Offered in: Chicago

This Social Justice BA to MPA accelerated degree path is particularly well-suited for students interested in careers in social justice advocacy within the nonprofit and government sectors.

This one-of-a-kind “Social Justice MPA” provides a robust curriculum for current and future change makers interested in careers in public service such as community organizing, community development, nonprofits, and governance. Students in this accelerated program can start earning credits toward their Master of Public Administration (MPA) by taking graduate level courses during the completion of their undergraduate Social Justice Studies BA.

Students in this program immerse themselves in social justice issues during throughout their coursework. The Social Justice BA prepares Social Justice MPA students with the essential tools to identify the social structures that drive inequity, analyze how power dynamics function within these systems, and imagine creative interventions to advocate for systemic transformation. Courses in the MPA build on this foundation, providing tangible skills in management, budgeting, human resources, data analysis, and program analysis, while maintaining a firm grounding in considerations of social equity. Thus the Social Justice MPA prepares graduates for the on-the-ground work of leading organizations and communities engaged in essential social justice work.

Students interested in the Social Justice MPA should contact the MPA program director during their junior year. 

• Major in Social Justice Studies
• Completion of 60 credit hours of undergraduate course work
• Have and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0
• Obtain permission from the MPA director to take the required MPA courses
• Take the required MPA courses during the last two semesters of undergraduate degree
• Upon completion of the Political Science BA, apply to the MPA program under the normal admission process.

The student will take the following three MPA graduate courses as part of the Social Justice Studies BA. All of the courses will receive credit toward the Master’s in Public Administration degree once the student is admitted to the MPA program.

Your degree map is a general guide suggesting courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change (although you retain the same course requirements as long as you are continuously enrolled in your degree program).

Always work closely with your academic advisor to understand curriculum requirements and scheduling, as each student’s academic plan can look slightly different.

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Or course towards an optional Minor

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One Natural Science course must have a lab. 

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Satisfies CORE Experiential Learning requirement.  Experiential Learning courses must be 200/300 level. 

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ECON 101, POS 101 and SOC 101 recommended.