Whether your interests lie in the arts, healthcare, the environment, or in the policies that impact these areas, O'Neill School master's programs will help you find your path toward a career where you can truly make a difference and with skills to lead positive change.
O'Neill students are idealistic. They envision a better world, and during their time here they get to be in an incubator surrounded by expert practitioners and peers working together to find solutions to some of society's biggest challenges.
But they also learn hard skills such as data-based problem solving and project management and apply those skills in the real world through internships and practicum experiences.
These immersive experiences are students' springboard into the professional world and are an effective means of doing so—98% of O'Neill master's graduates are employed or continuing education within six months of graduation.
Andrew Recinos, MAAA’95, is making a difference in the arts. He received O’Neill’s Distinguished Alumni award in 2022, and his position as president and CEO of the Tessitura Network helps him strive to advance the business of arts and culture through technology, services, and community.
“Being able to ensure that communities have access to high quality art and culture has never been more important and has never needed a greater professional background and education to do this work in an effective way,” Recinos said. “An O’Neill MAAA degree provides the tools that you need to bring an academic-approached professionalism to the field, which is more important than it's ever been.”
Anagha Gore, MPA-MSES’21, is applying her degree as the resilience program coordinator at the IU Environmental Resilience Institute.
“I believe that you can't make change without policy and O'Neill not only teaches you the science of things, but also what it will take for you to implement that science into action,” Gore said. “If you are the kind of person that has noticed a problem and wants to make change and be the solution for it, I would highly recommend O'Neill because this is where we lead for the greater good.”
Eric Ashby graduates in December 2022 with a MAAA-MPA dual degree. His experience at O’Neill broadened his horizons and has positioned him to be a leader in his field.
“The combination of folks who study sustainability, who study climate, who are working in the arts, or working in the public sector is such an interesting melting pot of people with different disciplines all oriented toward leading for the greater good,” Ashby said. “And it creates a true community of people that are here to support you growing into being a leader that is ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.”
Ashby’s hands-on experience with projects made his O’Neill experience special. Whether it was in Bloomington or around the state of Indiana, Ashby’s experiences in his O’Neill program have prepared him for his career.
“I was able to participate in multiple practicum projects with organizations both around Bloomington and outside of Bloomington, partake in internship opportunities, and work with a lot of guest speakers who came into the class. A lot of the class projects are rooted in a kind of consulting,” Ashby said. “You're working with real organizations thinking about real issues that you'll face in the workplace."
Now’s a great time to apply for 2023 O’Neill master’s programs. The application fee for summer and fall programs will be waived December 22–January 2. Find your program.
