Master's in Public Policy & Administration

Most graduate programs in public policy require students to choose between the analytical and the administrative sides of the discipline. Northwestern’s part-time MPPA degree program encompasses both. While instilling leadership skills, the program develops students’ administrative as well as analytical competence to enable them to rise in the field and drive change at the local, national and international levels. The program encompasses a range of specialized areas — public administration, public policy, global policy — all grounded in the perspective that policy challenges are fluid, interconnected and global. Students learn to think across diverse groups and boundaries.

The MA in Public Policy and Administration is a versatile degree that applies to a variety of areas across all career sectors, private as well as public. MPPA graduates achieve leadership roles in government at the local, state and federal levels, in nonprofit organizations, and in the private sector. MPPA graduates pursue rewarding careers in health service, community service, in management consulting jobs, with financial institutions, in social entrepreneurial organizations, urban and regional planning, political science research and foreign affairs.

All courses are fully accredited. SPS online courses marry the best aspects of online technology with the interactivity of the classroom. Students can take any combination of online and on-campus courses, or all online or all on-campus, to complete their degree. Find out more about online learning at SPS.

Program Goals

Evaluate the collaborative inter-organizational, inter-governmental, and international public policy and administrative environment
Apply a standard of ethics to policy and administrative context
Design public policies and programs
Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies and programs
Communicate relevant policy or program information to diverse stakeholders
Lead public organizations to implement policy decisions with respect and understanding for the broader institutional, societal, economic and political environment
Manage public resources to achieve organizational goals

Upon submitting an application, students declare an intended area of specialization from the following options:

Public Administration
Public Policy
Global Policy
Global Health (Courses are only offered online)

Curriculum Requirements

The Master's in Public Policy and Administration requires the successful completion of 13 courses to obtain a degree. Students complete nine core courses, three elective courses corresponding to a chosen area of specialization, and a capstone (498) or thesis (590) project. Review complete curriculum details and specialization electives for the MPPA program. Current students should refer to curriculum requirements in place at time of entry into the program.

MPPA faculty members Felicity Vabulas, Iowna Bochenska, and David Faller explore the European migrant crisis, and its effect on European economic and political policies.

Core Courses:

MPPA 401-0 OR 401-DL Research Methods
MPPA 402-0 Public Finance and Budgeting
MPPA 403-0 OR 403-DL Fundamentals of Public Admin
MPPA 404-0 OR 404-DL Microeconomics
MPPA 405-0 OR 405-DL Statistics for Research
MPPA 406-0 OR 406-DL Analytic Methods
MPPA 407-0 OR 407-DL Public Policy
MPPA 408-0 OR 408-DL Public Org Theory & Management
MPPA 409-0 OR 409-DL Writing and Communication
MPPA 498-0 OR 498-DL Capstone Project
MPPA 590-0 Thesis Research

Elective Courses:

MPPA 411-0 OR 411-DL The Legislative Process
MPPA 413-0 OR 413-DL The Nonprofit/NGO Sector
MPPA 417-0 OR 417-DL Public Human Resources
MPPA 419-0 Strategic Policy Environment
MPPA 430-0 Behavioral Economics
MPPA 432-0 OR 432-DL Intergovernmental Relations
MPPA 435-0 Regulatory Policy
MPPA 440-0 International Institutions
MPPA 450-0 OR 450-DL Global Economic Policy
MPPA 452-DL The Global City
MPPA 580-DL Global Policy Lab


Source: http://docphy.com/business-industry/higher-education/masters-public-policy-administration.html