Online Master’s in Public Administration
Prepare for Success in Government, Nonprofits, and More
100% Online
12 Months
30 Credit Hours
$850 per Credit
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A Career-Focused Degree for Tomorrow’s Public Service Leaders
- Apply By: 9/29/25
- Start Class: 10/13/25
Create positive change in your community with the 100 percent online Master of Public Administration degree from Illinois Tech. Graduate ready for leadership roles in government, social services, emergency management, urban planning, and more.
This program, offered through the AACSB-accredited Stuart School of Business, is delivered on a part-time schedule to provide maximum flexibility for working professionals. Throughout your studies, you will develop advanced skills in public budgeting, strategic management, forecasting, economic modeling, and more. Because our online M.P.A. is offered through Stuart School of Business, you will gain the cutting-edge management and analytics skills you need to advance.
Program Details
- No application fee
- Courses taught by practitioners with real-world experience
- AACSB-accredited school of business
- Study an applied curriculum to prepare for leadership
Online M.P.A. Program Details
Curriculum
Online Master of Public Administration Courses
30 credits
10 courses
Offered through Stuart School of Business, the online M.P.A. program is uniquely positioned to deliver a combination of business acumen and public administration expertise. Courses are led by experts who are currently working in the field, bringing valuable and relevant industry insights to the classroom.
Become a Public Policy Expert with Advanced Coursework
Career-Focused Courses
An interdisciplinary curriculum delivers the skill set you need for leadership roles in public and nonprofit organizations.
Applied Learning Opportunities
Our hands-on coursework and business focus ensure you gain valuable expertise in management, analytics, and more.
Admissions Requirements
Admission Requirements
Application Deadline 9/29/25
Start Date 10/13/25
At Illinois Tech, we’re committed to providing accessible education for all students. Test scores are not required for admission, and there is no application fee. We accept transfer credits for our graduate programs. You can learn more about the requirements for the online Master of Public Administration degree below.
| Online Application Form | Apply Now |
|---|---|
| Degree and Minimum GPA | Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0* on a 4.0 scale |
| Transcripts | Official transcripts are required for all previous undergraduate and graduate study. |
| Transfer Credits | Up to 9 transfer credits accepted |
| Additional Requirements | Resume or CV 2 or more years of professional work experience |
*Applicants with a lower GPA will be considered based on work experience and time since degree completion.
Illinois Tech strives to make higher education accessible to everyone. We’ve made it easier to apply by not requiring test scores or an application fee. We also accept applicable transfer credits toward your graduate program. With multiple start dates offered year-round, you can begin when it fits your schedule. Plus, our enrollment advisers are here to support you.
AdmissionsTuition and Aid
Invest in Your Future with Illinois Tech
Calculate your cost for attending Illinois Tech Use our tuition calculator to help you estimate your total tuition costs.
Illinois Tech is proud to offer competitive tuition for our online programs. We also offer tuition deferral and installment plans to help put your degree within reach. You can learn more about tuition details and military benefits below.
| Cost per Credit Hour | $850 |
|---|---|
| Total Number of Credit Hours | 30 |
| Total Estimated Tuition | $25,500 |
| Other Costs to Budget For | The estimated tuition cost does not include factors like textbooks, fees, or other expenses. |
Military Students at Illinois Tech
Illinois Tech proudly processes United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits for admitted veteran and active-duty students. Veterans admitted to Illinois Tech are eligible to apply for these VA benefits: the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post-9/11 Program, the Yellow Ribbon Program, the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), and the Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP).
Tuition and Financial Aid
At Illinois Tech, we are committed to making your educational journey both enriching and accessible. Our diverse financial aid options, including scholarships, grants, and assistantships, are designed to support students across all disciplines. We encourage you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to access federal and state financial assistance and explore external scholarships to maximize your funding opportunities.
