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.
MPP and MPA
Over time, the curriculum of Master of Public Policy and the Master of Public Administration (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, M.P.P. programs still place more emphasis in policy analysis, research, and evaluation, while M.P.A. programs place more emphasis on implementation of public policies and the design of effective programs and projects to achieve public policy goals. In recognition of the overlapping coursework and subject matter, some universities have begun offering a combined M.P.A.P. or M.P.P.A degree, Master of Public Administration and Policy or Master of Public Policy and Administration. Several institutions use Public Policy as an umbrella term, which may house several programs such as an M.P.A. and degrees related to highly specific areas focusing on fields such as Survey Research or Nonprofit Studies.
Over the years MPP programs have become more interdisciplinary drawing from economics, 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, energy and environmental policy, non-profit management, transportation, economic development, education, information technology, population research, etc.
A Master's of Public Policy can be acquired at various institutions. Below is a list of some of these institutions:
In Australia, an M.P.P. can be acquired at University of Tasmania, Charles Darwin University, University of Sydney, Macquarie University and the Australian National University.
In Canada, an M.P.P. can be acquired at the Simon Fraser University, the University of Calgary, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Toronto. Concordia University offers an M.P.P.P.A. Ryerson University offers an M.P.P.A.
In France, an M.P.P. can be acquired at the Sciences Po School of Public Affairs in Paris.
In Germany, an M.P.P. can be acquired at the Hertie School of Governance and the University of Erfurt.
In Japan, an M.P.P. can be acquired at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and (the University of Tokyo).
In India, an M.P.P. can be acquired at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and Mohali, National Law School of India University in Bangalore; Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Hyderabad, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and Jindal School of Government and Public Policy in Sonipat, Azim Premji University in Bangalore, Sri Sri University in Cuttack, and Amity institute of public policy, Amity University in Noida.
In Russia, MA in Public Policy can be acquired at National Research University – Higher School of Economics and a M. in Global Public Policy can be obtained from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. In both universities programmes are run in English.
In Spain, a Master in Public and Social Policies can be acquired at Pompeu Fabra University.
In the UK, an M.P.P. can be acquired at the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of York and University of Edinburgh. The Institute of Public Affairs at the London School of Economics and Political Science also offers an M.P.A. with close ties to other M.P.P programs in the Global Public Policy Network.
In the United States, an M.P.P. can be acquired at numerous institutions including American University, Arizona State University, Brandeis University, Brown University, California Lutheran University, California Polytechnic State University, California State University, Sacramento, Carnegie Mellon University, The College of William and Mary, Duke University, George Washington University, George Mason University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, the University of Houston, the University of Minnesota, Harvard University, Jacksonville University, The Johns Hopkins University, Liberty University, Mills College, Oregon State University, Pepperdine University, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, Stanford University, Stony Brook University, Simmons College, Michigan State University, The University of Arizona, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California-Los Angeles, the University of Chicago, Ohio State University, Portland State University, Florida State University, the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Denver, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Michigan, the University of Southern California, the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, the University of Utah, and the University of Virginia. Through institutions' departments of public policy, M.P.A. degrees are offered at Rutgers University and University at Albany (SUNY); the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy offers an M.P.A. with close ties to a Master of Arts in Survey Research. Northwestern University is among the first schools to offer a hybrid M.P.P.A. degree.
In the United States, George Washington University also offers a Master of Arts in the Field of Public Policy with a Concentration in Philosophy and Social Policy.
There are some universities offering joint degrees. In Europe, the Erasmus Mundus Master Program in Public Policy offers a two-year long program, offered by four european universities the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, University of York, Central European University and the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals. The Global Public Policy Network offers dual degree programs between all of its institution members' M.P.P/ M.P.A. programs. This includes exchange programs and dual degrees among the Institute of Public Affairs at the London School of Economics, the Paris School of Public Affairs at Sciences Po, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore , the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, and the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) in Sao Paulo.
