Dr. Goodman answers the question "Why enroll in the Master's in Public Policy Program?"
To complete the Master of Public Policy degree, students must fulfill the following curriculum coursework:
Complete a total of 13 courses which includes:
- 8 courses from the program's common curriculum
- 3 courses in the student's selected policy concentration area
- 1 course as a free elective
- Internship
Apply their knowledge in the field.
The UMass Dartmouth MPP requires students with less than 2 years of substantial and relevant public policy or public management experience to complete an internship. The field work component of the Internship (2 credits) will be waived if an individual has at least 2 years of substantial and relevant work experience in a policy making or public management position. All students must enroll in the academic seminar component of the Internship.
Demonstrate mastery of an area of professional specialization.
Students must select a policy area concentration by the beginning of their second semester. Available concentration areas for fully online students include:
- Public Management
- Environmental Policy
- Educational Policy
Full-time status requires students to enroll in three graduate level courses per semester and to comply with relevant academic regulations.
The Master's of Public Policy Online Program offers a range of courses selected from the course catalogue.
View our course schedule.
Courses required for degree completion include:
Core Curriculum
POL 500: Public Institutions and the Policy Process
POL 510: Public Management
POL 530: Policy Analysis
POL 540: Microeconomics for Public Policy
POL 541: State and Local Public Finance
POL 580: Statistical Analysis
POL 581 Research Methods for Public Policy
POL 585: Applied Policy Research Seminar
POL 599: Public Policy Internship
Fully online MPP students must take at least three of the following courses in their chosen concentration area.
Environmental Policy Concentration
POL 560: Environmental Consequences of Globalization
POL 562: Environmental Policy
POL 661: Environmental Law
POL 663: Ocean Policy and Law
POL 611: Administrative Law
Public Management Concentration
POL 611: Administrative Law
MGT 650: Advanced Organizational Behavior
MGT 659: Strategic Management
MGT 671: Management of Organizational Change
Educational Policy Concentration
POL 561: Public Finance in Education
POL 511: Organizational Behavior in Educational Settings
POL 542: Law and Education
POL 570: Social, Historical and Philosophical Foundations of American Education
Total number of required credits: 39
Students enrolled in the online MPP program are required to declare their concentration area during their first semester of course work. In order to do so, they must schedule a consultation with their program advisor.
All MPP students complete a Professional Portfolio to meet the degree requirements.
Online MPP students are welcome to enroll in traditional face to face courses but must recieve permission from the instructor.
Objectives
Program's graduates will:
- Gain a knowledge of the policy process, public management, and public finance with analytical and research skills in applied policy analysis and specialized knowledge in a "concentration area" such as:
- Public Management
- Environmental Policy
- Educational Policy (in development; concentration courses available Spring 2011)
- Develop the ability to reason and analyze from both a normative and problem-solving perspective
- Develop technical methodological skills
- Develop substantive policy or management expertise in one concentration area
Online programs and courses are offered by the Departments and Colleges of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth through UMass Dartmouth University Extension.
