The Master of Public Policy (MPP) is a 48-credit degree program, divided into core courses (required), capstone, and elective courses.

  • Type of Degree

    Master’s Degree

  • Format

    On-Campus, Full-time or Part-time

  • Length

    2 – 3 Years

  • Department

    MPP Programs

Core Courses Anchor

Core Courses

The core courses emphasizes analytical skills and core knowledge for designing and managing sound public policy.

Economics (6 credits)

  • PPOL 5004: Intermediate Microeconomics I (3 credits)
  • PPOL 5005: Intermediate Microeconomics II (3 credits)

Quantitative Methods (9 credits)

  • PPOL 5000: Statistical Methods for Policy Analysis (3 credits)
  • PPOL 5001: Regression Methods for Policy Analysis (3 credits)
  • PPOL 5002: Advanced Regression and Program Evaluation Methods (3 credits)
  • PPOL 1800: Intro to data management (0 credits, Pass/Fail)

Political Institutions and Process (9 credits)
For each of the required courses, students may choose either a U.S. domestic focus or comparative international focus.

  • PPOL 5006: The Politics of Policy-Making; or
    PPOL 5007: Comparative Politics of Policy-Making (3 credits)
  • PPOL 5008: Public Management; or
    PPOL 5009: Mgmt. & Implementation in Dev. Countries (3 credits)
  • PPOL 5010: Ethics, Values and Public Policy (3 credits)
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McCourt’s Foundational Skill Set Anchor

McCourt’s Foundational Skill Set

In 2018, McCourt organized a Curriculum Innovation Committee to review and modernize the core curricula of our Masters degree programs. Over the past three years, the committee worked toward a number of goals, including developing a set of core competencies for all McCourt degree programs.

After reviewing the core curriculum, benchmarking other policy schools, and speaking with employers, and alumni, the committee developed a set of core competencies which were discussed, voted on, and approved by the McCourt School faculty.

All McCourt students graduate with the following foundational skills:

 

  • Collaboration
  • Critical Thinking
  • Economic Analysis
  • Engaging with Bias
  • Ethical Leadership and Management
  • Evaluation
  • Policy Analysis
  • Political Analysis
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Strategic Communication
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McCourt Foundations Anchor

McCourt Foundations

In the fall of 2020, the McCourt School launched a new experiential learning program which seeks to lay the foundation for a McCourt degree. 

McCourt Foundations is designed to facilitate the transition to graduate school, introduce incoming students to a set of core leadership and communications skills, and catalyze equity-centered policy work and advocacy. An experiential program led by McCourt faculty, staff, and Leadership Fellows, McCourt Foundations builds the skills and confidence necessary to design, implement, and measure the effectiveness of policy, while introducing them to their new community. 

This course is mandatory for all MPP (including Evening Program), MIDP, and MS-DSPP students. Students working full-time are expected to take off of work in order to attend all 3 days, 9am-5pm with optional evening activities. 

McCourt Foundations is mandatory and a requirement for graduation. Any student not able to participate in all three days of Foundations will need to make up the course next year. 

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Capstone Project Anchor

Capstone Project

The MPP program aims to educate students to think critically about public policy and to demonstrate a mastery of the various skills embodied in the curriculum.

Students choose between two capstone experiences: completing a thesis, or completing a client-based capstone. Both options span two semesters, and involve answering a policy question in an analytically rigorous manner, drawing on the knowledge and skills of the MPP curriculum.

Students who choose the thesis capstone option will develop a research question and work with their advisor to formulate and implement a research plan. Students who choose the client-based capstone option will work with a small group of fellow students to study a real policy problem for an actual organization.

 

  • PPOL 5013 / PPOL 5014: Thesis Workshop (6 credits, 3/semester) or
  • PPOL 5011 / PPOL 5012: Client-Based Capstone (6 credits, 3/semester)
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Electives Anchor

Electives

MPP students expand on the analytical skills they attain in their core coursework with 18 credits of elective courses. Students have an array of elective courses. Our expert faculty teach a wide range of elective courses, focusing on today’s most relevant policy areas and methods.

