Return to: Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy: Programs/Courses
Master of Public Policy (MPP)
The MPP curriculum instills four distinctive elements into the traditional study of policy analysis:
• A focus on leadership skills.
• A multidisciplinary perspective on the evolving context of public policy.
• Attention to the role of psychological and non-rational factors in decision-making and group behavior.
• A fully realized commitment to experiential learning through hands–on projects, policy simulations, and field experiences.
The core curriculum consists of twelve required Batten School core courses:
• Four core courses on the concepts and tools of problem solving and policy analysis
o LPPA 6100 - Economics of Public Policy I
o LPPA 7110 - Economics of Public Policy II
o LPPA 6150 - Research Methods & Data Analysis I
o LPPA 7160 - Research Methods and Data Analysis II
• Three core courses on leadership
o LPPL 6050 - Leadership in the Public Arena
o LPPL 7410 - Psychology for Leadership
o LPPL 7025 - Values-Based Leadership
• Two core courses on the foundations and contexts of public policy
o LPPP 6001 - Foundational Skills Workshop
o LPPP 6350 - Politics of Public Policy
• Three core courses centered on applied, experiential learning
o LPPP 6250 - Policy Analysis
o LPPP 7700 - Applied Policy Project I
o LPPP 7750 - Applied Policy Project II
The core curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in the concepts, methods and strategies of policy analysis and effective leadership. The program emphasizes teamwork and close interaction among students and faculty.
In addition to core courses, students are required to take 15 elective credits. Electives give students an opportunity to gain substantive expertise in their areas of policy interest. Students may enroll in electives offered by the Batten School and by other graduate and professional schools across the University. Batten students regularly enroll in courses at the Law School, the Darden Graduate School of Business, the Curry School of Education and Human Development, the School of Architecture, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Students in the Accelerated Bachelor/MPP or Post-Graduate MPP programs are required to complete a 400-hour internship in the summer between the first and second years of the program. Students may intern in international, federal, state, or local government agencies; non-profit organizations; or private sector corporations and consulting firms; in the United States or abroad. Students select their internships based on their interests in consultation with program faculty. Students in the Post-Graduate MPP (with Internship Waiver) program will take summer courses after their first year of coursework.
The capstone of the program is an Applied Policy Project in which students perform a professional-quality study for a real-world client under faculty supervision. For some students, the project is an outgrowth of the summer internship, and in some cases it may lead to a post-graduation position with the client organization. Upon graduation students are prepared for public service careers in government (Federal, state, and local), non-profit/governmental organizations, think tanks, and private firms engaged in public-private partnerships. In addition, students compete, and are often selected, for opportunities in the Peace Corps, Teach for American, and similar service-oriented organizations. Several students also choose to continue their education with advanced degrees or pursue prestigious fellowships (i.e. Fulbright Scholar, etc.).
