John Jay offers its Master of Public Administration program at the West Point, located slightly less than 50 miles from the main campus. Military personnel stationed at West Point and other military installations in the area and their family members, as well as civilians are eligible to attend courses at the JJC MPA Program at West Point. Students in the MPA Program at West Point take the same course of study as students at the main campus except that their choice of specializations at the site is limited. The mix of faculty who teach in the MPA Program at West Point is substantially the same as the mix of faculty at the main campus.
As an extension of the MPA Program at the main John Jay College campus, the JJC MPA Program at West Point is covered by the accreditation awarded to the entire college by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
The rationale for offering the MPA degree through an extension program at West Point is grounded in the mission statement of our Program. The statement provides that: "The Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a policy and management program that strives to prepare students for public service careers in government agencies, especially in the uniformed and protective services, justice organizations, international and military organizations, and inspection and oversight agencies." Military organizations are included in the mission statement list because these organizations have many of the attributes of civilian uniformed and protective services. This expands the focus of the Program while enhancing course perspectives. John Jay's has offered its MPA program at West Point for more than two decades. Thus, the existence of the Program has also shaped the evolution of our Program's mission and identity.
The curriculum at the JJC MPA Program at West Point is identical to that on main campus, with the exception that students at West Point may choose from only two concentrations: Human Resources Management and Management and Operations. A double specialization in Human Resources Management and Management and Operations is also offered. Students who wish to earn an MPA with a different specialization may do so by taking some classes on main campus. Courses at both locations meet for the same number of in-class hours (30 hours) but JJC classes at West Point are scheduled on accelerated schedule. Three of the five semesters JJC offers at West Point each year begin in early September, early January and mid-March and run for ten week sessions of three hours. Five week semesters are offered in mid- November and June during which time each class meets twice per week for three hours per session. This is compared to main campus classes of fifteen week sessions of two hours. *Courses are offered at West Point when enrollment threshold has been met.
Academic advising is provided by the West Point On-Site Administrator on an individual student basis. Students may either sign up to meet with the administrator or contact the administrator by e-mail. Faculty teaching for JJC at West Point also provides advisement before and after regular class hours for those students who cannot make appointments at other times. The on-site administrator maintains a complete inventory of the relevant John Jay College and USMA documents necessary to keep students informed.
All John Jay MPA students can access the CUNY library system on-line, including an extensive collection of on-line databases.
Program leadership
Professor Yi Lu, MPA PPA Program Director
Kim Heyman, On-Site Administrator
JJC MPA Program at West Point
Army Education Center
683 Buckner Loop
West Point, NY 10996
Email: kheyman@jjay.cuny.edu