Program Overview

Public Policy Program

The University of Illinois Springfield offers a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree that seeks to prepare students with the skills and abilities to analyze and evaluate public policy to serve the public interest and civic engagement.

Departmental Goals and Objectives

The MPP program aims to educate current and future governmental and nonprofit public service professionals through the innovative integration of disciplinary knowledge and skills with practice. The program's location in the state capital provides access to a diverse networked community of public affairs scholars, practitioners, and students.

Concentration Options

The Master of Public Policy provides five concentration options for study:

• Child Advocacy and Policy Concentration
• Education Policy Concentration
• Health Policy Concentration
• Policy Analysis Concentration
• Social Policy Concentration

Competencies

Graduates of the UIS MPP program will be able to understand and demonstrate knowledge and skills in the following competencies:

• Lead and manage in public governance
• Identify public problems, research the background of the issues, and identify and evaluate alternatives to address these problems
• Participate in and contribute to the public policy process
• Describe the public policy process and the role of the various participants and stakeholders
• Apply relevant theories, knowledge, and skills to effectively lead in developing, implementing, and evaluating public policy
• Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems, and make decisions
• Demonstrate the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data for use in decision making, and drawing conclusions
• Critically read and apply findings from peer-reviewed and grey literature
• Articulate and apply a public service perspective
• Articulate the importance of and operate in a manner that facilitates democracy, equity, transparency, efficiency, and ethics
• Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry
• Communicate in a clear and concise manner
• Demonstrate a sensitivity of and respect for different cultures and perspectives

Courses

The MPP program offers a wide range of courses, including:

• PAD 201: Issues in American Public Administration
• PAD 301: Introduction to Public Service Management
• PAD 302: Leadership and Management of Public Organizations
• PAD 303: Public Policy for Managers
• PAD 310: Nonprofit Sector and Society
• PAD 399: Tutorial in Public Administration
• PAD 411: Contemporary Issues in Nonprofit Management
• PAD 431: Operations Research Methods
• PAD 432: State and Local Community Development
• PAD 441: Contemporary Issues in Policy
• PAD 452: Employment Discrimination Law
• PAD 470: Research Methods and Management
• PAD 471: Public Administration Senior Capstone
• PAD 475: Government Regulations and Administrative Law
• PAD 481: Perspectives on Child Maltreatment and Advocacy
• PAD 482: Global Child Advocacy Studies
• PAD 483: The System's Response to Child Maltreatment
• PAD 484: Childhood Trauma: Risk and Resiliency
• PAD 485: Administrative Law and Management
• PAD 486: Child Advocacy Studies Capstone
• PAD 490: Topics in Public Administration
• PAD 499: Tutorial in Public Administration
• PAD 501: Introduction to the Profession
• PAD 502: Organization Dynamics
• PAD 503: Analytical Tools
• PAD 504: Budget And Finance
• PAD 505: Human Resource Management
• PAD 506: Public Policy for Managers
• PAD 507: Information for Decision Making
• PAD 508: Economics and Public Policy
• PAD 509: Workplace Democracy
• PAD 510: Current and Emerging Public Policies
• PAD 511: Collective Bargaining
• PAD 521: International Poverty, Inequality, and Development
• PAD 522: U.S. Social Policy
• PAD 524: Capital Budgeting
• PAD 525: Informatics for Public Policy
• PAD 526: Advanced Analytical Tools: Forecasting, Time Series Analysis, and Predictive Analytics
• PAD 531: Public Policy Analysis
• PAD 532: Case Analysis
• PAD 533: Program Evaluation
• PAD 534: Program Implementation
• PAD 535: Public Administration Diversity
• PAD 536: Intergovernmental Relations
• PAD 538: Public Service Ethics and Leadership
• PAD 541: Nonprofit Sector: Human Resources
• PAD 542: Nonprofit Sector & Society
• PAD 543: Marketing for Public and Nonprofit Organizations
• PAD 544: Fund Raising for Public and Nonprofit Organizations
• PAD 545: Public Financial Management
• PAD 552: Strategic Planning and Management
• PAD 553: Community Planning and Policy
• PAD 554: Community Planning Tools
• PAD 556: Community Economic Development
• PAD 561: Graduate Public Service Internship Seminar in Organization Environment in the Public Service
• PAD 568: Labor Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
• PAD 571: Capstone Seminar
• PAD 572: Capstone Seminar Continuing Enrollment
• PAD 573: Capstone in Public Policy
• PAD 574: Thesis Continuing Enrollment
• PAD 580: Public Administration Internship Seminar
• PAD 581: Fundamentals of Public Procurement
• PAD 582: Public Procurement Process, Ethics and Law
• PAD 583: Contract Formulation and Administration
• PAD 584: Best Value Analysis and Negotiation
• PAD 585: Project Management in Public Procurement
• PAD 589: The Public and Environmental Planning
• PAD 590: Topics in Public Administration
• PAD 599: Tutorial in Public Administration
• PAD 651: Leading Social Sector Change and Innovation
• PAD 652: Public Management Seminar: Connecting Practice and Theory
• PAD 653: Public Policy Seminar
• PAD 654: Research Design
• PAD 655: Qualitative Research Methods
• PAD 656: Quantitative Research Methods
• PAD 657: Advanced Public Management Seminar
• PAD 658: Advanced Public Policy Seminar
• PAD 659: Dissertation Proposal Seminar
• PAD 689: Qualifying Exam
• PAD 690: Dissertation
• PAD 691: Dissertation Continuing Enrollment
• PAD 699: Independent Study/Tutorial

Admission Requirements

Admission to the MPP program will be on a competitive entry basis. The program requires a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5, although a 2.5 GPA does not guarantee admission. Students must submit an online application, two letters of recommendation, transcripts, and an academic essay. International students must achieve a score of 550 or above on the paper-based TOEFL or 213 on the computer-based exam.