Master of Public Policy
Encyclopedia
The Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.), one of several public policy degrees
, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis
and program evaluation
at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the decision processes associated with them. This includes training in the role of economic and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation; microeconomic analysis of policy options and issues; resource allocation and decision modeling; cost/benefit analysis; statistical methods; and various applications to specific public policy topics. MPP recipients serve or have served in the public sector, at the international, national, subnational, and local levels.
(M.P.A.) degrees have tended to overlap in many areas, due to the realization that policy
analysis and program evaluation could benefit from an understanding of public administration
, and vice versa.
Today, the core course offerings of many M.P.A. and M.P.P. programs are similar, with M.P.P. programs providing training in policy analysis, and M.P.A. programs providing coursework in program implementation. However, MPP programs still place more emphasis in policy analysis, research and evaluation, while MPA programs place more emphasis on implementation of public policies and the design of effective programs and projects to achieve public policy goals. Some universities have begun offering a combined M.P.P.A. degree, Master of Public Policy and Administration.
, sociology
, anthropology
, politics
, and regional planning
. In general a core curriculum of an MPP program includes courses on Microeconomics
, Public Finance
, Research Methods, Statistics
and Advanced Data Analysis
, Qualitative Research, Population Methods, Politics of Policy Process, Policy Analysis, Ethics
, Public Management, Urban Policy & GIS, Program Evaluation, and more. All these courses are designed to equip MPP graduates with skills and knowledge in advanced economic analysis, political analysis, ethical analysis, data analysis, management and leadership. Depending on the interest, MPP students can concentrate in many policy areas including but not limited to urban policy, global policy, social policy, health policy, non-profit management, transportation, economic development, education
, information technology
, population research, etc.
Public policy degrees
Public policy degrees, public administration degrees and public affairs degrees are master and PhD level professional degrees offered by public policy schools...
, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis
Policy analysis
Policy analysis is "determining which of various alternative policies will most achieve a given set of goals in light of the relations between the policies and the goals". However, policy analysis can be divided into two major fields. Analysis of policy is analytical and descriptive—i.e., it...
and program evaluation
Program evaluation
Project evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies and programs, particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency...
at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the decision processes associated with them. This includes training in the role of economic and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation; microeconomic analysis of policy options and issues; resource allocation and decision modeling; cost/benefit analysis; statistical methods; and various applications to specific public policy topics. MPP recipients serve or have served in the public sector, at the international, national, subnational, and local levels.
MPP and MPA
Over time, the curriculum of Master of Public Policy and the Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(M.P.A.) degrees have tended to overlap in many areas, due to the realization that policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
analysis and program evaluation could benefit from an understanding of public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
, and vice versa.
Today, the core course offerings of many M.P.A. and M.P.P. programs are similar, with M.P.P. programs providing training in policy analysis, and M.P.A. programs providing coursework in program implementation. However, MPP programs still place more emphasis in policy analysis, research and evaluation, while MPA programs place more emphasis on implementation of public policies and the design of effective programs and projects to achieve public policy goals. Some universities have begun offering a combined M.P.P.A. degree, Master of Public Policy and Administration.
Interdisciplinary approach
Over the years MPP programs have become more interdisciplinary drawing from economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, and regional planning
Regional planning
Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field of urban planning deals with the specific issues of city planning...
. In general a core curriculum of an MPP program includes courses on Microeconomics
Microeconomics
Microeconomics is a branch of economics that studies the behavior of how the individual modern household and firms make decisions to allocate limited resources. Typically, it applies to markets where goods or services are being bought and sold...
, Public Finance
Public finance
Public finance is the revenue and expenditure of public authoritiesThe purview of public finance is considered to be threefold: governmental effects on efficient allocation of resources, distribution of income, and macroeconomic stabilization.-Overview:The proper role of government provides a...
, Research Methods, Statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and Advanced Data Analysis
Data analysis
Analysis of data is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision making...
, Qualitative Research, Population Methods, Politics of Policy Process, Policy Analysis, Ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, Public Management, Urban Policy & GIS, Program Evaluation, and more. All these courses are designed to equip MPP graduates with skills and knowledge in advanced economic analysis, political analysis, ethical analysis, data analysis, management and leadership. Depending on the interest, MPP students can concentrate in many policy areas including but not limited to urban policy, global policy, social policy, health policy, non-profit management, transportation, economic development, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, population research, etc.
See also
- Master of Public AffairsMaster of Public AffairsThe Master of Public Affairs , one of several public affairs degrees, historically has been a master level professional degree offered in public policy schools that provides training in public policy and the operation of government. Courses required for this degree educate students in public and...
- Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Public AdministrationThe Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
- Master of Nonprofit OrganizationsMaster of Nonprofit OrganizationsThe Master of Nonprofit Organizations , Master of Nonprofit Management , Master of Not-for-Profit Leadership , Master of Nonprofit Studies , Master of Public Affairs , Master of Philanthropic Studies and similarly named degrees offer graduate-level training in management and leadership in the...
- Public policy schools
- Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business AdministrationThe Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
- Doctor of Public AdministrationDoctor of Public AdministrationThe Doctor of Public Administration is a terminal applied-research doctoral degree in the field of public administration , which is a sub-discipline of political science. The D.P.A. requires significant coursework beyond the masters level and a dissertation that contributes to theory or practice...
External links
- (USA) National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
- (USA) Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
- GlobalMPA web portal Website for international students and programs outside the US
- "MPA/MPP Information for Prospective Students," a YouTube video produced by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs & Administration in Washington DC.
- Public Sector Job Site Nonprofit website for those seeking jobs in public sector
- MPA/MPP Student Website For prospective students interested in MPA/MPP Degree