Master of Public Administration (MPA)
MPA At-A-Glance Heading link
Master of Public Administration Curriculum Heading link
The Online Master of Public Administration (MPA) program provides graduates with the core knowledge and skills needed by leaders of public organizations. The program is housed within UIC’s College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, and the curriculum incorporates emerging topics in public service and recent research in the field. With accelerated 8-week terms you can complete the degree fast while working.
The program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of public management, policy analysis, budgeting, financial management, and organizational leadership. These skills assist graduates in becoming effective leaders and problem solvers in their communities.
The Online MPA offers three concentrations, allowing students to develop a deep understanding of public management, nonprofit management and financial management.
MPA Concentrations Heading link
- The Public Management concentration provides students with generalized knowledge in organizational theory, principles of management, program evaluation, and special topics in decision-making, strategic management, project management, and leadership in public organizations.
- The Nonprofit Management concentration provides specialized expertise in the nonprofit sector including theory, history, management, fundraising, and financial management. Students examine the relationships between nonprofit organizations and government entities, such as the civic base of the nonprofit sector, intergovernmental and inter-sectoral relations, advocacy, lobbying, and budgeting for contracts and grants.
- The Financial Management concentration provides specialized expertise in budgeting, the management of the financial affairs of government, in accounting, and in economics, and it covers special topics courses in areas such as public finance.
Courses Heading link
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13 courses total Students have the option of completing the program at a pace that fits their needs.
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16 months Full-time students can complete the entire program in as little as seven consecutive 8-week terms, or 16 months.
RFI MPA program page Heading link
MPA program page ping Heading link
MPA Courses Heading link
The MPA program provides students with a range of skills that can be applied in various fields and sectors. Here are some of the skills that students may gain from the online MPA program: analytics, communication, leadership, management, policy analysis, and ethics and accountability.
The online MPA program consists of 13 courses (plus one 1 credit professional development seminar), and students have the option of completing the program –with a public management or nonprofit management or financial management concentration – at a pace that fits their needs.
All courses are offered in convenient, accelerated 8-week terms throughout the year, giving students maximum flexibility. Full-time students typically take two 8-week courses at a time, and part-time students complete one 8-week course at a time. Full-time students can complete the entire program in as little as seven consecutive 8-week terms, or 16 months.
Click the arrows below to view MPA program requirements and courses for the concentrations.
Master of Public Administration Core Courses Heading link
MPA Core Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA 401 | Foundations of Public Service | 4 hours | Examines political, legal, economic and social environment of public service, internal dynamics of public organizations, relationship between public organizations and external stakeholders, and ethical and moral challenges. |
| PA 402 | Introduction to Data Management and Analysis | 4 hours | Topics and methods of analyzing information relevant to the administration and management of public programs and organizations. Includes causation, univariate statistics, significance testing, correlation, and regression. |
| PA 403 | Economics for Management and Policy | 4 hours | Basic economic tools and methods relevant to public admin and current policy: opportunity cost, supply and demand, rational choice, production costs, competition vs monopoly, and economic efficiency versus equity, market failure, and public goods. |
| PA 504 | Principles of Financial Management and Budgeting | 4 hours | Processes and methods relevant to government finances and fiscal health: revenues, taxation, budget formulation, operating budgets, cost analysis, planning and performance, budget reforms, politics, capital budgeting, role of budgeting in management. |
| PA 505 | Public Management Practices | 4 hours | Current issues and challenges in public management as embedded in the disciplines of organization theory, economics, psychology, ethics, and law. Must be taken within first 3 semesters in program. |
| PA 506 | Public Policy Development and Process | 4 hours | Examines the process by which public policies are formulated, decided on, implemented, and evaluated. Students learn techniques to appropriately structure, analyze, and communicate policy issues, as well as the economic rationale for public policy. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in PA 402; and PA 403. |
| PA 521 | Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement | 4 hours | This course addresses strategies and issues relating to the strategic management of public and quasi-public organizations. It addresses strategic planning and performance measurement processes within organizations. |
| PA 561 | Intergovernmental Management | 4 hours | Constitutional, political, fiscal relationships among federal, state and local governments; management of public policy problems requiring cross-boundary solutions and overlapping programmatic, regulatory and fiscal responsibilities. |
| PA 590 | Capstone and Portfolio in Public Policy, Management, and Analytics | 4 hours | Integration of classroom learning with practical experience and preparation of a student portfolio based on work completed in other courses to demonstrate competencies gained in degree program. The portfolio will contain a reflective essay on the role of the program in meeting the student’s individual career preparation. For the capstone, students will work in groups to solve real problems for public and nonprofit organizations. Extensive collaboration required among group members outside of class time. Students should expect significant field work at their assigned organizations. Students are responsible to the course professor and to the project supervisor in their assigned organizations. Because the coursework is team-based, students are not allowed to drop this course once teams are created. Course must be taken in the last two semesters in the MPA program or consent of the instructor. |
| PA 591 | Managing Your Career | 1 hour | Preparation of a personalized strategy to optimize MPA program outcomes. Course Information: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. |
Public Management Concentration Heading link
Public Management Concentration Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA 422 | Project Management | 4 hours | A comprehensive review of project management practices and techniques necessary to successfully manage projects in government and non-profit organizations which is rooted largely in Project Management Institute (PMI) standards and practices. |
