Tulane’s SoPA partners with National League of Cities University to support civic leadership

Tulane University’s School of Professional Advancement (SoPA) and the National League of Cities University (NLCU) have established a partnership to support national municipal leadership through Tulane’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. 

SoPA’s MPA program is offered online and focuses on teaching the foundational concepts of public administration, as well as practical and contemporary innovations. Students develop knowledge and skills drawn from fields that include education leadership, data analytics, program evaluation, budgeting and finance, revenue and resource development and public relations. As part of the curriculum, the MPA offers a residency component where students visit New Orleans for experiential learning, collaboration and networking opportunities.

The program taps into a wealth of knowledge from working experts in public policy, economic development, housing, education and environmental management. Students will learn first-hand from local and national leaders who can directly connect them with valuable, real-world experience, which helps to build professional networks that may benefit students throughout their careers.

“Strengthening leadership capacity within our nation’s cities and communities is central to the work of NLCU and Tulane’s MPA program.”

-Halima Leak Francis, Tulane Public Administration Program Director

“Strengthening leadership capacity within our nation’s cities and communities is central to the work of NLCU and Tulane’s MPA program,” said Halima Leak Francis, Tulane Public Administration Program Director. “Our collaboration will play a critical role in expanding access to expertise available to municipal leaders throughout the U.S. This partnership presents a great opportunity especially for those working in local governments to grow in their skills and knowledge.”

The NLCU is an executive education and leadership development initiative developed by the National League of Cities to help municipal leaders – both elected and appointed – build the skills they need to better govern, serve and advocate for their communities. NLC boasts over 90 years of dedication to the advancement of local governments with a membership representing 19,495 of the country’s cities, towns and villages along with 49 state municipal leagues. The organization focuses on providing resource and advocacy efforts to support the nation’s cities and leadership. 

“Local leaders understand the importance of continuing their education,” Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities. “The National League of Cities is honored to work in partnership with the esteemed Tulane University School of Professional Advancement to provide this exciting opportunity to our members across the nation. We look forward to seeing what great ideas will arise throughout America’s cities, towns and villages because of this program.”

The NCLU mission is deeply connected with Tulane SoPA’s MPA program which prepares graduates to be civic sector leaders and address critical societal challenges. The alignment of the two programs facilitates a high-quality exchange allowing the institutions to learn from one another through the sharing of information and knowledge with program participants as the beneficiary. 

Members of the National League of Cities who complete the NLCU Leading Through Disruption program of study can receive up to six graduate-level course credits towards an MPA degree at Tulane SoPA in addition to a tuition discount.