The coverage of public sector financial management in MPA and MPM programs: evidence from Europe

Purpose: This paper reviews Master in Public Administration (MPA) and Master in Public Management (MPM) programs in public and private European higher education institutions. It aims to evaluate how public sector financial management (PSFM) courses are structured and integrated into curricula to equip future public sector managers with the necessary skills. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses the prototype framework of Falivena et al. (2023) to assess the coverage of the financial management dimension by European MPA and MPM programs offered in a group of selected European countries. The analytical part of the framework is extended by considering models of public administration, size and stages of public sector accounting reform. Findings: The results show divergence across countries in how MPA and MPM programs are designed. While patterns can be observed in the skills provided by the relevant PSFM courses, the programs do not yet appear ready to provide a comprehensive competence package for future public sector managers, especially for those who will occupy upper-level finance-related functions in public sector organizations. Originality/value: Recent literature underlines the importance of PSFM education for public sector managers, especially in the context of current and future PSFM reforms. Despite this, the provision of relevant courses in MPA and MPM programs still appears rather problematic, with insufficient coverage and inadequate interest from faculty. Moreover, evidence about the situation in European countries is lacking. Our study reveals the need to assess the existing trade-off between considering country-specific features and the necessary European harmonization in the broad field of PSFM education.