Navigating the Dual Roles of Working and Graduate Studies: Time Management Experiences of Master of Public Administration Students at Northeastern College

Balancing professional employment and graduate education has become increasingly challenging for working professionals pursuing advanced academic qualifications. For Master of Public Administration (MPA) students, the simultaneous demands of employment, academic responsibilities, and personal commitments require effective time management strategies to sustain academic achievement and professional performance. Despite growing scholarly attention to work–study balance, limited research has explored how graduate students in public administration navigate these competing responsibilities within the Philippine higher education context. This study explored the lived experiences of Master of Public Administration students in managing the dual roles of employment and graduate studies at Northeastern College. Guided by a phenomenological research design, the study sought to understand how working graduate students organize their time, cope with competing demands, and sustain learning while fulfilling professional obligations. Twelve (12) Master of Public Administration students who were employed full-time and enrolled in graduate studies were purposively selected as participants. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, validated through member checking, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2022) thematic analysis. Four major themes emerged from the analysis: (1) prioritizing responsibilities through strategic time allocation; (2) cultivating self-discipline and adaptive learning routines; (3) negotiating workplace, academic, and personal expectations; and (4) fostering resilience through institutional and social support systems. The findings revealed that effective time management extends beyond scheduling activities and involves continuous decision-making, self-regulation, and adaptive coping mechanisms that enable students to fulfill multiple responsibilities. The study underscores the importance of learner-centered graduate pedagogy, institutional flexibility, and support mechanisms that recognize the unique circumstances of working professionals pursuing advanced education.