On NASPAA Accreditation: Fred Was Right…But for the Wrong Reason

Abstract

The debate over accreditation is far from over. Forty years ago, Fred Thayer feared that complying with the standards of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) would rigidify and stultify academic training. Today the opposite threatens. Under mission-based standards, Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs can teach whatever they can justify, even if the content has little or no connection with public administration. The MPA is in jeopardy of becoming little more than a Master of Arts that teaches students about public service–minded values. We argue that standards for MPA programs should be sufficiently content-based that the degree represents a common understanding of career preparation. One way to expedite the return to the MPA’s roots is for NASPAA to link arms with the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) to ensure that public administration education remains focused on advancing the enterprise of public administration.