Public Administration (M.P.A.)
Combining academic rigor with a practical orientation toward management and policy analysis, the Master of Public Administration program is designed to develop the knowledge and skills students need to become effective public and nonprofit managers and leaders.
You will learn from faculty who hold excellent academic credentials and are practitioners, bringing a wealth of real-world, professional insights into the classroom. The program’s applied approach and unique position in a business school focuses on cultivating mastery of best practices in management to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public and nonprofit organizations in a wide range of fields.
Students learn and network with classmates who are professionals from a broad range of backgrounds, positions, and organizations, and have local and global experience.
By choosing one of the program’s specializations, students can prepare to step into key roles in economic development, social entrepreneurship, public safety and emergency preparedness, and nonprofit and mission-driven enterprises.
Program Overview
Combining academic rigor with a practical orientation toward management and policy analysis, the public administration program is designed to develop the knowledge and skills you need to become an effective public or nonprofit manager and leader.
Career Opportunities
The Master of Public Administration is designed to build students’ administrative skills and managerial knowledge to become effective leaders across the public and nonprofit sectors.
Organizations, government agencies, and companies that have hired Master of Public Administration graduates include:
- Accenture
- American Cancer Society
- City of Chicago
- Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department
- Chinese American Service League
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Chicago Transit Authority and Metra
- State of Illinois
- Lyons Township
The program’s curriculum emphasizes in-depth study of policy formation and evaluation, acquisition and management of human and financial resources, strategic planning, project management, and the development and execution of effective implementation strategies.
Students may select elective courses in public administration or other fields such as architecture, business, city and regional planning, civil engineering, computer science, design, environmental engineering, humanities, psychology, social sciences, or law.
- Completed Online Application
- Official transcript submission with a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Official TOEFL or IELTS score, if required. A minimum score of 85 on the internet-based TOEFL, 600 on the paper-based TOEFL, or 7.0 on the IELTS exam is required for admission consideration
- A one-page professional statement of goals and objectives
- At least one letter of recommendation from an academic or professional reference
Scholarships: Applicants to the Master of Public Administration program for fall 2020 (except Chicago Police and Fire Department applicants, as noted below) are eligible for a 35 percent scholarship ($5,084 per semester for 9 credit hours).
Chicago Police and Fire Department applicants: Contact Stuart School of Business for information regarding scholarships and tuition deferment.
Veteran applicants: Illinois Institute of Technology proudly processes Department of Veterans Affairs benefits for admitted veteran students. Click here for more information.
One-Year Accelerated M.P.A. Program
The Stuart Master of Public Administration program offers a one-year, three-semester program option for international students. Students can choose among five concentrations to develop knowledge and skills in a specialized area. Classes are held in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. For more information, contact M.P.A. Program Director Roland Calia.
Global M.P.A. in Cooperation with Hsiuping Institute of Science and Technology
The Stuart Master of Public Administration program offers a special Global M.P.A. program for qualified students in cooperation with Hsiuping Institute of Science and Technology (HUST). For more information, contact M.P.A. Program Director Roland Calia or Dr. Fei Yang at HUST (U.S. email address is yang5752@gmail.com).
Other Program Options
- Accelerated Master’s—Complete a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Public Administration in as few as five years.
- Design (M.Des.)/Public Administration (M.P.A)—In this dual-degree program, students pursue the Master of Design and M.P.A. simultaneously, preparing them to lead innovative initiatives in the civic sector.
- Stuart collaborates with the IIlinois Tech Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering for the Master of Engineering in Public Works (Infrastructure Engineering and Management) program.
- The Public Administration Program offers certificate programs in Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship, Nonprofit and Mission-Driven Management, Public Management, and Security, Safety, and Risk Management that are designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of busy professionals.
Program Specializations
- Nonprofit and Mission-Driven Management
- Security, Safety, and Risk Management
- Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship
- The Public Administration program also offers a Master of Public Administration with Emergency Planning Focus degree program.
To gain a competitive edge and move her career forward, Felicia James chose Stuart’s M.P.A. program. As a result, she aced an interview for a new job and is expanding her range of clients.
Felicia James (M.P.A. ’20)
Seeking a new career path, Scott Greene combined his interest in government with a Stuart M.P.A. degree to land a position as a city budget analyst in Chicago.
Scott Greene (M.P.A. ’16)
As a graduate student at Illinois Tech and then as a policy researcher at a think tank, Yinman Zhong’s vision of policymaking has expanded, and so have her career goals.
Yinman Zhong (M.P.A. ’16)
Mental health treatment goes up, emergency calls go down. Stuart alumna Catherine Sanchez is leading the way to a win-win solution for Chicago police and the community.
Catherine Sanchez (M.P.A. ’17)
M.P.A. courses in policy analysis and quantitative research methods inspired Xi Chen to pursue a doctorate on the way to a potential academic career.
Xi Chen (M.P.A. ’17)Featured Faculty
Roland Calia
Joanne E. Howard
Bruce Gockerman
“I think Stuart’s strengths lie in the experience of its professors. The faculty in the M.P.A. program not only understand academics, but their courses are approached from a practical, real-world standpoint.”