Many McCourt School students choose to align their elective coursework with their interests and career goals. While not required, students may choose to focus their elective coursework in a particular area of study like Environmental Policy, Health Policy, or Development Policy.

Please see below for a sample list of electives offered over the past academic year. This list is not exhaustive and additional courses can be found on the Registrar’s Schedule of Classes. McCourt students also have the opportunity to take electives in other Georgetown graduate programs as well as through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Please contact Director of Academic Affairs Nirmala Fernandes at nf168@georgetown.edu for more information.

 

SAMPLE RECENT ELECTIVE OFFERINGS

  • U.S. Domestic Economic Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6200: Public Budgeting & Fin Mgmt
    • PPOL 6206: Macroeconomics
    • PPOL 6358: Poverty & The Social Safety Net
    • PPOL 6212: Antitrust & Public Policy
  • International Economic Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6000: Asian Economic Development
    • PPOL 6250: International Financial Institutions
    • PPOL 6255: Latin America Economic Policy Challenges
  • Development Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6002: International Social Development Policy
    • PPOL 6252: Money/Finance in the Developing/Globalized World
    • PPOL 6007: History and Theory of Development
    • PPOL 6009: Monitoring & Evaluation for Development Programs
    • PPOL 6254: Global Migration Policy
    • PPOL 6012: Sustainability Transitions
    • PPOL 6013: Innovative Program Design
    • PPOL 6014: Economic Complexity & Development
  • Political Strategy and Governance including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6600: The Press & the Presidency
    • PPOL 6605: Policy, Politics & the Media
    • PPOL 6624: Communications for Public Policy
    • PPOL 6625: Modern Advocacy in a Disruptive Congress
    • PPOL 6620: Politics Is a Contact Sport: Practical Policy Making
  • Racial Equity and Social Justice including courses such as:
    • PPOL 4901: Faith, Race & Politics
    • PPOL 6355: Race & US Criminal Legal Policy
    • PPOL 6356Urban Inequality
    • PPOL 6300: Education Equity, Law & Public Policy
    • PPOL 6612: Philanthropy, Power, Politics
    • PPOL 6359Identifying & Undoing Bias in Public Policy
  • Education Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6300: Education Equity, Law & Public Policy
    • PPOL 6301: Education Finance Policy
    • PPOL 6302: K-12 Ed Policy Implementation
  • Environmental & Regulatory Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6403: Natural Resources & Energy Policy
    • PPOL 6402: US Environmental Policy and Politics
    • PPOL 6404: Climate Change Policy
  • Health Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6500: Health Care Quality: Recent Policy Issues
    • PPOL 6501: Health Policy & Politics
  • Homeland Security Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6702: Homeland Security
    • PPOL 6703: Capacity Building/Counter-terrorism (previously Post Conflict Reconstruction)
    • PPOL 6704: Cyber Conflict and National Security Policy
    • PPOL 6705: National Security Policy: Decision Making & Strategy
  • Methods including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6802: Data Visualization
    • PPOL 6803: Intro to Data Science
    • PPOL 6805: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Applications in Program R
    • PPOL 6009: Applied Monitoring & Evaluation for Development Programs
    • PPOL 6809: Game Theory & Public Policy
    • PPOL 6616: Negotiation
    • PPOL 6618: Speechwriting for Public Policy
  • Public Management including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6604: Strategic Planning & Public Policy
    • PPOL 5312: Public Leadership
    • PPOL 6608: Risk Management
    • PPOL 6614: Administrative Burdens
    • PPOL 6615: Becoming a Policy Leader
    • PPOL 6621: Emergency & Disaster Management
  • Social Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6351: Policy/Politics of Entitlements
    • PPOL 6354: The War on Drugs: Causes, Consequences and Alternatives (formerly US Drug Policy & Its Consequences)
    • PPOL 6612: Philanthropy, Power & Impact
    • PPOL 6623: Nonprofit Management and Social Entrepreneurship
    • PPOL 6361: Disability, Justice, Equity & Policy
  • Technology Policy including courses such as:
    • PPOL 6707: Disruption, Innovation & Democracy
    • PPOL 6814: Policy Issues of Big data & AI
    • PPOL 6617: Innovation in Public Policy
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Course Sequence Anchor

Course Sequence

A typical course sequence for both MPP full-time and MPP evening program students appears below.

