The deadline to apply for Fall 2023 enrollment in the Clinton School of Public Service’s Master of Public Service degree program is December 15.
The first Master of Public Service degree in the nation, the Clinton School’s MPS is an action-oriented program focused on putting people first, and equipping students for the tough work of participatory, on-the-ground change.
Enhanced Scholarship Opportunities
The Clinton School of Public Service is committed to making its Master of Public Service degree affordable for everyone. Beginning in Fall 2023, we are more than tripling our opportunities for scholarships available to enrolling students. Enhanced cost-of-living stipends are also available.
- The Clinton School provides a double match scholarship of an admitted student’s unused Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, a benefit received by those who complete a term of national service in an AmeriCorps program.
- The Clinton School will award up to five tuition scholarships of $10,730 each to admitted Paul D. Coverdell Fellows, a graduate fellowship program that offers financial assistance to returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
- The Clinton School offers Truman Scholarship recipients a guaranteed matching scholarship for its Master of Public Service degree program. The Clinton School will match the $30,000 Truman Scholarship with an additional $30,000 award of its own.
To learn more about institutional merit and need-based aid packages covering up to 100% of your tuition and fees, schedule a video chat with the admissions team.
A Degree That Can Flex
The MPS balances rigorous policy and data analysis with effective communication and intensive relationship-building. Your studies and field experiences intentionally build on one another—a reflection of the program’s interdisciplinary design and small class sizes.
Students complete three for-credit field experiences that go far beyond conventional internships and create change through direct engagement:
- The First Year Practicum is a closely mentored, team-based project in Arkansas – a state with a unique blend of urban and rural populations, a thriving business community, and a growing nonprofit sector. Throughout the semester, you and your teammates will be challenged to become an integral part of the community you’re serving.
- The International Public Service Project, which is supported by a stipend, is an individual, 8-10 week experience in the summer term. You can tap into the Clinton School’s extensive network of overseas partnerships – students have served in 93 countries, as well as stateside with organizations that have a global mission.
- The Capstone Project culminates your studies with an in-depth, on-site project focused on understanding and transforming complex systems. Many students combine their Capstone with an employment opportunity, and others see their projects lead directly to full-time positions.
The field experiences are fully integrated into your studies and carefully designed to increase in complexity and independence—reflecting your growth curve as a leader of change.
The Clinton School’s concurrent degree options in law, business, public health, and social work – each the first of their kind–add a dimension to your studies and give you a more versatile professional toolkit.
Additionally, Clinton School students can now add skill-building certificates in Communication for Social Change or Program Planning and Program Evaluation for Social Change while earning their MPS.
Lead Transformation for Anyone
The MPS prepares you to lead more responsive, resilient communities and organizations, whether they are domestic or international, within a government agency or nonprofit, or part of a major corporation. You’ll be known as a leader who learns from local wisdom and lived experience, and valued as a builder of empathy, equity, and efficiency.
Our graduates have gone on to a wide range of careers, including director of refugee resettlement, NGO legal counsel, co-founder of a sustainability consultancy firm, documentary filmmaker, and a number of positions within government and policy agencies throughout the country.
The growth of social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has opened up more avenues for career possibilities: Clinton School graduates can be found in the corporate offices at Apple, Starbucks, Walmart and other leading-edge companies.
Below is a closer look at a few of our graduates:
Julie Gehrki (’08)
Vice President of Philanthropy
Walmart
Julie Gehrki leads philanthropic investments for Walmart and the Walmart Foundation and helps shape shared value strategies for the company. Together, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation provide more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind annual giving. Prior to Walmart, she worked in the nonprofit sector on issues of antiracism, homelessness and community revitalization. She led program evaluations in Kenya and Tanzania and taught English in Eastern Europe.
Patrick Banks (’11)
Diversity Recruitment Business Partner
Apple, Inc.
As a member of Apple’s Diversity Recruiting team, Patrick Banks maintains Apple as one of the world’s the most innovative companies by aiming to make it one of the most diverse – open to all people, all backgrounds, and all perspectives. He previously worked with MasterCard as Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Global Talent Acquisition, and with Caleres, Inc., as a Talent Acquisition Diversity Recruiter. He began his career with Teach for America, first as a science teacher and then as the organization’s Director of Alumni Affairs.
Khalid Ahmadzai (’17)
Director of Economic Advancement
Canopy NWA
Khalid Ahmadzai is the Director of Economic Advancement for Canopy NWA, a nonprofit organization based in Fayetteville, Ark., that works to support refugees who are resettling in the Northwest Arkansas community. Ahmadzai oversees four key areas for Canopy: early employment, career advancement, entrepreneurship, and immigration services. Additionally, he runs his own social enterprise, Rumi Afghan Rugs, that supports Afghan artisans and carpet weavers.
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