Future students

Make a difference in Canada's public service

Open to students like you with an Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent from any discipline, the Master of Public Service program provides an advanced education, covering important subjects such as government structure and functions, current public issues, policy development and values and ethics. You also develop critical and applied skills in communication, finance, leadership and project management. The 20-month program combines coursework, an 8-month paid co-operative work experience, and a major team project.

Courses

You will complete ten graduate courses focused on government, which draw upon a range of academic disciplines. Taught by Waterloo faculty members and enhanced by visiting senior public servants, MPS courses are designed to equip students with transferable skills and focused knowledge in areas such as critical thinking and analysis, problem-solving and decision-making, social awareness, and working effectively in diverse, mixed teams.

Co-operative Education 

Effective training for the public service should include on-the-job experience, so the MPS program incorporates an 8-month paid co-operative education work term. Through Waterloo's world-class Co-operative Education service, you have access to Waterloo Works, which posts employment opportunities with public sector agencies at the national, provincial and local level. In pursuit of a co-operative education work term, you complete an application and interview process facilitated on-campus by Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE). For information on the co-operative education process, visit the How co-operative education works page of the Co-operative Education website.

Major Team Project

In the final term of study, you work collaboratively in teams to research a public issue and prepare a professional, comprehensive report that draws on the expertise you have developed in the MPS program.