The combined Bachelor's + Master's degree programs allow students to complete 12 graduate credit hours while still undergraduates. These 12 graduate credit hours will count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
DePaul Undergraduate Degree + Public Administration (MPA)
The Masters in Public Administration (MPA) is an externally-accredited degree (NASPAA) designed to prepare students pursuing careers in local, state and federal government organizations to be ethical and effective leaders in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul. The combined degree program option is intended for selected students for whom the master’s degree is the preferred preparation for their career goals, or is viewed as additional preparation before pursuing a doctoral or law degree. The combined Bachelors/MPA program shortens the time to completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees by and costs less in tuition than pursuing the two degrees sequentially.
Combined program students take three MPA courses during their senior year, typically one per quarter, which double-count for both the bachelor’s and the master’s degrees. Placement of the successfully completed MPA courses either as open electives or as major field electives resides with the College hosting the specific Bachelor’s degree program. After the bachelor’s degree is awarded the three courses are credited toward the requirements of the MPA degree program as well.
Participants in the combined MPA program pay the current tuition rate applicable to their undergraduate program for any courses counted toward the requirements of both their bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Participants will be eligible for the current Double Demon Discount for the remainder of their graduate coursework.
Through the combined Bachelors/MPA program, the student is responsible for working with both their undergraduate advisor to manage their undergraduate degree progress and the SPS academic advisor (SPSAdvising@depaul.edu) to plan a graduate program of study that includes the MPA courses as open electives or major field electives. Undergraduates are advised to meet a faculty member once per quarter during their senior year as an undergraduate to ensure that they are on track to graduate and transition into the master’s program. They also must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in their graduate-level courses in order to matriculate into the graduate program.
Click on DEGREE REQUIREMENTS for descriptions of the required MPA coursework.