Master of Science in Public Service Management

The M.S. in Public Service Management is our foundation degree, the oldest and largest degree in the School of Public Service. Students get a broad-based education with which they can successfully pursue careers in fund raising and philanthropy, health care administration, higher education administration, metropolitan planning and urban affairs, nonprofit administration, association management, and public policy. Because students have a choice of more than 60 electives with which to customize this degree, they can make their education highly personal and practical.

"The program was a great fit for me — I was able to build on my interest in urban planning and community development, while getting the practical skills necessary to run a public service organization. Then, the networking opportunities at DePaul opened doors into Chicago’s community development world, leading to my current job. Just as important, I developed the closest and most rewarding friendships of my life.” — Christie Hahn, executive director, Business Partners, The Chamber for Uptown .

To graduate, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 52 credit hours of graduate credit. (Each course carries four credit hours, unless otherwise specified.) Electives account for 16 credit hours.

Admission Requirements

official transcripts from all undergraduate universities attended showing the successful completion of a bachelor degree with a 2.70 out of 4.0 GPA
a resume
a two-page personal statement describing your educational and career goals, relevant work or volunteer experience, and any special circumstances affecting past or prospective academic performance

The following courses are required. Descriptions of each appear in the on-line course catalog.

Required Courses (36 credit hours)
MPS 499 Presentation Skills
MPS 500 Introduction to Public Service Management
MPS 501 Cross Sector Analysis
MPS 502 Ethical Leadership
MPS 515 Nonprofit Financial Administration
MPS 522 Human Resource Management
MPS 542 Policy Design and Analysis
MPS 570 Research Methods
MPS 580 Quantitative Methods
MPS 590 Applied Research
MPS 593 Integrated Seminar

Elective Courses(16 credit hours)
Students choose from among more than 60 courses based on their professional goals and personal interests. If warranted by special needs or interests, students may take up to two elective courses in other departments of the university. Permission of the director, J. Patrick Murphy, is required before registration for such courses.