Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP)

We put the "Good" in Good Governance

Join CPAP

Monthly Information Sessions

Learn more about public administration and policy programs by signing up for an information session here.

We are more than an academic department.

We are a community dedicated to thoughtful public service through scholarship and practice.

Our Community

CPAP FACULTY ENGAGE IN WORLD-CLASS SCHOLARSHIP

From the founding faculty who established a unique scholarly signature with the theme of “refounding” public administration, to the most recent scholars to join CPAP, faculty work appears in top-ranked journals of the field and in books from prominent university presses, as well as in briefings to policymakers.

A SOLID STUDENT & ALUMNI/AE BASE

CPAP students recognize and embrace the special culture of CPAP and the close faculty-student connections that make the learning process transformational. As a result, CPAP enjoys a large, loyal, and very supportive alumni/ae group that provides superior networking opportunities for both current and former students.

CPAP draws students from several regions of the U.S. and the world. Of the 124 graduate students in May 2020, 51% were male and 49% female, with women making up 54% of the 67 MPA students and 44% of the 57 doctoral students. CPAP combines full-time and part-time students, students with federal, state, and local government experience, as well as professionals from the private for-profit and non-profit sectors.

ONE PROGRAM, FOUR LOCATIONS

Established in 1977 in Blacksburg, CPAP now offers degrees at VT SPIA's three campuses: Blacksburg, Arlington, and Richmond, as well as an online MPA option. It is positioned to meet the distinctive educational needs of public administration professionals and scholars in each location and to engage in research across all levels of the American government as well as internationally.

Each location contributes to the robust diversity of distinctive student populations and government contexts. Students and faculty work together across locations, benefiting from engagement on a large university campus as well as in the United States and Virginia capitals.

The Center for Public Administration and Policy seeks to:

Train Leaders: We provide qualified public service professionals currently in service and pre- or early-career students who plan to become public service professionals with a rigorous program of study for developing managerial, analytical, and normative evaluation skills in public management and public policy.
Advance Public Administration & Policy Scholarship: We prepare teachers and scholars for faculty service in colleges and universities around the country and the world, thereby broadening the scope of knowledge in public administration and policy studies among administrators and citizenry.
Improve Quality of Policy & Public Administration: We engage faculty, practitioners, and graduate students in systematic research and study designed to improve the quality of policy making and public service within the varied jurisdictions of government in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the national capital region, as well as nationally and internationally.

Nationally Ranked & NASPAA Accredited

U.S. News & World Report - Best Grad Schools in public management and administration 2023

The mission of the Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) is to promote good governance and the advancement of capable and ethical public service by providing outstanding education, research, and outreach in the theory and practice of public administration, management, and policy.

The M.P.A. program is NASPAA accredited. NASPAA accreditation recognizes that a master’s degree program in public policy, affairs, or administration has undertaken a rigorous process of peer review.

When compared with other nationally-recognized schools of public affairs and public administration, CPAP's small size provides our students greater personal attention in academic advising and career guidance. Our size enables our faculty, staff, and students to develop strong personal ties, friendships and professional relationships that last long beyond their time at CPAP.

Academics

Flexible & Highly Tailored Classroom Experience. Classes are taught as seminars emphasizing student discussion, rather than in large lecture halls. Most classes have 10-20 students. Most classes are offered in the evenings to accomodate full-time working professionals.

Masters

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Master of Public Administration (MPA)
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Accelerated BA and MPA , redirect
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Online Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Ph.D.

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Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Affairs (PAPA)

Graduate Certificates

We offer certificates for both degree and non-degree students. We believe that programs distinguished by their strategic responsiveness to the vital need to train executives, managers, and professionals in these areas, and the embedding of topics in rigorous scholarship are a path toward thoughtful public service.

