The Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) program provides students with a blend of analytical, contextual, ethical, and substantive skills and knowledge to advance the quality of advice given to policy makers in a variety of institutional settings in the United States and abroad.

Admission to the Program

Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for graduate study. Admission decisions are based on each applicant’s academic record, two letters of recommendation, test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and an essay written by the applicant on his or her background and career interests. Applicants may substitute test scores from similar tests, such as the GMAT or LSAT, for the GRE where appropriate. Applicants who received their undergraduate degree more than eight years prior to their date of application may waive the requirement for test scores by submitting a statement describing their professional experience. The department values applicants who have acquired practical experience before beginning their professional degree program. Admission decisions are based on each applicant’s total record and not on any single strength or deficiency.

Degree Requirements

• 39 credit hours of approved graduate work
• Comprehensive examination that assesses ability to analyze and resolve policy challenges
• The research requirement (non-thesis option) is satisfied by completing two of the following courses with grades of B or better:

PUAD-601 Methods of Problem Solving I

PUAD-602 Methods of Problem Solving II

PUAD-604 Public Program Evaluation

PUAD-607 Economics and Politics of Public Policy

PUAD-630 Public Managerial Economics

Course Requirements

• PUAD-601 Methods of Problem Solving I (3)

(students may test out of PUAD-601 and substitute another approved course)

• PUAD-602 Methods of Problem Solving II (3)
• PUAD-603 Policy Process (3)
• PUAD-606 Foundations of Policy Analysis (3)
• PUAD-630 Public Managerial Economics (3)
• PUAD-631 Financing Government Services (3)
• PUAD-684 Organizational Analysis (3)
• PUAD-688 Policy Practicum (3)
• one of the following:

PUAD-604 Public Program Evaluation (3)

PUAD-607 Economics and Politics of Public Policy (3)

PUAD-685 Topics in Policy Analysis and Management:

Cost Benefit Analysis (3)

• one of the following (may be waived without substitution with approval of advisor):

PUAD-616 Legal Basis of Public Administration (3)

PUAD-617 Project Management (3)

PUAD-619 Ethical Issues in Public Policy (3)

PUAD-650 Leadership in a Changing Workplace (3)

Area of concentration

• 12 credit hours in an area of concentration:

Areas include: social policy; science, technology, and environmental policy; crime, public law, and policy; public financial management; public management; nonprofit policy, management, and leadership; international development; applied politics, including campaign management and women and politics; comparative public policy; and advanced policy analysis.

If not taken to fulfill the research requirement above, and with permission of the academic advisor, PUAD-604 and PUAD-607 may be taken as part of a concentration.

Students without a significant professional work background participate in an internship, which may be taken for credit (PUAD-691). For students already employed, a formal internship is optional.

Combined Bachelor’s and Master of Public Policy

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs. Undergraduate students may complete up to 3 credits for every 9 credits required for the graduate degree that may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs. The department that oversees the graduate program the student enters will determine if the courses the undergraduate student completes will satisfy master’s degree requirements. Bachelor’s/master’s students must complete at least 18 in-residence credit hours at the graduate level after the bachelor’s degree is earned and maintain continuous, sequential enrollment in the two programs.

This program enables qualified students to earn, in a continuous plan study, both a bachelor’s degree with a major in any related discipline and the Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.).

Requirements

• Admission to the combined bachelor’s /M.P.P. program requires junior standing, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00, a completed application form available from the Department of Public Administration and Policy (DPAP), a written faculty recommendation, an essay on the student’s interests and abilities in public policy, and an interview with the DPAP department chair or academic advisor.
• All requirements for a bachelor’s degree with a major in any related discipline

Undergraduate students may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate-level course work to satisfy the requirements for both degrees. Students take courses in statistics, public policy, economics, and other courses approved by DPAP.

• All requirements for the M.P.P., including a minimum of 18 credit hours completed in residence in graduate status after the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.