Tuition Details
Open Doors to Management Roles in the Public Sector and Beyond
As a graduate of an online master’s in public administration degree program, you will have the expertise to pursue high-impact roles in government, nonprofits, consulting, and private companies that work with public agencies. Employment in social and community service occupations is expected to grow faster than the national average through 2033, with about 17,800 job openings projected each year during the same period.1
Master of Public Administration Careers
Government Affairs Director $112,706 per year2
Public Policy Director $100,658 per year3
“I was taught by professors who had professional knowledge of the fields they were teaching. What I enjoyed most about all their classes was how the content was rooted in practice. I have been able to take many concepts that I learned in class and directly apply it to my work.”
– Scott Greene (M.P.A. ’16)
What You’ll Learn
Upon program completion, you will have a deep understanding of:
- Fundamental theories, key practices, and underlying values that provide the framework for contemporary American public administration
- Awareness and understanding of the behavior of individuals and groups in organizations, preparing to be more effective managers within their organizational contexts
- Human resource planning, recruitment, examination, and promotion of procedure
- Public budgeting, governmental accounting, and related areas of public fiscal administration
- The core concept of strategic competitiveness, as well as frameworks from theories of entrepreneurial government, strategic management, and economic competitiveness
- A variety of tools and techniques to evaluate existing programs and policies to determine and measure their most vital elements, and to give policymakers the necessary information to fund, improve, or terminate programs based on empirical evidence regarding factors such as cost/benefit, efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and other important characteristics
Program Outcomes
- Be prepared to assume a leadership or managerial position in the public, nonprofit, or consulting sectors
- Acquire the technical and managerial skills needed to deliver effective, accountable, and equitable government services
- Develop valuable skills for analyzing data, evaluating policies, and making evidence-based decisions
- Be effective communicators of ideas, concepts, policies, and programs
- Be prepared to tackle societal challenges and make a difference in communities at local, national, or global levels
Learn from Expert Faculty Who Are Here for You
Our faculty bring real-world experience from their professional fields and are passionate about building meaningful connections. They are here to mentor you, offer personalized support, and help you reach your goals.
Roland Calia, Associate Dean
Faculty Spotlight: Roland Calia
Associate Dean
Director, Master of Public Administration
Professor of Public Administration
Roland Calia is an associate dean at Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business and director of the Master of Public Administration, the M.P.A. in Analytics, M.S. in Sustainability Analytics and Management, and M.S. in Project Management programs. He teaches courses in public and nonprofit financial management, capital budgeting, public management, comparative public administration, and economic development. Calia was the 2022 Brownlow Teacher of the Year for the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Greater Chicago Chapter.
Calia holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago, a master’s degree in government from Claremont Graduate School, and a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Redlands.
Calia’s research interests focus on state and local government governance, tax, and fiscal policies. His recent applied policy research includes reports on countercyclical fiscal policy in the states during the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitating the incorporation of unincorporated areas of Cook County, residential and commercial effective property tax rates in southern Cook County municipalities, and recommendations for reforming finance and governance for Chicago Public Schools.
He has extensive consulting experience in public financial management in the areas of budget, tax, and performance measurement for a variety of clients in Illinois, including the state government, Cook County, and the Civic Federation of Chicago.
Calia previously served as a senior manager in the Research and Consulting Center of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), where he managed GFOA’s national training programs on financial management and staffed GFOA’s Committee on Budgeting and Management, which develops practices for state and local budgeting.
Prior to his work at GFOA, Calia served as director of research for the Civic Federation, a governmental research organization in Chicago, where his research focused on property taxes and government budgeting. He has extensive experience in political election campaign communications and issues research.
He is a board member of the ASPA Chicago chapter. He has served as a member of the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (GASAC), the standard-setting body for governmental accounting in the United States, and as a Governmental Research Association (GRA) trustee.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Social and Community Service Managers.” Retrieved April 19, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm.
- Payscale.com. “Average Government Affairs Director Salary.” Retrieved March 25, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Government_Affairs_Director/Salary.
- Payscale.com. “Average Director, Public Policy Salary.” Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Director%2C_Public_Policy/Salary.