The UIC-MPA curriculum is designed to provide both pre-service and working students with the theoretical understanding, analytical tools, and up-to-date information needed for successful careers in the public service. The program informs students of the broad contexts of the profession; provides an understanding of organization theory and organizational behavior; teaches the principles of human resource management and financial administration; instructs how to apply qualitative and quantitative techniques to solve problems and answer questions; introduces a broad range of management methods and tools, and explores current issues facing managers and administrators in the public setting. In addition to completing formal course work, each student participates in team-based field work that integrates classroom learning with practical experience. Each student also has the option of participating in an organized internship placement with a public service agency.

Recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of the field, the MPA program faculty represents many disciplines. Their academic training and research interests cover a broad range of relevant areas including law, management, political science, statistics and research methods, survey research, sociology, economics, business, organizational theory and decision making, human resources, budgeting and finance, and information technology. The program's full-time faculty is complemented by several distinguished, adjunct professors who are recognized practitioners in the areas of public policy, management, and administration.

The MPA Program is accredited by The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). To achieve this status, the MPA Program must meet certain curricular and operational standards that demonstrate the quality of the curriculum, faculty and student support services. Through a combination of elective and required courses, students pursue specialized concentrations in the following areas:

• Public Management- includes courses in organizational theory and public management, innovative management practices, program evaluation, and special topics courses in decision making, strategic management, and leadership.
• Financial Management- includes courses in budgeting, the management of the financial affairs of government, accounting, economics, and special topics courses in areas such as public finance.
• Information Technology- includes courses in information systems and other applications, the use of the internet in government, the management of information technology, and special topics courses in areas such as geographic information systems.
• Survey Methods- includes courses in survey planning and design, sampling and estimation methods, the psychology of survey measurement and cross-cultural survey measurement.
• Local Government Management- takes advantage of local government and urban expertise within the program and across the university. Introduces students to special considerations in local government management, including metropolitan, intergovernmental, fiscal, and economic development issues.