Public administration is an interdisciplinary and interinstitutional program of professional training for people who are working in the public or nonprofit sectors or preparing to enter those fields. The department offers the M.P.A. degree at two locations: an on-campus program in Newark and an executive M.P.A. program in the Trenton area. Both programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

Courses offered by the Department of Public Administration of the Graduate School-Newark are supplemented by course offerings at the Newark College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Law-Newark, Rutgers Business School, and the School of Criminal Justice. In addition, certain helpful courses are available from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

In addition to giving the student the basic professional competencies in public administration, the program provides a broad understanding of the field and its relevant issues. Students become competent at defining public problems, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, developing creative solutions, communicating these solutions to others, and implementing ethical and practical courses of action. Issues examined include the complexities of urban and suburban problems, the operation of public and nonprofit organizations, the expectations and rights of clients that these organizations serve, and the responsibilities of management.