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MPA, MPP, and MSCA Capstone

The PA 590 Capstone Course provides MPA, MPP, and MSCA students with a practical, team-based experience in problem-solving within public or nonprofit organizations. This course requires students to integrate classroom learning with practical experience, and must be taken during the last two semesters in the MPA or MPP program.

The course requires each student to work in a team of 3-4 students to analyze an organizational or policy problem and to deliver a professional report to the sponsoring organization that typically specifies the problem or task, defines alternatives, and proposes a recommended course of action. Government, community, and nonprofit organizations work with the PA program to identify relevant projects that challenge students and serve agency goals.

Students apply knowledge, skills, and competencies gained from core and elective courses to these practical public policy or management problems. This course also provides students with new knowledge about effective management of teams, negotiation skills, project planning and monitoring, and professional presentation skills. Students are responsible for negotiating project scope, determining project plans and scheduling, and researching and writing deliverables (reports and presentations). The final report is presented to the sponsor and the course instructor.

If you are interested in having PPMA students work on a project for your organization, please consult this guidelines document and/or email questions to Dr. Christelle Khalaf, the class instructor, at ckhalaf@uic.edu.

  3. Spring 20 Team B Poster
    A Spring 2020 Capstone Team consisting of Chauncey Brandom, Neal Crowley, and Lindsey Wade worked with the State of Illinois Central Management Services. The team helped CMS develop a methodology for conducting studies to determine whether disparities exist in the use of minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, or persons with disabilities-owned firms in state procurement. The team employed the methodology in testing for disparity in three markets; Legal Services, Staffing Services, and Advertising and Marketing. Click the caption to view this team's poster.
  5. spring 2020 capstone team d poster
    A Spring 2020 Capstone Team consisting of Angela Accurso, Dametrius Coleman, and Sandra Schwendeman worked with the Chicago Park District. The team analyzed CPD’s experience with the use of seasonal workers and developed a set of recommendations for how CPD can most successfully recruit and retain such workers. The team also developed recommendations for how CPD can partner with local organizations in an effort to help seasonal workers gain employment in the skilled trades. Click the caption to view this team's poster.
  6. Spring 2020 capstone team e
    A Spring 2020 Capstone Team consisting of Kyle DeVry, Kennedy Hayes, and Edgar Solis worked with the Cook County Department of Environment Sustainability. The team developed a methodology for a screening process to identify environmental justice communities in Cook Country. The model developed by the team allows an EJ score to be assigned to every census tract in Cook County based on a set of both demographic and environmental indicators. Click here to view this team's capstone poster.
  16. Capstone Team with client
    Spring 2019 Capstone Team G: Katie Scheuber (far right), Shannon McCabe (second from right), Autumn Baldwin (second from left) with Andrea Lee from UCAN. The team developed a set of recommendations for how UCAN can expand its use of volunteers. Click this caption to view Team G’s poster.

Comments by Clients Heading link

Arlington Heights Logo

“It was great to work with the capstone team and they were very responsive, professional and their work will definitely be put into use.”

Village of Arlington Heights, Illinois
Capstone team with Coast Guard

“We would like to thank you and the students for their professional attitude. They did a spectacular job and were an honor to work with.”

U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Safety Unit - Chicago
chicago collections logo

“It was a pleasure to participate in the UIC Capstone project. The students were consistently well prepared and interested in the topic. Their research and findings will be a useful tool for our organization.”

Chicago Collections
Friends of the Parks logo

“The entire team did exceedingly well in digesting a very difficult topic and taking in multiple points of view.”

Friends of the Parks
City of Crest Hill Illinois

“The work these students produced by far exceeded what I could have produced given the many time constraints. I sincerely appreciate the caliber of their work and the professionalism they gave to this project.”

City of Crest Hill Illinois