| PA 431 | Civic Technology | 4 hours | Application of the Internet and related technologies for public management. Topics include, Web-based service delivery, online governance, the technological divide, the use of social media, and the changing role of public managers. |
| PA 550 | Advanced Topics in Financial Analysis and Management | 4 hours | Advanced topics in financial analysis and management in government and nonprofit organizations, including cost analysis, revenue structures, fiscal health/distress, financial risk, management of short-term resources, and internal controls. |
| PA 571 | Nonprofit Management | 4 hours | Topics include governance roles and responsibilities, ethics, accountability, liability and risk management, resource generation, managing staff and volunteers, marketing and public relations, performance measurement/program evaluation and advocacy. |
Nonprofit Management Concentration Heading link
Nonprofit Management Concentration Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA 422 | Project Management | 4 hours | A comprehensive review of project management practices and techniques necessary to successfully manage projects in government and non-profit organizations which is rooted largely in Project Management Institute (PMI) standards and practices. |
| PA 431 | Civic Technology | 4 hours | Application of the Internet and related technologies for public management. Topics include, Web-based service delivery, online governance, the technological divide, the use of social media, and the changing role of public managers. |
| PA 550 | Advanced Topics in Financial Analysis and Management | 4 hours | Advanced topics in financial analysis and management in government and nonprofit organizations, including cost analysis, revenue structures, fiscal health/distress, financial risk, management of short-term resources, and internal controls. |
| PA 571 | Nonprofit Management REQUIRED | 4 hours | Topics include governance roles and responsibilities, ethics, accountability, liability and risk management, resource generation, managing staff and volunteers, marketing and public relations, performance measurement/program evaluation and advocacy.This course addresses strategies and issues relating to the strategic management of public and quasi-public organizations. It addresses strategic planning and performance measurement processes within organizations. |
MPA Financial Management Concentration Heading link
Financial Management Concentration Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA 550 | Advanced Topics in Financial Analysis and Management REQUIRED | 4 hours | Advanced topics in financial analysis and management in government and nonprofit organizations, including cost analysis, revenue structures, fiscal health/distress, financial risk, management of short-term resources, and internal controls. |
| PA 422 | Project Management | 4 hours | A comprehensive review of project management practices and techniques necessary to successfully manage projects in government and non-profit organizations which is rooted largely in Project Management Institute (PMI) standards and practices. |
| PA 431 | Civic Technology | 4 hours | Application of the Internet and related technologies for public management. Topics include, Web-based service delivery, online governance, the technological divide, the use of social media, and the changing role of public managers. |
| PA 571 | Nonprofit Management | 4 hours | Topics include governance roles and responsibilities, ethics, accountability, liability and risk management, resource generation, managing staff and volunteers, marketing and public relations, performance measurement/program evaluation and advocacy. |
Learning Outcomes Heading link
- Lead and manage in the public interest.
- Participate in, and contribute to, the policy process.
- Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make evidence-informed decisions in a complex and dynamic environment.
- Articulate, apply, and advance a public service perspective.
- Communicate and interact productively and in culturally responsive ways with a diverse and changing workforce and society at large.
Master of Public Administration Faculty Voices Heading link
The problems we confront have never been more challenging or the need for effective public policies greater. Our MPA graduates make important contributions to governments and nonprofit organizations throughout Chicagoland and Illinois, generally because of the skills and knowledge they gained through this program.
| Professor
An MPA is a versatile degree that allows graduates to pursue careers in the public sector. Graduates of our MPA degree have gone on to careers in education, law enforcement, health, in local, state, and federal government, and in the nonprofit organizations.
| Program Director
Public Service Careers Heading link
Long considered the public sector equivalent to the private sector’s MBA degree, an MPA degree offers the analytical and leadership skills necessary to pursue a variety of career opportunities. Whether you want to become a city manager, a budget or policy analyst, government services consultant, healthcare administrator, nonprofit director or community leader, an MPA degree from UIC will get you there.
Our graduates currently serve in the following roles:
- Budget/ Financial Analyst
- Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer
- City Manager or Commissioner
- Compliance Officer
- Director of Strategic Initiatives or Community Outreach
- Environmental, Economic or Analytics Consultant
- Education or Healthcare Administrator
- Executive Director
- Fundraising or Policy Manager
- Policy, Data, or Management Analyst
- Project Manager or Public Relations Manager
- Urban/Regional Planner
PayScale reports an average annual wage of around $75,000 for professionals with an MPA credential. There is the potential to earn more as a financial manager, business operation specialist, management analyst, community service manager, and data analyst, averaging over $105,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job Growth Heading link
The demand for graduates with expertise in management, finance, data analysis, project management, and public policy is projected to increase at nearly 6% from 2021 – 2031, faster than the average for all occupations according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For financial managers, community service managers, or management analysts the projected growth rate is projected at 11%, with other occupations held by MPA graduates seeing growth rates between 4% and 7% according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job Growth Heading link
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6% Increase Demand for MPA graduates.
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11% Growth Demand for financial managers, community service managers, or management analysts.
NASPAA Accredited Heading link
Our online MPA is accredited by NASPAA, the field standard for academic program review in public affairs. Accreditation signals that a program has undergone a rigorous mission- and outcomes-based process and made a long-term commitment to quality education. Programs seeking accreditation must be in substantial compliance with the standards of the field. The accreditation process is designed to foster continuous assessment and improvement, even after accreditation has been achieved. This review processes helps ensure our program continues to evolve with the needs of public service, providing the strongest possible academic curriculum.
Disclaimer Heading link
The Online MPA is a Full Cost Recovery Program and is not eligible for tuition waivers by University of Illinois employees.