DePaul students who decide to devote their careers to public service are discovering that need has no borders in a program that trains future leaders of nonprofit programs with international missions.

Called the Master of Arts/Master of Science in International Public Service Management, the joint degree program combines a broad-based liberal arts education in international studies with hands-on training in the technical skills necessary for public service management. People with this type of experience are in great demand around the world, according to DePaul International Studies Program Director Robert Rotenberg, who oversees the program.

"The public service sphere is the fastest growing employment sector internationally," Rotenberg said. "There are many countries in which governments do not provide public services directly but fund other organizations to provide them."

Rotenberg said graduates of the program could go on to work as program officers and administrators for large non-profit public service organizations that operate across borders, such as the International Red Cross, Care International or World Wildlife Federation. Or they could work for smaller, transnational agencies focusing on local issues such as refugee aid, the environment, human rights, economic development, education and health, he added.

The part-time, evening program takes two years to complete, with students enrolling in two seminars per quarter offered at DePaul's Loop and Lincoln Park campuses. Students study a variety of disciplinary perspectives on world events, including those of anthropology, geography, economics, political science and communication.

Students also learn about management particular to nonprofit organizations. They focus their studies on the kinds of organizations and the region of the world where they want to work.

Students are required to gain practical experience working for international nonprofit organizations, which provides valuable credentials for future professional employment. They write a thesis on the objectives, effectiveness and funding of nonprofit organizations in the region they are studying.

Besides DePaul, Rotenberg is aware of only two other universities, the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University, that offer programs tailored specifically for professionals entering this field.

So far, 12 DePaul students declared the new joint degree program as their major since DePaul began offering it last November, and more students are enrolling for the fall.

"I work for a nonprofit firm, so it seemed like this public service management degree was designed for me," said student Alicia Ronan. Ronan has worked for the last two-and-a-half years for the French Technical Press Office in Chicago, a nonprofit organization that publicizes products made by small- and medium-sized companies in France. She said she also was glad to find a program that allowed her to work full-time while attending classes.