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Public and Nonprofit Financial Management (PNPFM)
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Local Government Management (LGM)
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Homeland Security Policy (HSP) Graduate Certificate
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Nuclear Science, Technology, and Policy (NSTP)
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Nonprofit and N.G.O. Management (NPM)

The Washington Experience

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2025 Power In Transition: Politics, Policy, and Governance

CPAP Core Faculty

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David Bredenkamp , bio
Assistant Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Richmond | Email: bredenkamp@vt.edu | Phone: (804) 977-3503
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Stephanie Davis , bio
Collegiate Associate Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Blacksburg, Thomas Connor House | Email: sddavis@vt.edu | Phone: (540)-231-7302
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Matthew Dull , bio
Associate Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Arlington, Room 6-040 | Email: mdull@vt.edu |
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Adrienne Edisis , bio
Assistant Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Arlington, Room 6-034 | Email: aedisis@vt.edu |
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Karen Hult , bio
Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) PhD Program Director, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) Editor, Administration & Society | Office: Blacksburg, Thomas-Conner House | Email: khult@vt.edu | Phone: (540)-231-5351
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Eric Malczewski , bio
Assistant Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Blacksburg | Email: ericmalczewski@vt.edu
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Sharon Mastracci , bio
Chair and Professor, Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP) | Email: smastracci@vt.edu
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Joe Rees , bio
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Richmond | Email: reesj@vt.edu | Phone: (540)-250-5632
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Patrick Roberts , bio
Associate Chair and Director, Master of Public Administration (MPA) program | Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Arlington, Room 5-184 | Email: robertsp@vt.edu |
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Stephanie Smith , bio
Associate Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Arlington, Room 6-042 | Email: slsmith@vt.edu |
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Raymond Zuniga , bio
Assistant Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Blacksburg | Email: raymondz@vt.edu | Phone: (540)-231-5133

CPAP Professors of Practice, Adjunct Faculty, and Affiliated Faculty

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Jeffery Glick , bio
Professor of Practice, School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) | Office: Arlington | Email: jaglick@vt.edu
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Cecily Rodriguez , bio
Manager of Applied Research, School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) Adjunct Professor, Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) | Office: Richmond | Phone: (804)-556-1703

CPAP Emeriti Faculty

Brian Cook, Professor Emeritus
Larkin Dudley, Associate Professor Emerita
Charles Goodsell, Professor Emeritus
Philip Kronenberg, Professor Emeritus
John Rohr, Professor Emeritus
Gary Wamsley, Professor Emeritus
Orion White, Professor Emeritus
James Wolf, Professor Emeritus
Renee Loeffler, Afiliated Faculty Professor Emerita

CPAP Staff

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Elia Amegashie , bio
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Tyler Wiltshire , bio

Faculty Publications

Our faculty publish in the pages of top journals, including the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Perspectives on Public Management and Governance, Public Administration Review, Governance, Policy Studies Journal, and the journal long associated with CPAP, Administration & Society.

Recent faculty books include:

CPAP by the Numbers

Number of Full-Time Faculty Members

Number of Full-Time Faculty

Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 Cohorts

	Initially Enrolled	Graduated within 2 years	Graduated within 3 years	Graduated within 4 years	Total Students Graduated and Persisting to Graduation
Total number of students in the ARY-5 Cohort	18	8	12	16	16
Blacksburg	11	8	10	11	11
National Capital Region	5	0	2	5	5
Richmond	2	0	0	0	0

Job Placement Statistics: 2021-22 Cohort

Type of Employer	# of Blacksburg Alumni	# of Washington D.C. Alumni	# of Richmond Alumni	# of Total Alumni
Federal Government	1	2	0	3
State Government	2	0	0	2
Local Government	6	0	1	7
Non-US Government	0	0	0	0
Non Profit - Domestic	2	1	0	3
Non Profit - International	0	0	0	0
Private Sector -Research/Consulting	1	2	0	3
Private Sector - Other	0	0	0	0
Obtaining Further Education	0	0	0	0
Military Service	0	0	0	0
Unemployment - Not Seeking	0	0	0	0
Unemployment - Seeking	0	0	0	0
Unknown	0	0	1	1
Total	12	5	2	19

Policy Guide

FAQs

CPAP Resources

We highly value offering a tailored educational experience. Our CPAP advisors will be able to answer your questions and guide you through the application process.

