Public Policy Degree

Featured Programs:

Undergraduate Public Policy Degree

Your first goal on your journey towards working in public policy is to attain an undergraduate degree. The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) does not accredit undergraduate public policy programs, just graduate ones. Therefore, you have a bit more leeway in choosing an undergraduate public affairs, public policy or public administration degree program. It is always best, of course, to choose an undergraduate program from a school that holds accreditation through one of the major regional accreditation agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA):

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC)
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools (ACICS)
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools & Colleges (ACCSC)
Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET)
Council on Occupational Education (COE)
New York State Board of Regents (NYSED)

Examples of five of the most popular undergraduate degrees in public policy that are hosted by accredited institutions include:

Duke University – Sanford School of Public Policy – Durham, NC:
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy- with specializations available in:
  - Child Policy Research
  - Policy Journalism and Media Studies
University of Chicago – Harris School of Public Policy – Chicago, IL:
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy – specializations are self-designed and may include:
  - Economics
  - Political Science
  - Environmental Studies
Trinity College – School of Public Policy and Law – Hartford, CT:
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Law- concentrations include:
  - Arts policy
  - Educational policy
  - Environmental policy
  - Health policy
  - Human rights/international policy
  - Law and society
  - Policy analysis
  - Urban policy
  - Women and gender policy
University of Michigan Ann Arbor – Ford School of Public Policy – Ann Arbor, MI:
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy- focus areas are self-designed and may include:
  - Energy policy
  - Health care policy
  - Economic perspectives on public policy
  - Middle Eastern policy
Stanford University- School of Public Policy – Stanford, CA:
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy – concentrations available include:
  - Advanced policy analysis
  - Design of public institutions
  - Development and growth policies
  - Discrimination, crime and public policy
  - Education policy
  - Health care policy
  - International/national security policy
  - Law and the legal system
  - Political and moral philosophy
  - Resources, environment, and energy policy
  - Science and technology policy
  - Urban and regional policy

Graduate Public Policy Degree

Master’s degrees in public policy are accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). This accreditation shows thatthe program has lived up to the highest standards of the profession, and signifies to employers that you have received the best education available within your field.A complete list of all of their accredited graduate programs, including Master in Public Policy, Master in Public Affairs and Master in Policy Administration degrees, can be found here. Some of the Master in Public Policy (MPP) degree programs that are accredited include:

American University – School of Public Affairs – Washington, D.C.:
- Master of Public Policy- Specializations available include:
  - Education policy
  - Science, technology and environmental policy
  - Crime, public law and policy
  - Health policy
  - International development
  - Comparative public policy
  - Nonprofit policy, management and leadership
  - Public management
  - Advanced policy analysis
  - Public financial management
  - Social policy
George Washington University – Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration -Washington, D.C.:
- Master of Public Policy –fields of study available include:
  - Budget and public finance
  - Education policy
  - Environmental policy
  - Health policy
  - Homeland security/emergency management
  - International development
  - Managing state/local governments
  - National security/foreign policy
  - Nonprofit management
  - Politics, policy and administration
  - Program evaluation and policy analysis
  - Public-private policy and management
  - Regulatory policy
  - Science and technology policy
  - Social policy
  - Urban policy
DePaul University – School of Public Service – Chicago, IL:
- Master of Public Policy
University of Maryland – School of Public Policy – College Park, MD:
- Master of Public Policy
University of Minnesota – Humphrey School of Public Affairs – Minneapolis, MN:
- Master of Public Policy- Concentrations available include:
  - Advanced policy analysis methods
  - Gender and public policy
  - Global public policy
  - Politics and governance
  - Public and nonprofit leadership and management
  - Science, technology and environmental policy
  - Social Policy
  - Self-designed concentrations
Jackson State University- Department of Public Policy & Administration – Jackson, MS:
- Master of Public Policy & Administration- Concentrations available in:
  - Community and economic development
  - Public finance administration
  - Judicial administration
  - Human resource administration
  - State and local government administration
  - Environmental management planning and policy
  - Health care administration
  - General management
Mississippi State University- Department of Political Science and Public Administration– MS:
- Master of Public Policy and Administration
University of Missouri St. Louis- Graduate School – St. Louis, MO:
- Master of Public Policy Administration
Rutgers University- Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy – New Brunswick, NJ:
- Master of Public Policy- Concentrations available include:
  - Budget and finance
  - Economics
  - Education
  - Environment
  - Health
  - Labor and workforce
  - Management
  - Methods
  - Nonprofit management
  - Political processes and institutions
  - Public informatics
  - Social justice and advocacy
  - Social policy and women’s issues
  - Urban policy and community development
The New School- Milano School of Policy, Management and Environment – New York, NY:
- Master of Science in Public & Urban Policy
The Ohio State University- John Glenn College of Public Affairs – Columbus, OH:
- Master of Arts in Public Policy & Management
Oregon State University – College of Liberal Arts, School of Public Policy – Corvallis, OR
- Master of Public Policy – Concentrations available include:
  - Energy policy
  - Environmental policy
  - International policy
  - Law, crime and policy
  - Rural policy
  - Science and technology policy
  - Social policy

Coursework in a Master of Public Policy Degree Program

While public policy graduate degree programs do vary from one institution to the next, you can expect to take certain courses. These include:

Microeconomic theory
Econometrics
Public Policy Analysis
Public Policy Theory
Public Organizations and Leadership
Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis
Social research
Internship

As indicated above, your MPP program will likely offer you an internship. This gives you a chance to put what you have learned in the classroom into practice in the real world and to gain professional experience in the field. If your university program does not offer an internship in public policy, you may still seek one on your own. Examples of public policy internships include:

Oregon Department of Education
Washington, D.C. (a plethora of possibilities exist here, such as):
- Council on Foreign Relations
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Cambridge Global Advisors
- Freedom House
- National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
Mercy Corps
The Workers Circle
The Common Good
Florida State Board of Administration
ACLU
Los Angeles Business Council