To Accredit or Not to Accredit

Abstract

Accreditation of master's degree programs in public administration, public affairs, and related fields is the gold standard of program management. Although the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) has been accrediting Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs since 1980, its reach has not yet covered undergraduate programs. Rather, NASPAA provides guidelines for undergraduate programs that departments may choose to follow or ignore at their leisure. This chapter explores the issue of undergraduate accreditation for public administration programs in the United States. Particular attention is paid toward the nature of accreditation of undergraduate education and the various models of accreditation that public administration programs may adopt. It also explores the value that program accreditation would bring some of the concerns surrounding it.