Northern Illinois University Department of Public Administration

Our Story

The Department of Public Administration’s mission is to strengthen the knowledge and skills necessary for professional and ethical public and nonprofit management through our scholarship in teaching, research, and service.

The Department seeks to be the preferred program of choice and nationally recognized, providing the highest quality education for careers in public and nonprofit management based on a contemporary curriculum, innovative instruction, scholarly and applied research, and community service.

Students may pursue one of three graduate level programs:
- Graduate Certificate in Public Management: available face-to-face in executive-style 8 week format at NIU campus locations in DeKalb, Rockford, Hoffman Estates and Naperville as well as an online-only Graduate Certificate
- Master of Public Administration (MPA): available face-to-face in executive-style 8 week format at NIU campus locations in DeKalb, Rockford, Hoffman Estates and Naperville as well as an online-only MPA
- PhD in Political Science with Public Administration as a field