Master of Public Policy

The Master of Public Policy is a professional interdisciplinary degree program providing specialized and advanced training for students wishing to assume roles as policy analysts, principally in the governmental and nonprofit sectors of society.

Core courses in the program provide thorough coverage of the contributions of political science, economics, and history to the analysis of public policy. The core also includes methods courses that provide training in the rigorous methods of policy analysis required of professionals in the field.

Focus courses allow a student to develop an understanding of a particular substantive or methodological area of policy analysis. Continuing participation in seminars allows discussion of current practice and development, provides a forum for on-going discussion, and includes philosophical orientation to the ethical questions which arise in policy contexts. An internship with a public policy organization introduces the student to the professional environment and allows application of theory and methods to actual policy problems.

Admission to the program is competitive. Entering students are expected to have acquired introductory level knowledge, from their undergraduate training, of statistical methods, micro-economics, and American governmental process. Courses are available outside the degree program, for students who lack such background (e.g., 920:054, 942:014, and 980:080). The M.P.P. is available on the non-thesis option, and requires 41-45 semester hours. A minimum of 12 hours of 200-level course work is required.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.

Required:

Philosophy: 650:245

2 hours

Economics: 920:117; 920:125

6 hours

Public Policy: 950:205 (3 hrs.); 950:208; 950:260; 950:275

12 hours

Political Science: 942:153; 942:173

6 hours

History: 960:225

3 hours

Focus area courses: as approved by advisor

9 hours

Internship: 950:281

4 hours

Prerequisites: 950:275 and 942:173 or an approved substitute. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the program director.

Electives: as approved by advisor

3 hours

Suggested: 920:169 or 950:210

41-45 hours

M.P.P. students, in consultation with their faculty advisors, select a focus area and the course work needed to complete their study of public policy. They may choose either a substantive area of public policy (for example, urban policy, environmental policy, human services policy, criminal justice policy) or courses that provide them with additional training in public policy or methods of policy analysis.

In 950:208, with the support of the instructor and benefitting from interaction with other students, each student prepares a research paper within the focus area.

If focus courses have prerequisites which instructors choose not to waive, these courses will be in addition to the above degree requirements.

The internship may be undertaken during the summer following the first or second year of classes or during any other approved period.

Successful completion of a final written and oral comprehensive examination is required.

Accelerated Master of Public Policy Program

1. Upon declaration of an undergraduate major, any UNI student may apply to the director of the program for entry into the preparatory phase of the Accelerated M.P.P. program. A student must have at least a 3.40 GPA in order to be considered for this program.
   
2. The following four courses are eligible to be included in the preparatory phase of the program: 920:117, 920:125, 942:153, and 942:173. All of these courses have prerequisites which must be completed before the student may enroll in them. Other courses may be included with the approval of the director, and with the approval of the department in which the course is taught.
   
3. In order to count one of these courses toward accelerated completion of the M.P.P., the student must sign a contract with the instructor to do the same extra work that is required by that instructor for students to receive graduate credit for the course. No graduate credit will be awarded, but the student will be allowed to waive the course upon entering the M.P.P. program.
   
4. In order to count one of these courses toward the accelerated M.P.P., the student must receive a minimum grade of B in the class. In addition, to be considered for admission into the graduate portion of the accelerated M.P.P., students must maintain a minimum of 3.00 GPA in all of their undergraduate work.
   
5. After completion of the preparatory phase, the student will be considered for admission to the graduate portion of the accelerated M.P.P. program. Enrollment in the graduate program requires the completion of the B.A. degree.
   
6. In order to complete the M.P.P. in one additional year after the B.A., students will also need to enroll in 7 hours of graduate work in the final semester of their senior year, as currently provided for in this catalog (see page xxx).
   
7. All other degree requirements for the regular M.P.P. program also apply to the Accelerated Program.