Master of Public Policy
Washington, USA
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 2,000 / per credit
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Introduction
Shaping Future Policy
Tomorrow’s policy analysts and change-makers start here. The mission of The Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the AU School of Public Affairs is to prepare students to advance the quality of policy-making in a variety of institutional settings. Accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), our program instills a blend of substantive analytical skills and contextual knowledge.
World-Class Instruction, Personalized Attention
Students in the MPP program gain insights from leading policy scholars in education, health, social welfare, the environment, and international development. You’ll learn how to create and evaluate public policy and effectively share that analysis with stakeholders. Our students explore policy analysis in the context of political and policy processes in the U.S. and abroad. They learn to improve policy using sound evidence and evaluations of costs and benefits. Small class sizes help students learn about cutting-edge research tools and apply them to issue areas that matter.
Rich Real-World Experiences
Class time is balanced with experiential learning opportunities. Located in the epicenter of public affairs, where leaders in government and public policy and administration practice their craft, Washington, DC offers unparalleled resources for research, internships, and employment. Campus life is rich with policy talks, conferences, and active student groups. You’ll also find resources and experts at the many academic research centers in the School of Public Affairs, including the Center for Environmental Policy, the Washington Institute for Public Affairs Research, and the Metropolitan Policy Center.
Designed for Flexible Learning
AU’s MPP program allows you to align your degree with your career goals. With 11 concentrations, flexible platforms upon which you can form personalized areas of expertise and showcase them on your resume, online portfolios, LinkedIn, and other social media profiles. Most class schedules cater to both full-time and part-time students. Classes start at 5:30 p.m. on weekdays to allow for work and internships.
Position Yourself for Success
Our MPP program will set you up for success in a competitive marketplace. Graduates emerge from the program ready to bring about policy change in the government, non-profit, and private sectors. Whether you want to work locally or globally, the MPP program will arm you with the skills to make important contributions to the world of public policy.
STEM MPP Program
This program is now STEM-designated, offering even more opportunities for international students! This designation allows eligible students to apply for a 24-month OPT extension, providing up to three years of U.S. work authorization without employer sponsorship.
Here are a few key highlights of our STEM MPP program if you want to incorporate it into your outreach:
- Tech-Driven Policy Training: Students gain expertise in big data, AI, and machine learning within policy contexts, meeting the growing demand for data-driven policy professionals.
- Strong Quantitative Focus: The curriculum includes statistical analysis, econometrics, policy modeling, and cost-benefit analysis, equipping students for evidence-based policy roles.
- Diverse Career Paths: Graduates are prepared for roles in policy analysis, economic and social impact assessment, AI governance, cybersecurity policy, and digital ethics.
- Customizable Curriculum: In addition to core policy courses, students can choose electives in data science, health economics, environmental policy, and more, aligning with their career goals.
Curriculum
The Master of Public Policy (MPP) requires 39 credit hours of approved graduate work for students entering the program with a bachelor's degree. Required core courses comprise 30 credit hours, with an additional 9 hours in an area of concentration. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all coursework is required to remain in good standing and to earn the degree. Full-time status is considered to be 9 credit hours per semester. Students are expected to complete the degree within two years, including one summer.
Public Policy Practicum
The Public Policy Practicum (PUAD-688) exposes students to the institutional, legal, and ethical dimensions of policy analysis in organizational settings. It tests critical thinking, research, and writing skills using a client-based policy analysis project. The Practicum, taken in the final semester of study, is offered in the fall and spring semesters only.
Internship
Students without an extensive professional background in public policy participate in either a for-credit or non-credit internship relevant to this field. If you are taking the internship for credit, you will register for the course as part of your concentration. If you have a non-credit internship, you will be required to complete a survey on your experience.
Concentrations
Social Policy
This concentration introduces students to social welfare policy programs and interventions aimed at improving social and economic well-being within the United States. This coverage includes a range of programs, policies, and reforms primarily targeted toward families with children. The concentration broadly exposes students to education, health, food assistance, housing, and income support programs designed to promote upward economic mobility and economic security. Several courses within the concentration address current issues in social policy and poverty studies while providing important historical context.
Health Policy
This concentration offers an understanding of the historical, political, economic, and policy context of the U.S. healthcare and public health systems and those around the world. Courses are designed to provide a framework for and sharpen the analytical skills necessary for developing and evaluating health-related policies and interventions.
Education Policy
This concentration allows students to gain an appreciation for the issues faced by policymakers and analysts working on education and related issues in the U.S. and abroad. Students in this concentration will learn to critically evaluate research on education policy while being introduced to a variety of education policy topics, such as inequalities in education, school finance, health and education, charters and vouchers, teachers and accountability, access to higher education, and early childhood programs.
International Development
Students who wish to work on the policy as it relates to global issues, particularly those affecting the developing world, will benefit from this concentration. Topics include the unique challenges of administering public programs in developing countries and the methods by which development projects are carried out, the role of foreign aid on good governance, the interplay of various actors involved in development (such as NGOs and INGOs), and intergovernmental finance. Students can choose from traditional course offerings in development within the School of Public Affairs and the School of International Service, as well as courses with a development lens in the Economics Department of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Science, Technology & Environmental Policy
The concentration in science, technology, and environmental policy examines how public officials bring to bear the full presence of science on critical issues confronting society. While emphasizing global climate change and environmental protection, the concentration also addresses policy issues arising from pandemics, changes in computer technology, robotics, genetics, energy production, national security, and space exploration. Faculty working in the specialization gives special attention to ethical concerns, the interplay of culture and technology, and the use of science to promote innovation, counter anti-science feelings and devise new forms of governance.
Advanced Policy Analysis
This concentration provides students with the cutting-edge tools of program evaluation necessary to estimate the causal impacts of existing and proposed policies in both experimental and non-experimental settings and to assess the internal and external validity of estimates. These courses can be combined with a related course in cost-benefit analysis. In addition, the methods-based courses can be combined with topical courses in specific policy areas, such as education, social, environmental, and health policy.
Crime, Public Law, and Policy
This concentration provides students with an understanding of the legal issues that policymakers and analysts encounter within the area of criminal justice. An emphasis is placed on the constitutional criminal procedure under the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution as well as on impermissible conditions of confinement and remedial law under the Eighth Amendment. Basic aspects of constitutional tort law and administrative law are also covered as they impact the administration of criminal justice.
Comparative Policy
This concentration helps students analyze the ways in which different countries address common domestic policies such as health, education, and social services, as well as how countries interact on issues of international scope, such as global security policy. Some questions that students will explore include: Why does the same policy work in Germany, but not in South Korea? What if a country has a parliament instead of a president? How can we explain different approaches and policies toward Covid-19 in different countries? This concentration is rooted in the university’s traditional course offerings in comparative politics and area studies in the School of Public Affairs and the School of International Service, coupled with courses dealing with global issues in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Career Opportunities
We Know Success
Six months after graduation, AU Masters with a degree in Public Policy from the School of Public Affairs:
87% of Graduates are now working, in grad school, or both.
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Rankings
American University’s School of Public Affairs is ranked No. 9 Overall in New U.S. News & World Report Rankings