The scholarly practitioner

Abstract

This article outlines how Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) programs from one university in the United States approach the integration of theory, research, and practice. The article reviews the historic missions of US public administration programs that focus on the development of public service professionals and specialized practitioners. Next, we share how the MPA program integrates theory and research with practice in the development of civic professionals. Examples from the MPA program are shown in a taxonomy with illustrative examples. This article also contrasts the MPA with the DPA program that follows a scholarly practitioner model. Rather than exclusively following a traditional theory-to-practice model, practice-to-theory and more experiential research projects are critical to the development of graduate public administration students working in complex environments. More student-centric and student-initiated approaches provide more opportunities for student engagement and also are aligned with emerging pedagogical models.