UIS ProgramPhotos of Students and Faculty

The MPA Online

The Online UIS Master of Public Administration degree is NASPAA accredited and designed to impart essential knowledge and skills to the non-traditional, time-restricted, place-bound, and long-distance learner. We prepare our graduates to be successful in professional and administrative employment in public and nonprofit sectors.

UIS takes pride in its online programs.  We strive for local excellence and global impact.  The “UIS” approach to online education has brought us national attention.  We have received awards from the Sloan Consortium including the award for Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching and Learning.  We are committed to an online program that is as high in quality as our on-ground program. 

Why choose UIS for the MPA online?

  • Essentially the same faculty are teaching both on ground and online.
  • The great majority of our teaching faculty are full-time and tenure track.
  • Our online and on-ground programs have the same professional accreditation (NASPAA) certifying the quality of our program and the relevance of our curriculum for public service administrators.
  • Just as we strive for no distinction in quality, there is no distinction made on our diplomas between online and on-ground graduates.  An MPA graduate is an MPA graduate at UIS.
  • We are a part of the University of Illinois and, as such, we maintain the high quality UI is known for. UI has a reputation for excellence and so does UIS.
  • UIS has a historic mission and commitment that focuses on educating master’s level professionals for public service.  This commitment shapes the design of our classes and our interactions with students.
  • At UIS, support for online teaching technology is woven into our online and our on-ground programs.  Financial aid, the registrar, the library and other support departments are familiar with online students and with their needs and are prepared to help. 
  • U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 Edition of America’s Best Colleges ranks the University of Illinois at Springfield as the best public university - Master’s category - in the state of Illinois and the fourth best public university in that category in the entire Midwest.
  • Certificates in Nonprofit Management and Labor Relations are not presently offered online. However, the joint-degree in MPA/MPH and a certificate in homeland security are now available online.

Application for admission to MPA online mirrors the process for on-campus admission, requiring two separate application submissions.

Students seeking to enter MPA Online must apply before March 1 for fall or October 15 for spring, as space is limited.

Related Links: