Press Releases

LAUNCH OF THE MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (MPA) PROGRAMME

The Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore will be offering a one-year Master in Public Policy Administration from 2006. Targeted at mid-career professionals, this programme will enhance the analytical abilities and management skills of professionals working or seeking a middle-management position with the public, private or non-profit sector.

The innovative one-year Master in Public Administration (MPA) has been designed to enhance the analytical abilities and management skills of professionals working or seeking a middle-management position within the public, private or non-profit sector. Drawing on the School's expertise, the programme will provide mid-career professionals with an enhanced ability to manage and resolve complex multi-disciplinary policy issues, as well as hone their leadership abilities. The MPA degree can be earned through full-time or part-time study.

This new master programme is tailored-made for mid-career professionals who desire a rigorous public policy education but cannot afford the two-year time frame required by most public policy institutions. This is the first new degree programme offered by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy since its establishment as an autonomous School within the National University of Singapore in 2004, and the new curriculum represents a significant enhancement of the School's programme offering.

Dean Kishore Mahbubani said: "This new degree programme is in keeping with the vision of the School, to raise the standards of governance throughout the region, improve the lives of the region's people and, in so doing, transform Asia. Given that the public policy challenges in this globalised world are increasingly complex and multi-dimensional; their effective solution requires mastering and integrating knowledge across multiple disciplines. Here at the School, we offer this training within a manageable time frame."

While the new MPA degree will focus on training mid-career professionals, the existing 18-month full-time Master in Public Policy (MPP) programme will become a two-year full-time programme and serve primarily as a pre- and early-career training programme in keeping with best practice international norms and practices. The MPP will provide students with academically rigorous training in the fundamental skills of public policy analysis and key concepts from the disciplines of politics, economics and public management.

Applications for the 2006 MPP and MPA programmes, which begin in July 2006, are now open. Scholarships are available on a competitive basis. Interested candidates can visit the website www.spp.nus.edu.sg to download the application booklets or contact us to request for one. As a part of this year's recruitment drive, the School will be hosting a reception on 3 December 2005 at 2.30pm, the Pan Pacific Hotel, Pacific 1, Level 1. During this information session, prospective candidates will get the opportunity to discuss at length with our faculty and alumni on how the School can equip them for their next career move.

Dean Kishore Mahbubani will be available for interview on the launch of this new master programme. For further queries, please feel free to contact Ms Christie Goh, Corporate Development Executive at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at tel: 6874 6197 / E-mail: sppgohc@nus.edu.sg or myself at tel: 6874 2541/ mobile: 9835 6753/ E-mail: sppfc@nus.edu.sg.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely

Francis CHONG
Director (Strategic Planning)
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore

Tel : (65) 6874 2541
E-mail : sppfc@nus.edu.sg

12 October 2003