{"id":12421,"date":"2025-05-20T09:36:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T14:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=12421"},"modified":"2025-05-20T09:36:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T14:36:42","slug":"driving-change-meaning-business-uw-green-bays-masters-in-public-administration-is-shaping-the-future-of-service-2","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/driving-change-meaning-business-uw-green-bays-masters-in-public-administration-is-shaping-the-future-of-service-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving change, meaning business: UW-Green Bay\u2019s Master\u2019s in Public Administration is shaping the future of service"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
UW-Green Bay Masters of Public Administration student Gage Beck speaks with a co-worker at the Greater Green Bay YMCA. Photo by Dan Moore, University Photographer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While it\u2019s easy in our \u201creturn on investment\u201d higher education landscape to prioritize fields like computer science and biomedics for their direct financial rewards, students like Gage Beck at UW-Green Bay are more drawn by the call to serve. Beck\u2019s journey into the public sector is not solely driven by financial gain but by a profound dedication to service. His sentiment echoes a broader trend: while the profit from a job is significant, its value in public service and community impact cannot be underestimated.<\/p>\n

UW-Green Bay\u2019s new\u00a0Master\u2019s in Public Administration<\/a>\u00a0degree, promises to shape students ready to make profound differences in both the community and the economy.<\/p>\n

In debunking common myths, nonprofits don\u2019t solely operate on thin budgets and goodwill. With institutions like the YMCA and Red Cross, they contributed a whopping $1.1 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2022. Moreover, there\u2019s been a 10% surge in registered nonprofit organizations in the U.S. over the past ten years. Approximately 15% of all jobs in the U.S. are in the public sector, highlighting the shift towards roles in social welfare, community outreach, and various government levels.<\/p>\n

Beck\u2019s story aptly exemplifies this trend. His life has always revolved around helping others. \u201cThroughout high school, I consistently volunteered for various nonprofits,\u201d Beck shares, which led him to engage with the Greater Green Bay YMCA. He later pursued a Bachelor\u2019s in Public Administration<\/a>\u00a0from UW-Green Bay in 2021 and now holds the position of Grants Manager. As Beck furthers his commitment to the cause, he\u2019s also enrolled in the new MPA graduate program at UW-Green Bay.<\/p>\n

UW-Green Bay stands out in Wisconsin for its MPA program. Unlike other state universities, it offers both a bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s in this burgeoning sector. Kerry Kuenzi, an Associate Professor and program chair, highlights its uniqueness, \u201cWhile the MPA is more common in other states, it\u2019s not as widespread here [in Wisconsin].\u201d But UW-Green Bay is carving a niche with three program tracks: a traditional graduate degree, an accelerated bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s combination taking just 5 years, and an executive track for established public service leaders. This tailored approach covers essential skills such as management, ethics, leadership, budgeting, public policy analysis, and more, aligning the curriculum with students\u2019 career stages.<\/p>\n

Financially speaking, Beck appreciates UW-Green Bay for its value proposition. \u201cIt was a more economical choice than other private colleges I looked into. Its location also allowed me to stay at home and graduate debt-free in just two and a half years,\u201d he reveals.<\/p>\n

Blending both online and in-person learning, Beck\u2019s academic journey is flexible yet rigorous. Often, he\u2019s the only student physically attending a class, creating an intimate, sometimes challenging learning environment. His current courses, including \u201cFoundations of Public Administration\u201d, are tough but rewarding. And with many familiar faces from his undergraduate years, such as Professor Kuenzi, the journey feels holistic. Beck shares what a typically week looks like in the program and how his stays organized in\u00a0this video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on Beck\u2019s dedication, Kuenzi states, \u201cHe could have opted for an MBA, but his heart is in the service sector.\u201d As Beck completes his MPA, his zeal combined with newfound professional skills promises to make a tangible difference in the community. In a domain where passion and professionalism are vital, Kuenzi concludes, \u201cBeck exemplifies students understanding the need for skills that will help them better serve their organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Written by Michael Shaw<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/news.uwgb.edu\/phlash\/news\/04\/22\/driving-change-meaning-business-uw-green-bays-masters-in-public-administration-is-shaping-the-future-of-service\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While it\u2019s easy in our \u201creturn on investment\u201d higher education landscape to prioritize fields like computer science and biomedics for their direct financial rewards, students like Gage Beck at UW-Green Bay are more drawn by the call to serve. Beck\u2019s journey into the public sector is not solely driven by financial gain but by a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":12422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[111],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-12421","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-green-bay"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/12421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=12421"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=12421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}