Master of Public Affairs (MPA)

Earn your MPA from a leader in public affairs education

With an MPA from the O’Neill School, your education builds on five decades of growth and scholarship. The O’Neill School is one of the largest and most-respected schools of its kind, consistently recognized as one of the best among all Master of Public Affairs programs.

98%of reporting 2022-23 MPA residential masters students go into employment, military, or continuing education upon receiving their degree

See employment rates and placements

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Your degree, your way

In-residence

Join us on the IU Bloomington campus. This 48-credit hour program can be completed in two years.

Online

100% asynchronous classes. Complete coursework on your own time from anywhere. See our online program.

D.C. Accelerator

Combine our in-residence MPA with an immersive one-year experience in Washington, D.C.

 
Over 60% of O’Neill master’s students receive funding.

Competitive funding packages are available to assist in making our top-ranked school affordable. Email us about funding your degree. 

Application deadlines

Spring term
  • International: October 1 
  • Final: November 15 
Fall term
  • Priority deadline: January 15
  • International: March 1
  • Final deadline: May 1 

MPA overview

Watch an overview of the Master of Public Affairs program at the O'Neill School. 

Description of the video:

O’Neill is the place where you come to learn about how to make a real difference. Whether it's in local, state, or federal government. Whether it's in consulting or contracting or whether it's in nonprofits. O’Neill creates leaders and we are expected to go out into the world after this and make a difference. We also have a lot to fix and make better. The O’Neill MPA is designed to prepare students to lead organizations and create positive change in the world. We combined a rigorous core curriculum with a rich experiential component to deliver the skills, the knowledge, and the hands-on learning needed to provide value to employers on day number one. I work with Deloitte consulting. We are a technology company and a consulting company, and we help public sector organizations solve big problems. One of the reasons I come on campus to recruit O’Neill students is, I know the critical thinking skills that they will have. I know the analytics background that they will have. Learning those kinds of skills at O’Neill early on really helped me stand out and I think those skills transferred directly into the workplace. The main thing that we're looking for is talented people who can help us solve problems and O’Neill has that in spades. We pride ourselves on having one of the most flexible programs possible. We do this by offering so many different concentrations. We also do so by allowing students to move back and forth between the online and the residential program and by taking as many electives as they'd like to take. Part of what makes O’Neill so unique is the professors that we have here. Those within academics are the top in their field. Those with prior professional experience understand what you're going to be walking into after you leave O’Neill. Students benefit from faculty expertise in the classroom, as well as through close mentorship, guiding them through coursework and even beyond graduation as they continue into their careers. The foundation that O’Neill helped me build in my career is invaluable. I made professional connections that helped me not just launch my career but to this day I run across O’Neill alumni in my daily work. As an O’Neill student you'll gain instant access to a powerful network of more than 36 000 alumni around the globe. They help offer guidance and mentorship and real-world connections. You're going to have a network that you can depend on. You're going to have the resources and the skills that usually only come from years in a field. We want people who are not only smart, that's important, but they care about making the world a better place. Doing good is at the top of everyone's priority list here and it's great to be in a school where that is our motto.

 

Learn to lead for the greater good

Our interdisciplinary nature sets us apart. It’s a program based on doing, designed to prepare skilled, principled, and creative leaders.

You’ll learn how to address society’s complex, interconnected problems through a traditional public administration and policy analysis curriculum blended with recent academic advances in leadership and governance. And, you’ll graduate with the skills you will need for a career in any sector—public, private, or nonprofit.

  • American Red Cross, Manager 
  • Booz Allen Hamilton, Energy Communication Specialist - Senior Consultant 
  • Chicago Housing Authority, Senior Energy Analyst
  • Crowe Horwath LLP, Healthcare Consultant
  • Cummins, Corporate Responsibility Program Manager
  • Deloitte, Business Technology Analyst
  • Federal Election Commission, Campaign Finance Analyst
  • GAO, Analyst
  • Grant Thornton, Global Public Sector Associate
  • Habitat For Humanity, International Senior Analyst
  • Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Project Manager - Wetlands, Lakes, and Streams
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness, Development Associate
  • Nestle, Safety Health and Environmental Specialist
  • New York City Department of Education, Co-Director, Mastery Collaborative
  • PWC, Management Consultant Senior Analyst
  • The Nature Conservancy, Urban Conservation Program Associate
  • U.S. Agency for International Development, South Syrian Assistance Platform Program Management Assistant
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Officer
  • United Nations, Project Assistant
  • United States Environmental Protection Agency, Presidential Management Fellow and Environmental Protection Specialist

“I have had one-of-a-kind opportunities to learn from and research with world-renowned professors and scholars in the energy and environmental policy fields. The MPA program has equipped me with applied skills to lead for the greater good and make a difference in my community.” 

Jona Jaha, MPA Student, Fulbright Scholar  

Consider a dual degree

Pair your MPA with another master's degree from O'Neill, IU Bloomington, or our global partner, Seoul National University, to expand your career possibilities. With an MPA dual degree, you'll earn two master's degrees in less time than it would take to earn each degree separately.