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About Goldman School of Public Policy Students
The Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) offers a full-time, two-year program leading to a Master of Public Policy degree. The M.P.P. curriculum is designed to provide students with diverse skills for systematic analysis of complex policy problems, the likely consequences of alternative solutions, and effective program implementation, management and evaluation.
The M.P.P. curriculum includes the following courses, which serve to develop a broad range of analytical skills as well as expertise in various substantive policy areas:
- Microeconomics
- Legal analysis
- Political and Organizational behavior
- Individual and group assignments that emphasize both short turnaround analyses and in-depth studies of policy issues.
- Seminars which broaden a students’ expertise in selected policy areas, including community development, education, environmental management, health, housing, science and technology, and other emerging fields of public concern.
- Second year studies in which the students can focus on particular public policy problems in areas of financial management, budget priorities, program evaluation, and public management.
Field Work & Professional Preparation
GSPP emphasizes practical applications of policy analysis. At several key stages in their training, students assist policy-makers in both public and private organizations:
- Introductory Policy Analysis (IPA) projects represent field work required of all first year students. Small groups of students working under faculty supervision, conduct research on policy problems suggested by officials in government and not-for-profit organizations.
- Summer internships are required of all students between their first and second years of study. Students work as interns for policy analysts or program directors in government, not-for-profit organizations and private consulting firms.
- Advanced Policy Analysis (APA) projects, which are equivalent to master’s theses, are conducted by each student in his or her second year. These projects involve intensive study and analysis of a selected policy issue or problem, and are done for specific clients in public, not-for profit and private organizations. The completed projects include specific policy recommendations for the clients, which in many cases have been adopted.
These field work experiences, plus the opportunities for interaction with policy practitioners which are available at GSPP throughout the academic year, facilitate the students’ transitions from the academic world to public policy careers.