Master of Public Service Degree Program
The Clinton School of Public Service is the only graduate program in the nation offering a Master of Public Service (MPS) degree. The program is designed to help students gain knowledge and experience to further their careers in the areas of nonprofit, governmental, volunteer or private sector service work. Applicants are drawn from a variety of disciplines that are relevant to public service. A concurrent MPS and Juris Doctorate degree program, as well as a MPS and Master of Public Health program, is now available.
The Master of Public Service degree program provides academic and practical hands-on training for its students. The program is particularly geared to individuals who want to use their acquired skills in a new way to promote social change. Clinton School students are drawn from diverse backgrounds ranging from international students to native Arkansans and mid-career professionals to recent college graduates. The only commonality among MPS candidates is a desire to better the world through public service. If you have that desire, the Clinton School is the place for you!
The Clinton School provides a firm grounding in critical analysis and the formulation of program and policy options. There is intellectual rigor in the classroom, but more than that, there is an opportunity for immersion in outstanding service organizations for students to gain competency in the principles and nuances of public service and promote social change.
The primary goal of the Clinton School is not to train academicians, although that may be an outcome for a few. The goal, rather, is to prepare practitioners in the field, individuals who are captivated and energized by understanding and delivering public service of the highest order.
The MPS degree requires 36 semester credit hours for graduation. Twenty-five (25) credit hours are required from core and elective courses, with the remainder from public service field projects – including practicum, international project, and capstone. Click here to download a chart of the Clinton School’s curriculum overview.
| Required Core Courses |
- Analysis for Decision-making in Public Service
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(3 hours) |
- Leadership in Public Service
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(3 hours) |
- Communication Processes and Conflict Transformation
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(3 hours) |
- Dynamics of Social Change
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(3 hours) |
- Ethical and Legal Dimensions of Public Service
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(2 hours) |
- Professionalism in Public Service
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(2 hours) |
| Public Service Field Projects |
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(5 hours) |
- International public service project
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(3 hours) |
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(3 hours) |
MPS Program: Recommended Semester by Semester Progression
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Year 1 — Fall Semester:
Required Courses: 11 credit hours
Practicum: 2 credit hours
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Year 1 — Spring Semester:
Required Courses: 5 credit hours
Practicum: 3 credit hours
Course Electives: 3 credit hours
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Year 1 — Summer:
International Public Service Project: 3 credit hours
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Year 2 — Fall Semester:
Capstone: 3 credit hours
Electives: 6 credit hours
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Year 2 — Spring Semester:
Continuation of Capstone Project
Commencement