Executive Master of Public Administration

Expand your leadership impact with an Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) from the nationally ranked University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. Designed for mid-career professionals, this 18-month program is rigorous yet practical, helping you immediately apply strategic leadership, decision-making, and organizational management tools to the challenges you face at work.

At the Evans School, leadership means driving results and advancing the public good. Our approach weaves equity and inclusion throughout our program because we know these are both moral imperatives and strategic advantages that lead to better decisions, stronger teams, and deeper community trust.

Whether you are learning about leading yourself, guiding organizational change, or shaping policy, you will develop the strategic mindset to navigate diverse perspectives and deliver lasting impact. This is leadership that creates lasting impact that communities can feel, and stakeholders can measure.

This accelerated 18-month leadership educational experience is designed for working professionals from across the country. The EMPA program builds advanced leadership and management skills beginning with a five-day on-campus Foundation Week as the cornerstone of your journey. The remaining courses combine a 2.5-day in-person session (Friday-Sunday afternoon) each quarter, complimented by online learning that blends independent assignments, real-time discussions with faculty, and collaboration with the people in your cohort. All dates of in-person and live online sessions are provided in advance so you can plan around your work and family commitments.

• Rigorous, practical curriculum designed to strengthen executive decision-making, strategic planning and team leadership.
• No exams or long research papers, your work focuses on solving real challenges.
• Apply your new tools and frameworks directly to your organization when you return to work on Monday.

Our curriculum is iterative and cumulative; topics are all approached from the perspective of higher-level management competencies: strategic planning, decision making, capacity building, and leadership development.

Our instructors are seasoned practitioners, experienced academics, and researchers. Their classes feature rich discussions of best practices drawn from the lived experiences of a diverse body of students.

Leadership growth is personal and the EMPA program includes four one-on-one coaching sessions throughout your EMPA journey to help you strengthen your leadership style and achieve your professional goals. Guided by EMPA executive coaches, you will refine the personal growth plan you create during Foundation Week and apply insights from the program to real challenges in your organization. 

For questions and more information about the EMPA program and the application process, contact us at evansadm@uw.edu.