Frequently asked questions related Clinton School Online at the Clinton School of Public Service are listed below.

CSO Admissions FAQ

A qualified applicant is a professional who has demonstrated leadership in their career and in their personal pursuit of public service and has a strong academic background. Someone with 5+ years of both professional and public service experience after their undergraduate degree would be a competitive candidate.

There are five items needed to complete your Clinton School Online application:

A completed application form
– Final transcripts of all higher education degrees awarded
– An updated resume
– One required short-answer question
– One required letter of recommendation: a recommender addressing the applicant’s professional experience and work ethic

There are two application deadlines:

The Priority Deadline is January 15. Completed applicants will receive admission and merit scholarship decisions by February 1.

The Regular Deadline is March 1. Completed applicants will receive admission notification by April 1.

No. The program is designed on a set two-year progressive academic plan, and withdrawing during the program will, unfortunately, disrupt the sequence.

CSO Scholarship & Financial FAQ

The cost per credit hour of Clinton School Online is $850.

Yes, students admitted to Clinton School Online will be eligible for merit-based scholarships. Admitted students will be notified of merit-based scholarships in their acceptance letters.

Tuition is $850 per credit hour. In addition, there is a one-time technology fee of $500 and a one-time programming fee of $2,500.

Students will pay tuition one term at a time. There will be four payments over the two-year program, one for each term. Both the technology and programming fees are paid at the start of the first term of the program.

No. The cost of the program is the same for domestic and international students.

However, due to a range of domestic educational protocols, Clinton School Online is only available to students living in the United States while the program is ongoing.

CSO Curriculum FAQ

The Capstone course is the only field service project online students will complete. The collaborating partner organization could be the student’s current employer, another organization in their local community or country of residence, or an international organization.

Yes. Students can transfer up to 3 hours of core credit and 3 hours of elective credit from other programs, subject to advance approval by the Clinton School Academic Dean. Courses to be transferred must meet the following criteria:

– Taken at an accredited higher education institution

– Passed with a grade of “B” or higher

– For electives, have course content relevant to the Clinton School Online program, and for core courses, have course content equivalent to the course taught in the online program.

All course content will be available on the Friday of the week it is scheduled at 8 a.m. (CT). The previous content for lectures will remain accessible online until the end of that course.

All assignments will be submitted through the school’s online platform, Blackboard. Grades will also be available to view through Blackboard.

No. The Clinton School Online program runs for 24 consecutive months, one course at a time. An enrolled student will not be able to accelerate through the program or take multiple courses at a faster pace.

Clinton School Online is bookended by in-person components at the start and conclusion of the program.

Depending on the course, there may be infrequent real-time meetings, but the majority of classwork will be delivered online.

Students can expect 15+ hours per week of online classwork, readings, and class preparation. Depending on other commitments in the student’s life, and the student’s time-management skills, it is possible for someone to work full-time and perform well in the online program.

CSO General FAQ

The MPS is an in-person full-time degree program based in Little Rock, Arkansas, featuring classroom education and three required field service projects (domestic and international). The Clinton School Online program, designed for professionals with significant public service experience, is a distance program formatted through online courses and bookended by on-campus experiences at the start and conclusion of the program. Clinton School Online includes one required Capstone project.

Additionally, the in-person MPS can be earned concurrently with a Juris Doctor, Master of Public Health, Master of Business Administration, or Master of Social Work. The concurrent degree options are not available through Clinton School Online.

The 36-credit-hour degree will be offered one course at a time (12 courses, each lasting eight weeks) over a period of 24 consecutive months. Classes are grouped into four 24-week terms, with a week-long break after each term.

When does the Clinton School Online program start and end?

The enrollment term is two years. For example, if you started in May 2023, you would finish in May 2025.

The cohort size for Clinton School Online will be approximately 25-30 students.

Hardware Requirements:

– Desktop computer or laptop with webcam and microphone (tablets and cell phones are not recommended for coursework)
– 2GHz processor or higher
– 2GB or higher of memory (RAM)
– 30GB or higher of free storage
– Windows 7/Vista or higher operating system (for PC)
– Mac OS 10.6 or higher operating system (for Mac)

Software Requirements:

– Microsoft Office 2007 or higher (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
– Adobe Flash 10 or higher (Free Download)
– Adobe Acrobat Reader (Free Download)
– Java (Free Download)
– QuickTime (Free Download)

– If you already have these programs installed, please check for and run any updates necessary to ensure you’re ready to go! Some courses may have additional software requirements. Please talk to your academic advisor for details.

Network Connection Requirements:

– Broadband (Cable or DSL) with 512 Kbps or higher download speed. A direct connection to the router is preferred over wireless or satellite connections. As an online learner, a dependable, high-speed connection may be the most important investment you can make.