Program Overview

Curriculum

Core Courses (7 courses)

• MPPA 402 Elements of Public Finance and Budgeting
• MPPA 403 Fundamentals of Public Administration
• MPPA 405 Elementary Statistics for Research
• MPPA 406 Analytic Methods for Public Policy Analysis
• MPPA 407 Scope and Dynamics of Public Policy
• MPPA 408 Sociology of Organizations
• MPPA 409 Applied Research and Writing

Areas of Specialization (4 courses)

When applying to the program, students select an area of specialization in which they take four courses. The following specializations are available, with examples of electives offered in each; other courses may be available:

Health Services Policy

• PUB HLTH 301 Behavior, Society, and Health
• PUB HLTH 304 Introduction to Epidemiology
• PUB HLTH 392 International Perspectives on Violence: Public Health and Law
• PUB HLTH 412 Control and Prevention of Infectious Disease in the Community
• PUB HLTH 431 Basic Decision Analysis
• PUB HLTH 432 Technology assessment in Health Services Research
• PUB HLTH 433 Health Economics: Principles and Applications for Public Health

Public Policy

• MPPA 411 The Legislative Process
• MPPA 412 Economics of State and Local Government
• MPPA 416 Interest Groups
• MPPA 490 Special Topics: Political Theory and Public Policy

Public Safety and Security

• MPPA 420 Terrorism and Public Policy
• MPPA 423 Homeland Defense and Security I: Theory
• MPPA 427 Biodefense Security
• MPPA 445 National Security

Urban Policy and Administration

• MPPA 415 History of Urban Planning and Development
• MPPA 490 Special Topics: Capital Budgeting and Finance
• MPPA 490 Special Topics: Land Use Politics and Urban Planning
• MPPA 490 Special Topics: Political Theory and Public Policy
• MPPA 490 Special Topics: Urban Planning Practice – Developing a Neighborhood Plan

Leadership Class (1 course)

SCS strives to equip its students with fundamental skills in effective leadership, communication, innovation, and change management. In order to gain exposure to theories and best practices in these administrative areas, MPPA students join other SCS graduate students in a ten week leadership class. With these skills complementing the core curriculum, graduates are better prepared to face the challenges of the modern workplace.

Capstone Project (1 course)

The MPPA capstone project is a research project of at least 50 double-spaced pages with appropriate supporting materials written under the supervision of a faculty member. This project should be viewed as an opportunity to engage in sustained independent study on a topic that addresses a contemporary policy or management problem. The project draws on and integrates a number of different perspectives that students have been introduced to in various courses and may be an extension of work done for a previous course.

Internships

Internships taken in conjunction with an Independent Study course are available to students who have completed four courses in the MPPA program. Students may find their own internships. Once a student accepts an internship they must formulate a project with an MPPA instructor and sign up for an MPPA 499 Independent Study by submitting the Special Registration form (PDF Format) and registering on CAESAR. The course will count as an elective. Only one Independent Study/Internship per student is allowed. Instead of an internship with an outside organization, students may use their current job for the Independent Study/Internship on the condition that a research project and data, specifically developed at your job, are used and the appropriate faculty guidance is secured.

An organization hosting a student internship must submit guidelines for SCS to review. The intern's supervisor must contact the student's independent study instructor three times during the term to report on the intern's progress. Before the end of the 10-week independent study term, the intern's supervisor must submit a written evaluation, via email, of the student's performance to the instructor teaching the independent study, based on clearly defined tasks and research goals. This evaluation will factor into the 499 Independent Study grade the student receives from the instructor. The student must also maintain regular contact with the independent study instructor, and follow the terms of the independent study project.