The MPA Curriculum Development in China: Learning from American Theories and Practices

Abstract

As China is experiencing its dramatic transition from planned economy to market economy and undergoing its economic and political reform during the last two decades, there are many new phenomena worth studying. The emergence of Master of Public Administration (MPA) education is certainly one of them. Borrowing and learning experiences from advanced countries has been a main theme for the curriculum development for China's MPA education. Using personal experience as a graduate from a full-time MPA program in the United States and research in this field, the author discusses in this article the issue of how to learn from the American theories and practices and develop an MPA curriculum that fits China's specific political, economic and social environment. The four main areas of discussion include theory development, quantitative skills, technology training, and case study.