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Career Oppurtunities

Graduates of the MPA program enter a wide range of careers in government, non-profit organizations, and in business. The greatest employment opportunities are in city and county government, primarily because of faculty ties and an extensive alumni network in management positions. A growing number of graduates serve in special districts such as airport authorities, water districts, appraisal districts, and councils of government. At the state and federal levels, MPA graduates from UNT serve as managers in numerous agencies. Positions held by graduates include:

  • City managers, deputy CMs, and assistant CMs in over 40 cities in the U.S.
  • Executive Officer, Response and Recovery Directorate, FEMA
  • Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Wichita Falls, Texas
  • Health Benefits Administrator, City of Denton, Texas
  • Executive Vice President, New Mexico Boys & Girls Ranch Foundation
  • Treasury Manager, City of Arlington, Texas
  • Director of Public Libraries, City of Farmers Branch, Texas
  • Budget Analyst, City of Phoenix, Arizona
  • Senior Evaluator, U.S. General Accounting Office
  • Finance Director, City of Watauga, Texas
  • Press Secretary, Mayor's Office, City of Dallas, Texas
  • Team Leader, Arkansas State Department of Economic Development
  • Director of Volunteer Services, Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
  • Budget Director, City of Houston Police Department
  • Budget and Management Analyst, Chesterfield County, Virginia
  • Economic Development Office, City of San Juan Capistrano, California
  • Senior Analyst, Wage & Hour Division, U.S. Dept of Labor
  • County Administrator, Lee County, Georgia
  • General Manager, Tarrant Regional Water District, Fort Worth, Texas
  • Assistant to the City Manager, Greenwood Village, Colorado
  • Director of Administration, Habitat for Humanity of Abilene, Texas
  • Equal Opportunity Specialist, U.S. Dept of Education, Region VI

Students interested in the federal civil service should consider the Presidential Management Fellows Program. Fellows receive a two-year internship in a federal agency. Recent graduates have received internships in the program with the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, U.S. State Department; NOAA Coastal Services Center, Charleston, South Carolina; and the Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC. To be eligible, applicants must either be graduating or have completed all course work in the academic year in which they are nominated. Nominations are made by the faculty to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

The MPA program at North Texas has a network of over 700 alumni, the majority of whom work in government at the local, state, or federal levels or in nonprofit organizations. Each year the department updates and publishes an Alumni Directory that contains the names, positions, and addresses of alumni. A copy of the directory, which includes listing of alumni by level of government and position, is available on request from the department office. Alumni are very supportive of the MPA program and its students, and they continue to be an excellent resource both for internships and job placement