FAQ: General Questions
The Clinton School offers a Master of Public Service (MPS) degree, both in-person and through Clinton School Online.
Additionally, for the MPS degree track only, concurrent degree options include an MPS/Juris Doctor in collaboration with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Bowen School of Law), an MPS/MBA with the University of Arkansas (Walton College of Business), an MPS/Master of Public Health in conjunction with the University of Arkansas School for Medical Sciences (Boozman College of Public Health), and a Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Social Work.
In order to be accepted into any of these concurrent degree programs, the applicant must separately apply and be accepted into both the Clinton School and the concurrent program of their choice. More information on the concurrent degrees can be found here.
For those Clinton School applicants who are interested in pursuing a concurrent degree, please complete the respective application for the corresponding school.
Information about their respective applications, testing requirements, deadlines, and tuition costs can be found below.
- UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law
- UAMS Boozman College of Public Health
- UAF Walton College of Business
- UA Little Rock School of Social Work
Once a student has been admitted into both the MPS and their concurrent program of choice, they may then plan to enroll in their respective concurrent degree program.
The Clinton School's MPS degree is a full-time, two-year program. Enrolling in a concurrent program will add an additional year or two, depending on the program.
More information is available on the Clinton School MPS core courses, electives, and the four concurrent degree offerings.
The Clinton School offers a unique blend of academics with practical hands-on experience. In fact, nearly 30 percent of the MPS program’s total credits are earned through the three required public service projects in the field conducted throughout the two-year degree program:
- Group-based Practicum
- International Public Service Project
- Capstone (Final)
The Clinton School’s distinct "real world" curriculum that educates people both in our classrooms and in the fields of service around the nation and globe equips our students with a dimensional educational experience that is unlike any other master's program in the country.
Clinton School students come from diverse personal, educational, professional, political, and service backgrounds. The Clinton School highly values and seeks this diversity, and consequently, there are no specific prerequisite courses.
Tuition costs for the Clinton School’s MPS program are very affordable, especially when compared to similar graduate programs around the country.
The total cost of tuition and fees for the full two-year MPS degree is $18,080. Estimated additional costs may include approximately $400 per semester for books and between $5,000-$6,000 per semester for living and personal expenses in the city of Little Rock.
No, all applicants pay the same $432 per credit hour for all MPS classes taught at the Clinton School. Elective courses taken at our other partner campuses are charged at the in-state rate.
No, the MPS degree program requires a full-time commitment. Because our innovative schedule of classroom work and field work may vary somewhat from week to week, the part-time pursuit of the program is not possible.
Many of our MPS students work a part-time job (approximately 10-15 hours per week) while at the Clinton School, but the key to a successful job/school balance will be the flexibility related to the part-time job.
The time demands related to both the classroom work and our fieldwork is significant but varies from week to week. Consequently, many of our students would suggest that having a part-time job that allows flexibility of hours is extremely critical to maintaining both a successful academic record and a reasonable school/life balance.
No, the MPS curriculum track begins only in the fall semester.
For students who are admitted, the Clinton School MPS program begins with a weeklong orientation in mid-August. All incoming MPS students are required to attend orientation. Classes generally begin in the week following orientation.
All incoming MPS students are automatically registered for their first semester of fall classes in the required MPS core courses. Elective course options begin in the Spring semester of the first year and continue throughout the second year of the MPS program. Information on the Clinton School's core courses can be found here.
The Clinton School of Public Service is not located on a college campus but is located in an urban downtown setting. The Clinton School MPS degree program hosts classes in Sturgis Hall (on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center) and in two different buildings in the River Market district of downtown Little Rock. In addition, students have access to the facilities of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (located 15 minutes away), including the pool and fitness center, Health Center, Disability Resource Center, libraries, and more.
A variety of elective courses are available to Clinton School students enrolled in the MPS degree program. These elective courses cover a wide range of public service interests and are taught by Clinton School faculty members, University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty members, and special instructors from around the city.
Yes, up to 6 credit hours of graduate work may be transferred for the Core Courses, and up to 6 credit hours of graduate work may be transferred for Elective Courses (all pending approval by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs).
The MPS is an in-person full-time degree program based in Little Rock, Arkansas, featuring classroom education and three required field service projects (domestic and international). The Clinton School Online program, designed for professionals with significant public service experience, is a distance program formatted through online courses and bookended by on-campus experiences at the start and conclusion of the program. Clinton School Online includes one required Capstone project.
Additionally, the in-person MPS can be earned concurrently with a Juris Doctor, Master of Public Health, Master of Business Administration, or Master of Social Work. The concurrent degree options are not available through Clinton School Online.
