The Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) degree provides training for individuals who seek careers in the public sector or in private and non-profit organizations that work on a continuous basis with government agencies. The M.P.P. curriculum is designed to provide students with the technical and analytical skills to be able to develop and assess proposed public policies and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and activities that governments at the federal, state, and local levels undertake. The M.P.P. also develops students’ appreciation for the political and institutional contexts in which issues reach the policy agenda and policies are formulated, adopted, implemented, and evaluated.
Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students complete the degree program through classes offered after 5:00 p.m. The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.
Interdisciplinary Study: Courses are taken in Political Science, Economics, Geography and Urban Studies, and other disciplines as needed. Students may also pursue the M.P.P. as a dual degree with the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.). Applicants for the dual degree must apply to each program separately and should consult the M.P.P. website for further details.
Areas of Specialization: Students can focus on public policy analysis or public management and use their electives to specialize in a specific policy area.
Job Prospects: Students in the M.P.P. program plan to seek entry-level jobs in government agencies as civil servants or in private and non-profit organizations that work with federal, state, and local governments, or may already have experience in government, private, or non-profit organizations and seek training and credentials to further develop their careers.
Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Prior to applying for admission, students sometimes want to take courses as non-degree students. Students are permitted to take up to 9 credits on a non-matriculated basis. If admitted to the program, students may have that coursework, with a grade of “B” or better, apply toward the M.P.P. degree. Individuals who wish to take courses as non-matriculated students must first obtain the approval of the Director of the M.P.P. program to determine if the individual stands a reasonable chance for admission to the program. Next, the prospective student must visit the Office of Continuing Studies with transcripts from all institutions attended, including the one that conferred the undergraduate degree, to be enrolled in the coursework.
Financing Opportunities: M.P.P. students are not eligible for departmental assistantships, but may apply for a limited number of partial scholarships available from the program.
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with academic competence. For applicants with extensive administrative experience, two of the letters may come from supervisors or colleagues in the agency or organization where the applicant has been employed.
Statement of Goals: Approximately 500 to 1,000 words include your interest in Temple's program, your future career goals, and your academic and work experience.
Transfer Credit: Graduate coursework in public policy or public administration may be transferred from outside the University, provided that the credits were obtained no more than five years prior to the student's matriculation at Temple; the grades are "B" or better; and the course(s) for transfer are equivalent to those in Temple's curriculum. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.
The Policy Analysis Project, completed in PLCY 8127, is undertaken in the student's last term in the M.P.P. program. Students produce an original, full-length policy analysis for a client. Students attend a weekly seminar to report on their progress at each stage in the development of their policy analysis, receive feedback from other seminar participants, and provide advice to other students in the seminar.
PLCY 5085. Internship in Public Policy. 3 Credit Hours.
Students in the MPP program must serve in an approved internship of approximately 10 hours per week during the fall or spring semester (or approximately 20 hours per week during a summer session). Students earn 3 credits for non-paying internships. The internship may be in a federal, state or local agency in the executive or legislative branches of government or in a private or non-profit firm that works closely with such an agency to fulfill the agency's mission.
Degree Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Degrees: Master of Public Policy.
PLCY 8118. The Policy-Making Process. 3 Credit Hours.
This course explores the process through which federal and state governments in the United States formulate and implement public policies. Major political and institutional actors that influence policy-making are covered, including public opinion, interest groups, legislatures, bureaucracies and chief executives, and courts. The course covers how problems are recognized and get "framed" by advocates and policymakers and how they reach the agenda, how alternatives are formulated and adopted, the implementation and evaluation of policies and programs, and how the performance and structure of existing policies feed back into the process as policies undergo expansion, revision or termination.
PLCY 8119. Policy Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is an introduction to policy analysis for MPP students. Policy analysis involves collecting and analyzing information pertinent to public policy issues and solutions and communicating them clearly to a client, which is usually a policymaker or administrator of a program. Policymakers need analyses that clearly define and describe the nature and severity of an issue, assess the feasibility and estimate the costs and benefits of alternative solutions for addressing them, and (often) recommend one or more courses of action over others.
PLCY 8123. Bureaucracy and Public Management. 3 Credit Hours.
Bureaucracies and the public managers who inhabit them are of critical importance for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policies. This course provides students with an overview of bureaucratic agencies as key actors who shape public policy and performance. One focus of the course is how the institutional features of bureaucracies as large, complex organizations and of the broader political system in which they operate shape agencies' behavior. The other major focus is on how the leaders, managers and staff work together to shape bureaucratic cultures, missions and operating procedures and how these, in turn, determine whether the agency is capable of carrying out policies effectively and in accord with legislative mandates.
PLCY 8127. Policy Analysis Project. 3 Credit Hours.
A semester-length project that students take in their last semester in the MPP program. They produce an original, full-length policy analysis for a client. Students attend a weekly seminar to report on their progress at each stage in the development of their policy analysis, receive feedback from other seminar participants, and provide advice to other students in the seminar.
PLCY 8128. State and Local Budgeting. 3 Credit Hours.
Examines the economic and political aspects of the budgetary process in government, particularly at the state and local levels. Topics covered include the major sources and types of revenue, discretionary and non-discretionary spending, managing deficits and debt, forecasting fiscal conditions, capital budgeting, pension management, and other issues.
PLCY 8131. Innovation in Government. 3 Credit Hours.
Innovation is considered a critical component of both private industry and the academic research community, but the concept is also highly relevant for government. While its outcomes may look differently in a government setting and focus more on efficiencies and social benefit rather than new products or services, innovation remains a critical part of any successful government. Without setting the stage for innovation and purposefully managing it, government lacks capacity for improving constituent services, engaging purposefully with its neighborhoods and residents, and developing more efficient and cost-effective internal processes.
OR PLCY 8123|Minimum Grade of C|May be taken concurrently.
Temple University Dept. of Political Science/M.P.P.