Request a Consultation

Application Deadlines

CPAP-SPECIFIC DEADLINES
Rolling Admissions for Fall, Spring, and Summer admission

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT DEADLINES
For Fall admission, the deadline is April 1st.
For Spring admission, the deadline is September 1st.

Tuition & Fees

The Bursar’s Office maintains complete information about Virginia Tech tuition and fees for in-state and out-of-state residents.

For all other information about admissions and financial aid, please visit the Graduate School admissions website.

Contact CPAP

BLACKSBURG CAMPUS
Kelly Crist, Manager of Faculty and Student Affairs
(540) 231-2291 | kcrist@vt.edu

ARLINGTON CAMPUS
WASHINGTON D.C. METRO AREA
Elia Amegashie, Graduate Student Coordinator
(571) 858-3109 | elia@vt.edu

RICHMOND CAMPUS
Joe Rees, Faculty Coordinator
(540) 250-5632 | reesj@vt.edu

For Students

Helpful Websites

Forms

How To Give Better Presentations

Academic Resources on Developing and Delivering Effective Presentations

Here is a compilation of Virginia Tech and online resources that can provide you with some tips on giving great presentations.

RESOURCES THROUGH VIRGINIA TECH CAMPUS

CommLab (located in Newman Library at the Virginia Tech Blacksburg Campus)

The mission of the organization is to provide Virginia Tech students and faculty members with access to constructive feedback and practical resources for improving oral presentations. Students can gain valuable presentation-related insight and develop the necessary tool sets to become successful speakers. CommLab may be available for off-campus students through Google Hangouts. Please inquire with the staff for their availability. Students have to make appointments online, which is the best way to set up appointments. The coaches are considered experts in public speaking. They will go through your PowerPoint presentation with you to make sure that you are meeting the professor’s objectives in your presentation.

Online Learning and Collaboration Services (Lynda.com; Software Tutorial and Training)

Lynda.com is your one-stop-shop for online tutorials and training in a variety of software suites and programs. Access is free to current Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff. Once you are at the website, sign in via your PID to access the materials. After you have entered the site, type in the skills you would like to learn (e.g. giving great presentations).

ONLINE RESOURCES

Improving Presentation Skills of PhD Students (By Susanne Ulm, Next Scientist)

Ten Simple Rules for Making Good Oral Presentations (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Oral Presentation and PowerPoint (compiled by Joe Schall, Penn State)

Adapted from Style for Students (https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents) by Joe Schall is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) via The Pennsylvania State University.

Why Bad Presentation Happen to Good Causes (Online Book by Andy Goodman)

YOU TUBE VIDEO RESOURCES

Public Speaking and Giving Presentation (By Scott Berkun, Author of the “Confessions of a Public Speaker”)

POWERPOINT SLIDES/RESOURCES

Giving Effective Presentations (By Lisa G. Bullard, Ph.D., North Carolina State University)

Presentation 101 for Graduate Students (By J. Paul Robinson, Ph.D., Purdue University)

How To Improve Your Writing

Academic Resources on Writing

Here is a compilation of writing resources from Virginia Tech and other sources.

RESOURCES THROUGH VIRGINIA TECH CAMPUS

Writing Resources

For Individual Help

The Virginia Tech Writing Center:

https://lib.vt.edu/spaces/writing-center.html

This is a free service to all Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff, at all levels. Appointments are made online. This service is done in-person and through Google Hangouts for off-campus students. They will work with writing and reading assignments from any course in the University. They can also help with writing projects not linked to classes.

GSA Research Symposium & Exposition

https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/gsars/abstract-submissions/writing-resources/

General Information

University Style Guide:

http://www.branding.unirel.vt.edu/style-guide/

Academic Writing Guide:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/2/

Ethical Writing Guide:

https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/graduate-honor-system/avoiding-plagiarism-short-guide.pdf

Find/Citation and Style Manuals

https://guides.lib.vt.edu/find/citation-style-manuals

On Professional/Academic Writing and Presenting