Prepare to lead with integrity, navigate complexity, and create meaningful change in the public and nonprofit sectors through an online MPA degree that integrates professional expertise with Naropa’s distinctive contemplative approach to leadership.
Naropa’s online MPA combines practical training in public administration with a contemplative approach to leadership. You’ll build skills in organizational management, policy analysis, budgeting, nonprofit leadership, and decision-making while cultivating the self-awareness, ethical discernment, and resilience needed to lead effectively in complex environments.
Guided by a mission to create a more just and regenerative world, the program prepares you to navigate competing stakeholder interests, build trust, champion equity, and contribute meaningful change within the communities and organizations you serve.
The online Master of Public Administration, MA in Leadership, and the MA in Cooperative Management degree programs were intentionally created as a curricula cluster. Students of these programs will therefore learn together in a multi-disciplinary environment that is designed to build mindful and collaborative leaders in the public, nonprofit, and cooperative sectors.
Naropa’s online MPA is designed to fit the lives of working professionals. Completed over four semesters, the program combines the flexibility of asynchronous online learning with a curriculum that develops practical skills in leadership, policy, organizational management, and public service.
You’ll also gain hands-on experience through a professional internship and culminate your studies with an independent capstone project that connects your learning to real-world impact.
The 36-credit curriculum combines rigorous online coursework with hands-on learning through an internship and capstone project, helping you connect theory, practice, and real-world impact.
Students select two courses from the following list of electives:
LDR 610E Power, Privilege and Diversity (3)
REL 602E Contemplative Communication (3)
REL 779E Inter-spiritual Dialogue (3)
REL 749E Contemporary American Religion (3)
ART 500E The Contemplative Artist (3)
ART 501E Making Conscious Media (3)
ART 502E Installation and Ritual (3)
WRI 748E Multigenre Workshop: Activist Writing (3)
ENV 601E Sacred Ecology and Environmental Leadership (3)
ENV 633E Environmental Policy and Trends (3)
LDR 600E Inner Work and Leadership Identity (3)
LDR 620E Transforming Systems (3)
LDR 625E Applied Leadership Skills (3)
ENV 710E Sustainability Practice and Policy (3)
ENV 610E Ecological Justice: Patterns of Oppression and Healing (3)
Unlike traditional MPAs, this program combines mindfulness and contemplative practice with professional leadership training to prepare ethical, resilient public service leaders.
The curriculum is designed to advance equity, collective liberation, and meaningful social change within organizations, communities, and public systems.
Alongside core competencies in data analysis and finance, you'll cultivate the communication, dialogue, and leadership skills needed to navigate complexity and serve diverse communities.
Students learn to navigate organizational change and translate complex strategies into concrete public service projects while upholding the public trust. This ensures they can foster productive work environments and champion diversity in any professional setting.
The curriculum hones the ability to ethically consume and produce research, utilizing both traditional tools and AI to improve organizational performance. Graduates are prepared to translate data insights into actionable policy recommendations and make informed fiscal decisions.
Graduates master the skills of mediation, consensus-building, and negotiation to achieve sustainable outcomes for the public good. This allows them to foster collaboration across diverse organizational and public sectors.
Learn to lead organizations, manage public resources responsibly, and foster inclusive, mission-driven workplace cultures.
Learn to engage diverse stakeholders, build coalitions, and contribute to policy solutions that advance equity and public good.
Develop the skills to analyze data, evaluate programs, and translate evidence into stronger decisions and more effective public interventions.
Develop the ability to navigate complex ethical challenges, build public trust, and advance mission-driven work through effective stewardship of resources.
Develop the skills to communicate clearly, facilitate dialogue across differences, and navigate conflict with empathy and effectiveness.
Draw on mindfulness, self-awareness, and embodied presence to navigate complexity and serve the public good with clarity and compassion.
Graduates of Naropa’s online MPA are prepared for leadership roles across government, nonprofit, and community-based organizations where they can help create positive change in service of the public good.
We cultivate mindful, ethical leaders who can navigate complexity and
inspire collaborative solutions for the public good.
A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a graduate degree that prepares professionals to lead and manage organizations that serve the public good. Students develop skills in areas such as organizational leadership, public policy, budgeting, nonprofit management, and strategic decision-making while learning how to address complex social and community challenges.
Naropa’s MPA combines practical training in public administration with a contemplative approach to leadership. Alongside coursework in policy, organizational management, budgeting, and nonprofit leadership, students cultivate the self-awareness, ethical discernment, and resilience needed to lead effectively in complex public and community settings. Guided by Naropa’s mission to create a more just and regenerative world, the program prepares graduates to lead with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to the public good.
Graduates may pursue leadership roles across government, nonprofit, and community-based organizations. Career pathways include nonprofit management, public policy, program administration, community development, advocacy, grant writing, public finance, and organizational leadership. The degree is designed to prepare graduates for a wide range of mission-driven careers focused on creating positive social impact.
Students learn to navigate complex social and organizational challenges through a combination of leadership development, policy analysis, systems thinking, and community engagement. The curriculum emphasizes collaboration, ethical decision-making, conflict resolution, and evidence-based problem solving—preparing graduates to lead change across sectors and stakeholder groups.
No. While the program provides a strong foundation for careers in government and public policy, it is equally relevant for professionals working in nonprofits, advocacy organizations, community initiatives, social impact enterprises, educational institutions, and other mission-driven organizations. The curriculum is designed for anyone seeking to create meaningful change through public service and leadership.
Students develop practical skills in organizational leadership, budgeting and public finance, policy analysis, nonprofit management, research and program evaluation, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. The program also emphasizes communication, conflict resolution, ethical leadership, and contemplative practices that support resilience and effective decision-making.
The MPA is designed for emerging and established leaders who want to strengthen their ability to serve communities, lead organizations, and address complex social challenges. Whether you are advancing your current career, transitioning into public service, or seeking to deepen your impact in a mission-driven organization, the program provides the tools to lead with purpose, effectiveness, and integrity.
Admissions Counselor
Naropa University’s admission process follows our contemplative education principles. We value academic excellence as well as the commitment to introspective work. Admissions are rolling and applications will be accepted until the program is full.
Learn more about admission requirements, current deadlines, and the application process for the Master of Public Administration Degree.
At Naropa, we believe quality education should be accessible. More than 75% of our graduate students receive some form of financial aid to help cover their costs. Our graduate costs & aid page covers costs and financial aid opportunities for graduate students, like scholarships, student employment, and loan options.
Scholarships are a great way to help with the costs of going to school. Naropa University offers an array of scholarship opportunities to graduate students. Students may be eligible to receive scholarships by applying for scholarships or by being nominated for a scholarship. For more detailed information about the different scholarships available and how to receive them, please review our graduate scholarship page.
About Naropa
Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion.
Academics
Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.
Admissions & Aid
If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.
Life at Naropa
Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community, “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom
The Naropa Difference
How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person.
Support Naropa
At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.
