This joint degree with the College of Law affords the opportunity to complete both the JD and MS in Public Service Management in three and a half years of study if an accelerated pace is taken.
Program options in MPS, which have proven to be appropriate to the practice of law, include Health Care Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy, and Metropolitan Planning and Urban Affairs. As employment in the legal profession becomes more competitive, the educational credential earned through the MPS degree offers a number of advantages to the job candidate. The additional coursework in the areas of management, research, and policy do provide a knowledge and skill base missing in the traditional JD program. Students interested in advocacy law in its many forms find the mission of the MPS program to be a complement to the orientation of the DePaul College of Law. The program is fully accredited with the American Bar Association.
Other than the employment advantage enjoyed by joint degree students, students find the rich blend in the areas of content, methods, and perspectives from the two disciplines to be refreshing. A distinct advantage to the joint degree at DePaul University is the breadth in MPS program requirements. Competitive programs in the metropolitan area offer only the Public Administration degree option.
The program shows considerable growth, having expanded from the usual one or two students to at least eight students at various stages in the program at the current time. A status change making SPS its own school should definitely improve the marketing situation for growing this program. Furthermore, some type of parity with the College of Law should result in more equitable negotiations between Law and the School of Public Service.
See more information about this degree program
on the University Catalog:
Overview • Degree Requirements