As a land-grant, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) serving the U.S./Mexico border region, the mission of the New Mexico State University MPA program is “to provide a high quality generalist and practitioner-oriented program that educates and prepares individuals for careers in public service, meets the needs of a diverse student body, and empowers them to serve their community and profession through teaching, research, service, and outreach.”  This goal is achieved by the following four objectives which are pursued on a continuous basis and by which we evaluate the effectiveness of our program:

Program Objective 1: To enhance the student’s values, knowledge, and skills to act ethically and effectively in the management of public service organization and programs;

Program Objective 2: To provide students with an understanding of the changing political, legal, economic, and social environment in which public servants work;

Program Objective 3: To prepare students to act as change agents in areas of economic development, social justice, border issues/programs, and quality of life initiatives;

Program Objective 4: To provide students with skills and competencies to enter the job market competitively.

The joint MPA-MCJ degree tailors the objectives of the MPA program states above to focus on preparing students for administrative positions in government and nonprofit agencies developing, implementing, and/or evaluating law enforcement or criminal justice policies. Similarly, the joint MPA-MA in history degree focuses on preparing public historians for professional positions in governmental and nonprofit organizations administering programs and recommending policy action related to the collection, preservation, and promotion of history.