general purpose involves understanding the nature and performance of the institutions that comprise the Jewish communal sector and acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to improve organizational performance. In addition, prominent Jewish communal leaders will be utilized extensively in the seminar. The program will benefit from the involvement of these leaders and students will have the opportunity to develop a network of professional contacts in the Jewish community.
The Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies offers one of the most comprehensive Jewish studies programs in North America, addressing all periods of the Jewish past and present, from early antiquity to the present. Skirball faculty members research and teach Hebrew language and literature, Jewish history and culture, the sociology of the Jews, and patterns of Jewish thought.
Students will be expected to complete 32 course credits in Hebrew and Judaic Studies including two required courses - Historical Perspectives on the American Jewish Community and The Jewish Community: Classical Institutions and Perspectives (3 credits each). The Wagner School Taub Seminar and Capstone count as 8 credits toward the 32 required course credits. Skirball has two required courses - The History of Jewish Communal Organization and The Ideals of Jewish Community (3 credits each). Students will also take 2 courses in American Jewish history; one course in Israel studies; and three electives.
Students may choose from the broad range of classes offered by the Skirball Department to complete the remaining 18 course credits. Some may choose to enroll in seminar courses designed to give the student a breadth of knowledge spanning the course of Jewish history or instead choose to focus on the modern Jewish experience. In addition, students must pass a Hebrew Language exam demonstrating an intermediate level of comprehension (approx. two years of college Hebrew or its equivalent), a comprehensive examination, and submit an original essay on American Jewish life.
The Capstone experience, the Wagner School’s culminating project, is an opportunity for students to work closely with a Jewish organization in the New York area, gaining real-life experience. This year-long project allows students to integrate previous course work to diagnose and solve actual problems in Jewish nonprofit organizations. Students in the dual-degree program participate in Capstone in their second year of the program. Refer to the Capstone Program page for more information about the general capstone experience.
| Wagner (4 credits per course) |
Skirball
(3 credits per course) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses |
• Managing Public Service Organizations
• Statistics • Financial Management • Public Policy • Microeconomics |
|
| Dual Degree Requirements | • Taub Seminar |
• The History of Jewish Communal Organization
• Ideals of Jewish Community |
| Specialization |
5 courses – vary according to specialization
e.g. Management specialization • Strategic Management • Developing Human Resources • Management Elective • Management Elective • Management Elective |
|
| Capstone | • Advanced Project in Management | |
| Electives | • Elective | 6 additional courses:
2 of the 6 courses in American Jewish history 1 course in Israel studies 3 other electives according to student interest For example: • History of Judaism in Late Antiquity • The Medieval Jewish Experience • Modern Jewish Thought • Bible and Literary Criticism • Jews and Germans in Postwar Germany For a complete list: Visit the Skirball Department Graduate Course Listings |
| Actual Credits | 52 | 24 |
| Shared Credits |
8
(credits from Skirball) |
8
(credits from Wagner) |
| TOTAL | 60 | 32 |
