The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) is a master's degree that combines the focused study of traditional graduate degrees (such as the Master of Arts or Master of Science) with the specialized, industry-specific skills you can immediately put to use in the workplace. Driven by the demands of today’s professional landscape, MPS degrees emphasize the skills that today’s employers want. MPS degrees are also highly applied, incorporating hands-on research and client engagements to give you firsthand experience practicing what you learn.
| Traditional Grad Degrees | MPS Degrees |
|---|---|
| Usually full-time | Usually part-time |
| Taught by tenured faculty | Taught by industry experts |
| Culminates in a thesis | Culminates in a capstone project |
| Emphasizes theory and research | Emphasizes specialized knowledge, applied research, and hands-on practice |
FAQs
Yes. We currently offer many of our MPS degrees in an online format. The online format is completely virtual, and students participate in all lectures and assignments directly from their computers. We are in the process of moving most of our degrees online in order to deliver a Georgetown education to the broadest possible audience.
Executive Master of Professional Studies (EMPS) degrees are generally designed for more experienced professionals (5+ years of work experience). These programs feature hybrid formats that combine online learning and on-site residencies, enabling rising leaders and executives to fit their studies into a busy workload—without interrupting their career.
Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degrees are designed for professionals with varying levels of experience. MPS degrees are more self-paced and most are offered in both online and on-campus formats, or through a combination of the two. While some of Georgetown’s MPS programs offer optional travel components as part of the curricula, there are no mandatory travel requirements to earn the degree.
Our goal is to offer courses in a variety of formats to meet each student’s needs and learning styles. For degrees that offer both online and on-campus classes, students can take courses in both formats, pending capacity of the course. On-campus classes take place at 640 Massachusetts Avenue, with occasional lectures and assignments offered in a virtual setting. Students should consult our advising guidelines when choosing to go from one course modality to another.
Visit our Tuition page for information on current program costs. Tuition does include accommodations and some meals, but does not include required airfare or transportation to on-site locations, books, and incidentals.
MPS degree programs start in Fall, Summer, and Spring semesters. EMPS degrees only have a Fall start.
For admission into an MPS program, you must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent.
Typically, SCS requires a minimum 3.00 undergraduate GPA for full admission; however, we will holistically evaluate the applicant’s academic history, professional qualifications, letters of recommendation, and other application materials before admitting any student. For additional information and detailed application requirements, please see our Application Checklist.
No. Georgetown SCS does not require the GMAT or GRE for entry into our master’s programs.
Our MPS and EMPS applications require the following:
- Completed online application
- Application fee
- Personal statement
- Resume or CV
- Two letters of recommendation
- Unofficial transcripts from all previously attended institutions
For additional information and detailed application requirements, please see our Application Checklist.
Most of our EMPS degrees use the cohort education model, meaning that students enter as a group and proceed through classes and the degree program together. Cohort models allow students to deepen their professional network and build strong relationships with their colleagues.
Most classes are limited to 20–30 seats to ensure that students receive a high degree of personal attention.
Part-time students, taking two classes per semester (including summer terms), can finish their degree in about two years. Full-time students taking three classes each semester can finish their degree in about four semesters (16 calendar months). Students have up to five years to complete an MPS degree program.
Should you need time to accommodate issues that come up in your personal or professional life, you can take a semester off from your studies. For our MPS degrees, students must request a formal Leave of Absence (LOA) for any Fall or Spring semester that they will not be able to attend; the LOA is not required for the Summer semester.
For our EMPS degrees, students must request a formal Leave of Absence (LOA) for any course that they are unable to attend. Due to the cohort and lock-step format of our EMPS degrees, contiguous course progression is integral to your success in the program. Each course serves as a prerequisite for the next in the EMPS programs, so students taking a LOA in these programs are required to wait a full year to rejoin the program and continue when that course is next offered.