Typical course sequence for full-time MPP students:

 

Year One: Fall Semester

  • PPOL 5004 — Intermediate Microeconomics
  • PPOL 5000 — Statistical Methods for Policy Analysis
  • PPOL 5006 / PPOL 5007 — The Politics of Policy-Making/Comparative Politics of Policy-Making
  • PPOL elective
  • PPOL 1800 — Intro to data management

Year One: Spring Semester

  • PPOL 5001 — Regression Methods for Policy Analysis
  • PPOL 5005 — Microeconomics II
  • PPOL 5008 / PPOL 5009 — Public Management/Mgmt. & Implementation in Dev. Countries
  • PPOL elective
  • PPOL 1800 — Intro to data management

Year Two: Fall Semester

  • PPOL 5002 — Advanced Regression and Program Evaluation Methods
  • PPOL 5011 / PPOL 5013 — Policy Analysis Capstone I/Thesis Workshop I
  • PPOL elective
  • PPOL elective

Year Two: Spring Semester

  • PPOL 5012 / PPOL 5014 — Policy Analysis Capstone II/Thesis Workshop II
  • PPOL 5010 — Ethics, Values and Public Policy
  • PPOL elective
  • PPOL elective

 

Typical course sequence for MPP-EP students:

 

Year One: Fall Semester

  • PPOL 5004 — Intermediate Microeconomics
  • PPOL 5000 — Statistical Methods for Policy Analysis

Year One: Spring Semester

  • PPOL 5001 — Regression Methods for Policy Analysis
  • PPOL 5005 — Microeconomics II

Year One: Summer Semester*

  • PPOL 5006 – The Politics of Policy-Making
  • PPOL 5008 – Public Management

*EP students who wish to take PPOL 5007 Comparative Politics of Policy-Making and PPOL 5009 Management & Implementation in Developing Countries instead, may work with their academic advisor to register these in the subsequent Fall or Spring semesters and take electives over the Year One Summer Semester.

Year Two: Fall Semester

  • PPOL or other approved electives (up to 6 credits)

Year Two: Spring Semester

  • PPOL or other approved electives (up to 6 credits)

Year Two: Summer Semester

  • PPOL 5002 — Advanced Regression and Program Evaluation Methods
  • PPOL 5010 — Ethics, Values and Public Policy

Year Three: Fall Semester

  • PPOL 5011 / PPOL 5013 — Policy Analysis Capstone I/Thesis Workshop I
  • PPOL elective or other approved electives (up to 6 credits)

Year Three: Spring Semester

  • PPOL 5012 / PPOL 5014 — Policy Analysis Capstone II/Thesis Workshop II
  • PPOL elective or other approved electives (up to 6 credits)
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Internship Requirement Anchor

Internship Requirement

McCourt requires a formal internship experience as a program requirement for the MIDP, MPP, and MS-DSPP programs. The McCourt degrees emphasize analytical skills, enabling graduates to be highly effective in designing, analyzing and implementing policy in the US and around the globe. The internship requirement is integral to the student’s academic training at the McCourt School.

The learning objectives of the internship are:

  • Increase proficiency in specific public policy disciplines; such as management, statistics, economics, data science, politics, and/or policy-making;
  • Apply quantitative, economic, data science, and/or policy analysis concepts and theories to real-world decision-making; and
  • Develop and improve policy making skills in communication, quantitative or qualitative reasoning, data or policy analysis, and/or teamwork.

Students can intern at any time during their time at McCourt and are required to have a minimum of 120 hours of work. Students can waive the internship requirement based on prior work or internship experience. For more questions, please contact Assistant Director of Academic Affairs, Alora Hasson (ah1499@georgetown.edu).

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Dual Degree Options Anchor

Dual Degree Options

MPP/MBA

Individuals who possess the finance, marketing, and organizational skills of a business program coupled with the analytic tools and political acumen provided by a public policy program will be highly sought after in today’s job market.

The dual degree consists of 39-credit hours of public policy coursework and 45-credit hours of business coursework (84 total credit hours) over three years, rather than the four years normally required when completing the degrees separately.

