NASPAA: The Global Standard in Public Service Education announced on July 16th, 2013 that its Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) has accredited the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at Tsinghua University’s School of Public Policy and Management in Beijing, China. It is the first graduate degree in public affairs outside the United States to receive NASPAA Accreditation.
NASPAA Executive Director Laurel McFarland remarked, “I am excited to welcome Tsinghua to the community of NASPAA-accredited programs. Tsinghua has earned accreditation by demonstrating a commitment to high academic standards, public service values, and attention to student learning and employment outcomes. It has joined the public affairs education community’s pursuit of quality. At the same time, NASPAA has learned a great deal from Tsinghua about assessing quality in a larger global context.”
The Tsinghua MPA program educates working professionals with 3-15 years of experience in the government, NGO, or business sectors. The program’s mission is to prepare students to become public leaders who are committed to organizational innovation, social reform, national development, and human progress. The MPA program is also recognized by the China National Steering Committee for MPA education.
Lan Xue, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM) at Tsinghua, stated, “This is a timely recognition of the leadership role the School of Public Policy & Management, Tsinghua University has played in setting the trend of Chinese MPA education. It also demonstrates the willingness and capabilities of the School in working with international colleagues to address common challenges facing global public administration community.”
NASPAA accreditation is currently accessible to NASPAA member programs in any country. Accreditation is granted only after a multi-step, rigorous peer review, which includes an eligibility determination process, a self-study review, and a site visit. COPRA’s mission-based standards are the same for all programs and emphasize outcomes assessment and a commitment to public service values. COPRA’s current scope of recognition with the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) includes only programs in the U.S. Expansion of scope with CHEA requires a pilot period, of which Tsinghua’s accreditation is a component.
NASPAA, the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, is the global standard in public service education. It is the institutional membership association of 280 schools of public policy, public affairs, public administration, and public & nonprofit management, located across the U.S. and around the globe – and is the recognized accreditor of master's degree programs in these fields. NASPAA's twofold mission is to promote excellence in education and training for public service and to promote the ideal of public service.
(From NASPAA)
