Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Public Policy, M.P.P.


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 The degree requires completion of 36 total credits: 21 in the core, 9 in concentration, and 6 in internship or thesis courses.

REQUIRED CORE COURSES (21 CREDITS):

  • American Public Policy
  • Writing and Communication for Public Policy
  • Political Economy
  • Quantitative Research Methods
  • Budget and Finance for the Public Sector
  • Community Based Research
  • Policy Analysis

CONCENTRATION (CHOOSE A CONCENTRATION AND TAKE 9 CREDITS): 

  • Food and Agriculture -agriculture and food production, security, and distribution policy issues
  • Community and International Development - socio-economic development, including domestic and international policy issues
  • Sustainability and Environment -sustainability questions and environmental questions and policy issues  

CAPSTONE (CHOOSE ONE OPTION AND TAKE 6 CREDITS): 

Working with faculty advisors, students will choose to complete a thesis, internship, or professional project (with an elective)

  • Thesis Option - Appropriate for those considering further graduate study, students will research and present on a topic selected in consultation with faculty and their committee. Thesis students will apply the research methods learned during the coursework.
  • Internship Option - Completion of a 200-hour (minimum) internship with a policy organization, including completion and presentation of a reflective paper demonstrating the transdisciplinarity of the program. 
  • Professional Project - For those employed, the professional project includes completion of an applied, policy project and 1 additional 3-credit elective.

Required Core


Students are required to complete the following courses as part of the core, regardless of their sprecialization.

Specialization Courses


Specialization Electives (12 credits): Students, in consultation with their advisor, choose elective courses in their specialization as appropriate to their program and career interests. For the M.A. in Policy Studies, applicable graduate business courses are also available as electives.

Thesis orInternships


Thesis or Internship (six credits): Working with faculty advisors, students will choose to complete either a thesis or an internship:

  • Thesis Option - Appropriate for those considering further graduate study, students will research and present on a topic selected in consultation with faculty and their committee. Thesis students will apply the research methods learned during the coursework.
  • Internship Option - Completion of a 200-hour (minimum) internship with a policy organization, including completion and presentation of a reflective paper demonstrating the transdisciplinarity of the program. Students choosing to work as interns in such an institution will, on the other hand, be encouraged to study the particular set of policy issues in depth while also keeping abreast of the day to day concerns of the particular institution. Both the thesis and the internship are detailed more fully in separate thesis and internship manuals.

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