The faculty who teach the University of Miami’s online courses come from different backgrounds and are experts in vastly different fields, but they all have one key character trait in common: they share a deep sense of responsibility for equipping students with the tools needed to be successful. In a special series of blog posts, we will be putting a spotlight on faculty members from different UOnline graduate programs. Meet Professor Jonathan West, Ph.D.
Dr. Jonathan West, Ph.D., is the program director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the University of Miami. A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, he received his B.S. in political science from the University of Utah, followed by an M.A. and a Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University in Chicago.
Over the course of his long and distinguished career, the prolific Professor West has published nine books and over 100 articles and book chapters, and he has been the managing editor of the academic journal Public Integrity for 16 years. A University of Miami professor since 1987, he taught previously at the University of Houston and University of Arizona and served as a management analyst in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.
Dr. West’s research interests include human resource management, productivity, local government, and public service ethics. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including most recently the 2016 Manning J. Dauer Award from the Florida Political Science Association to honor a scholar who distinguished himself nationally and internationally in both basic and applied research. Dr. West has also received many awards for excellence in teaching.
Students of the University of Miami’s MPA program praise its high-caliber, student-oriented faculty and curriculum. Alumna Alina Hudak, Deputy Mayor of Miami-Dade County, credits the graduate program with launching her career, saying the preparation she received there “really set the stage for what has become an amazing career.”
“The culture at the university is a culture of excellence, both academically and in terms of its contribution to this community, and I’m extraordinarily proud of the U.”
UOnline’s Master of Public Administration program is designed for working professionals interested in becoming leaders in public service. Dr. West believes there’s never been a better time to enroll in the program, which exposes students to the essential components of public service professionalism, excellence in technique, and ethics and leadership to help meet the challenges in the years ahead.
“It’s an ideal time to get an MPA degree given the impending retirement of tens of thousands of civil servants and the explosive growth of outsourcing of government workers to nonprofit or private organizations.”
UOnline’s Master of Public Administration is a 36-credit program that provides you with the skills you need to launch a rewarding career in public service. To find out more, contact an enrollment advisor at 800-411-2290 or visit the site for more information.
