The School of Public Management and Policy provides world-class education and develops professionals ready to impact the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.

As a professional school, we equip our students with the tangible skills necessary to solve the world's most complex challenges—graduating career-ready.

Build Your Career Strategy

No matter where you are in your career path—a prospective student considering the School of Public Management and Policy, a current student, a recent grad, or a long-time alum—we are here to help you.

Connect with your Advisor, who will serve as your liaison to the UIS Career Development Center. Through this collaboration, we will:

• Help you with general career planning and networking, including efforts to provide you with a better understanding of your skills, abilities, and interests
• Guide your internship and job search
• Review and improve your resume and cover letters
• Enhance your interview preparation skills and conduct informational interviews
• Develop your connections to the School alumni and other management and policy professionals

What Can You do with Our Degrees?

Bachelors in Public and Nonprofit Administration

Whether you are interested in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or labor relations, Public Administration provides the skills needed to succeed.

The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) associates many occupations with Public Administration, such as public relations and fundraising managers, general and operations managers, education administrators, medical and health services managers, occupational health and safety specialists, social and human service assistants, first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers, government program eligibility interviewers, human resource specialists, social and community service managers, regulatory affairs managers, and compliance managers.

Recent Graduate Employers Include:

• Mid-level manager, Seoul Municipal Government, South Korea 
• Program Associate, United Nations
• Environmental Engineer, Indian Health Service
• Budget Tech, Corps of Engineers
• Financial Manager of Research Center
• HR Analyst
• Business Relations Consultant
• Senior Physician Recruiter at Large Healthcare System
• Principal Strategy Consultant at Baxter Strategic Consulting Group

Master of Public Administration

The National Center for Education Statistics Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code describes Public Administration as "A program that prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state, and federal government and that focuses on the systematic study of executive organization and management.

Our graduates hold executive, fiscal and administrative upper and middle management positions in local, state, and federal agencies. They are also state-level legislators, police and fire chiefs, and directors of nonprofit organizations.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2017 Median Pay for Administrative services Managers was $94,020 per year.

The job outlook is looking prosperous as the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job market would increase by 10% between now and 2026.

Recent Graduate Employers Include:

Master of Public Policy

MPP graduates are equipped with strong quantitative and analytical skills and are ready to apply policy theory to address real-world problems. The versatility of our MPP opens many employment doors, including work as policy analysts; professional staff for political leaders and committees in all levels of government; program staff in multilateral organizations; researchers and consultants in private firms; or a variety of public and nonprofit sector agencies and private corporations.

The Bureau of  Labor  Statistics highlights the increasing demand for public policy analysis in government and non-government organizations.

Masters in Human Services

A human services degree equips students with the skills required to serve clients in various public outreach organizations. Human service graduates work as substance abuse counselors, case managers, and administrators who help individuals tackle significant challenges in their lives.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the human services field is projected to grow faster than in most other fields over the next ten years. The long-term outlook for job opportunities is excellent, especially for Master's level applicants. Employers are increasingly in search of employees holding degrees in human services.

More than half of the professionals in the human services field are currently employed in the health care and social assistance industries. More than one-third of these employees work in state and local government, primarily in welfare agencies and agencies offering aid to persons with mental or physical disabilities.

Recent Graduate Employers Include:

Doctor Public Administration

This academically rigorous program primarily prepares individuals for senior-level research and leadership roles in government, consulting, and nonprofit organizations. Some graduates also pursue university careers in teaching and research.

For example, some of our most recent doctoral alumni hold leadership or academic positions as follows:

Employers and Partners

Recruit at the School of Public Management and Policy and/or Partner with Us to Develop Professional Public Servants

The SPMP prepares students for careers that address today's complex issues. We bridge the gap between their academic experience and the world of work through experiences requiring strong analytical skills to solve problems.

Partner with us to put these skills to use and/or develop the next generation of public service professionals. In return, we will help you attract the best talent from our highly ranked and rigorous programs. Email the School of Public Management and Policy to:

• Hire a Graduate and get top-notch talent for your organization.
• Work with our instructors to create class projects and get fresh ideas from a team of graduate students addressing a real-world policy question.
• Hire a Graduate or Undergraduate Summer Intern for hands-on help with a project or ongoing challenge.
• Volunteer by giving guest lectures, mentoring students, or hosting a networking event