What is the program focus?

The Master of Public Management (MPM) Program of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies, UP Open University (UPOU) was first offered during the second semester of AY 1997-1998. The institution of the Program was initiated and led by the then UP College of Public Administration (UPCPA, now the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance, or NCPAG), the country’s foremost academic institution in public management, education, research and extension.

The UPCPA, with the support of the Civil Service Commission, had aspired to assist in democratizing education by offering programs in distance mode. Distance education (DE) as an approach to learning aims to provide academic preparation to enhance the skills of practitioners who have no time to attend the University or cannot leave their work place due to tasks in the office or in the field. As such, the UPCPA took the challenge by offering DE programs. The College invited faculty from the UP System offering Public Administration courses as course writers and tutors, and ensured quality in the offering of programs.

Currently, the Program offers the following three (3) specializations: 

• Local Government and Regional Administration (LGRA)
• Public Policy and Program Administration (PPPA)
• Voluntary Sector Management (VSM)

The Program seeks to expand and develop other areas of specialization, such as Organization Studies and Public Fiscal Administration, in the future.

Program Goals

The Master of Public Management (MPM) Program is designed for policy-makers, administrators, and managers of public, private, and non-governmental organizations; practitioners in local government and administration; and other individuals interested in good governance, and public policy and administration.

The fundamental goal of the MPM Program is to professionally upgrade the management skills and education of administrators and practitioners, in the pleasure of their own time and place. 

In particular, the program aims to:

• Provide a high level of competence in public policy, governance, and administration;
• Prepare students to become better public managers, administrators, government or volunteer workers and/or advocates of social change, administrative, reform, and national development; and
• Equip them with skills and knowledge needed in managing and developing organizations that work for the welfare and interest of the Filipino people.

For more information regarding the program, you may visit https://fmds.upou.edu.ph/academics/post-bac/mpm/.