Open to students with an Honours Bachelor’s degree (or graduate degree) from any discipline, the Master of Public Service (MPS) program provides an advanced education, covering important subjects such as government structure and functions, policy development, public sector economics and values and ethics. Students also develop critical and applied skills in communication, leadership and project management. The 20-month program combines coursework, a paid co-operative work experience and a Major Team Project.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for the MPS program include:
- Successful completion of an Honours Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, with an average of at least 75% (B) in the final two years of the degree.
- Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate command of the English language with a minimum TOEFL score of 600 or the equivalent on a comparable test, such as CanTEST 4.5, CAEL 70, IELTS 7.0, MELAB 85. Note that government jobs in Canada (including co-op jobs) require strong communication skills, so applicants should be proficient in speaking, writing and reading in English.
Application support material includes:
- All previous university transcripts
- Three letters of reference, at least two of which must be from academic sources
- Supplementary Information Form
- Resume (maximum of two pages)
The application and all support material must be submitted entirely online by the deadline, which will normally be in February of each year. Check the program website for the specific deadline each year.
NOTE: most applicants should select "Master of Public Service, Co-operative Program" during the application process. Only applicants who demonstrate evidence of at least one year of full-time public service experience will be considered for the Master of Public Service regular (non-co-op) degree.
Degree Requirements
Courses
Students must successfully complete ten one-term (0.50 unit weight) courses. Course descriptions are available in the Public Service (PS) Courses section of the this Calendar.
Co-op
Students must complete an 8-month paid co-op work term with a government department or agency. Applicants who do not wish to participate in the co-op work terms, and who demonstrate evidence of at least one year of full-time public service experience, will be considered for a non co-op MPS degree. Students already admitted to the program may be transferred to the non co-op stream, provided they complete an internship as approved by the Program Director. The program will assist students in identifying suitable internship opportunities.
Major Team Project
Students must successfully complete a major team project (PS 622). Under the supervision of a Project Advisor, students work in assigned teams to propose, research and write a major paper.