John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in affiliation with the Association of Inspectors General, has launched a new opportunity for professional development and career advancement in the field of inspection and oversight. John Jay’s highly respected MPA Inspector General Program is now available in both the traditional classroom format and in a primarily online format.
Inspection and oversight is a growing area of public service, as reflected in the numbers of employees in Federal state and local governments in agencies such as Inspectors General, Comptrollers, Auditors, legislative oversight committees and related governmental units.
The MPA Inspector General Program is unique among MPA and Public Policy programs. It concentrates on assessment and oversight of performance and integrity in public and independent agencies.
The new version of the program consists of fully-online courses combined with courses that are primarily online but that are supplemented with face-to-face class meetings in conjunction with conferences of the Association of Inspectors General, which is the leading national professional organization associated with the inspection and oversight field.
The curriculum consists of 14 graduate courses. The 12 primary courses will be taught by a full-time faculty member of John Jay College as the lead instructor. As course enrollments permit, the college will also recruit national faculty members as team-teaching adjunct faculty members, recruited from among the leading professionals in inspection and oversight across the nation.
Curriculum
The MPA IG Program has a 42 credit curriculum consisting of nine core courses, three specialization courses, and two elective courses.
The core courses focus on the foundations of public policy and administration, as well as the foundations of the field of inspection and oversight. Topics include standards of accounting and auditing, principles of public accounting and forensic accounting, techniques of investigation, inspection/assessment, and fundamentals of ethics and integrity in public service.
The on-line program will initially offer the inspection and operational investigation specialization. Depending on student interest and enrollment demand, additional specializations and alternate courses may be considered.
The program will offer three courses per semester for four semesters, to complete the degree in two years.
Elective Courses
The two elective courses may be completed with John Jay College, or in several alternate ways. One approach is to complete courses in appropriate topics at local graduate colleges and universities near to the student’s area of residence. Transfer credit for these courses would be considered according to standard College policy.
The College, with the Association of Inspectors General, also plans to permit students to receive three credits for completing a certification institute through the Association. Credentials presently offered by the Association of Inspectors General are the:
• Certified Inspector General
• Certified Inspector General Investigator
• Certified Inspector General Auditor
Any of these credentials would substantially enhance the student’s preparation for service in the inspection and oversight field. Information about transfer credit for one of these courses will be updated on the program website.
Online and Classroom-Based Instruction
The 12 courses to be offered online will be offered through the college’s Blackboard online course delivery system, and would be generally completed by the student in a distance learning format. For the Spring Semester courses, students would also be required to travel to the Association of Inspectors General Spring Conference and participate in face-to-face class meetings and examinations scheduled before and during the conferences. Attendance at these sessions is mandatory.
The students and faculty will also attend the conference workshops, since the workshops are offered by inspection and oversight professionals from across the nation on the emerging issues in inspection and oversight.
Admissions
Admission to the program is competitive, and assessment is based on the student’s academic and professional record of achievement. A threshold requirement is that a student must have attained a 3.0 grade point average or better in an undergraduate academic degree. Admission forms and instructions are available on the program website.
Tuition and fees
Tuition is based on City University of New York’s in-state rate for graduate students, which is very competitive with other online MPA programs offered across the United States. Please see the program website for further information about tuition and fees.
Website: http://jjcweb.jjay.cuny.edu/mpa/online
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