MPP/PhD in Government

The degree is designed to attract motivated students interested in both politics and policy who desire to pursue positions for applied research, teaching, or evaluation and consulting in universities, nonprofit, business or government organizations.

The dual degree consists of 69-credit hours total and involves approximately six semesters to complete required coursework.

MPP/PhD in Psychology

The program will prepare students for an array of post-degree positions in institutions of higher education, research institutes, government agencies and other policy settings, medical settings, and nonprofit organizations. This 51-credit program provides an interdisciplinary education in the sciences that concern themselves with the processes and contexts of development across the lifespan.

MPP/JD

The program recognizes that one important career path for attorneys lies in the field of public policy-making and that lawyers who pursue this career path will benefit greatly by an education that includes policy content and process coupled with grounding in research methodology, statistics and economics.

The dual degree consists of 39-credit hours of public policy coursework and 76-credit hours of law coursework (115 total credit hours) over four years, rather than the five years normally required when completing the degrees separately.

MPP/MSFS

The dual MPP/MSFS (Master of Science in Foreign Service) is aimed at students who have an interest in pursuing professions in international affairs policy in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Students in the program will develop the rigorous tools of policy analysis while obtaining substantive training in international affairs.

The dual degree consists of 78- credit hours (39 for MPP and 39 for MSFS) and requires three years to complete. Students are also required to pass a mandatory MSFS oral exam as well as a language and map tests.

MPP/MAGES

The BMW Center for German and European Studies (CGES) program gives students the option of spending either their second year, or the spring term of their second year, at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. This unique program allows students to pursue a degree in public policy with a regional specialization in Europe.

The dual degree consists of 72-credit hours (36 for MPP and 36 for MAGES) and requires three years to complete. Students are also required to pass a mandatory MAGES oral exam as well as satisfy the MAGES language requirements.

MPP/MiM (HEC Paris)

Students in this dual degree program earn both Georgetown’s Masters in Public Policy (MPP) and the HEC Paris’ Masters in Management-Grande Ecole (MiM). The MPP/MiM dual degree will provide an inter-disciplinary skill set, international educational experience, and an integrated work experience in both Europe and North America for professionals in the early stages of their careers.

To earn this dual degree, students must complete the full first year MiM curriculum requirements at HEC Paris, 36 credits at the McCourt School, and an internship over the course of an intense 28 monthsAll of the teaching for the dual degree program is in English. 

MPP/SASI

Students in this dual degree program earn both Georgetown’s Masters in Public Policy (MPP) and the HEC Paris’ Masters in Science for Sustainability & Social Innovation (SASI). The dual degree will provide multi-disciplinary training in public policy, business and social innovation, international educational experience, and potential work experience in both Europe and North America for professionals in the early stages of their careers.

To earn this dual degree, students may begin the program either at Georgetown or at HEC. It will be approximately 28-months long, comprising 111 credits (36 credits for the MPP and 75 credits for the SASI). All of the teaching for the dual degree program is in English. 

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Study Abroad Options Anchor

Study Abroad Options

Study Abroad Programs are for experiential education. At McCourt, we believe that the best way for you to understand and contribute to our globalized world is to experience other places, cultures, and ideas firsthand.

Even after your experience has concluded, you may continue to collaborate with international peers and faculty through the professional relationships developed during your time abroad.

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Study Abroad Locations

Hertie School of Governance – Berlin, Germany

MPP full-time students have the opportunity to spend their third semester in Berlin. All courses are taught in English. Students who complete this program will earn 9-12 credits towards their degree.

Hertie School in Berlin

Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy – Singapore

MPP full-time students have the opportunity to spend their third semester in Singapore. All courses are taught in English. Students who complete this program will earn 9-12 credits towards their degree.

Lee Kuan Yew School in Singapore

Bocconi University – Milan, Italy

MPP full-time students have the opportunity to spend their third semester in Milan. All courses are taught in English. Students who complete this program will earn 12 credits towards their degree.

Sciences Po – Paris, France

MPP full-time students have the opportunity to spend their third semester in Paris. All courses are taught in English. Students who complete this program will earn 12 credits towards their degree.