The Master of Policy Management is a 36-credit degree program consisting of four summer institutes, core courses, a capstone project and elective courses. Additionally, students complete the non-credit McCourt Foundations courses.
Students enrolled in the National Urban Fellowship (NUF) program have a different schedule and curriculum though they will take the same summer institute courses.*
| Type of Degree | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | On-Campus, Full-time | 1 year |
| Master’s Degree | On-Campus, Part-time | 2 years |
| Master’s Degree – NUF* | On-Campus & online, full-time in conjunction with the NUF program | 14 months |
*Please note that applicants to the NUF program must first apply through the NUF program.
Full-time Course Sequence
This is the typical course sequence for full-time MPM students. Please note that all MPM students participate in Summer Institute sessions.
Year 1
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | PPOL 5300/5313 — MPM Public Management or PPOL 5313 — Comparative Public Management | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5301 — The Public Policy Process or PPOL 5003 — Comparative Policy Process | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5305 — Decision Making in Public Policy | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5303 — Ethics & Public Policy | 3 |
| Fall | PPOL 5302 — Research Methods | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5304 — Economic Analysis for Public Policy or Elective | 3 |
| – | Elective | |
| – | Elective | 3 |
| Spring | Ethical Issues in Policymaking | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5307 — Advanced Policy Management Project | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5304 — Economic Analysis for Public Policy or Elective | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
Part-time Evening Course Sequence
This is the typical course sequence for part-time MPM students. Please note that all MPM students participate in Summer Institute sessions.
Year 1
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | PPOL 5300/5313 — MPM Public Management or Comparative Public Management | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5301/5003 — The Public Policy Process or Comparative Policy Process | 3 |
| Fall | PPOL 5304 — Economic Analysis for Public Policy or Elective | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5302 — Research Methods | 3 |
| Spring | PPOL 5304 — Economic Analysis for Public Policy or Elective | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
Year 2
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | PPOL 5303 — Ethics & Public Policy | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5305 — Decision Making for Public Policy | 3 |
| Fall | Elective | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
| Spring | PPOL 5307 — Advanced Policy Management Project | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
Required Courses
Full Semester Core Courses (6 credits)*
In addition to the summer institutes, students enroll in two other core courses. Please note that students follow the regular semester add/drop and refund schedule posted by the Registrar’s office.
- PPOL 5302: Research Methods (Fall only) (3 credits)
- PPOL 5304: Economic Analysis for Public Policy (Fall or Spring) (3 credits)
Summer Institutes
Four summer institutes (12 credits), the foundation of the MPM program, are offered in week-long sessions during the summer semester. Please review the Summer 2024 and Summer 2025 MPM academic calendar and refund schedule (PDF).
Summer Institute Courses
- PPOL 5300: MPM Public Management or PPOL 5313: Comparative Public Management (3 credits)
- PPOL 5301: The Public Policy Process or PPOL 5003: Comparative Policy Process (3 credits)
- PPOL 5303: Ethics & Public Policy (3 credits)
- PPOL 5305: Decision-Making for Public Policy (3 credits)
Capstone Project
Each student completes a Capstone Project and the required course PPOL 5307: Capstone: Advanced Policy Management Project. This is a substantial paper that demonstrates the student’s ability to integrate consideration of analytic, management and advocacy issues in the pursuit of solutions to a specific policy problem. This project is completed in the final semester of the program.
Electives
MPM students expand on the analytical skills attained in the core coursework and summer institutes with 15 credits of elective courses. Students have an array of elective course options taught by our expert faculty with the opportunity to align their electives with their interests and career goals. Students can also take electives across 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, for more information.
Sample Recent Elective Offerings
Please note that this is just a sample of recent elective offerings. This list is not exhaustive and availability of courses varies.
U.S. Domestic Economic Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6358: Poverty & The Social Safety Net
- PPOL 6200: The Federal Budget in a Time of Madness
- PPOL 6206: Macroeconomics
International Economic Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6255: Latin America Economic Policy Challenges
- PPOL 6000: Asian Economic Development
- PPOL 6250: International Financial Institutions
Development Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6009: Monitoring & Evaluation for Development Programs
- PPOL 6002: International Social Development Policy
- PPOL 6252: Money/Finance in the Developing/Globalized World
Political Strategy and Governance including courses such as:
- PPOL 6620: Politics Is a Contact Sport: Practical Policy Making
- PPOL 6600: The Press & the Presidency
- PPOL 6605: Policy, Politics & the Media
Education Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6302: K-12 Ed Policy Implementation
- PPOL 6300: Education Equity, Law & Public Policy
- PPOL 6301: Education Finance Policy
Environmental & Regulatory Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6404: Climate Change Policy
- PPOL 6403: Natural Resources & Energy Policy
- PPOL 6402: US Environmental Policy and Politics
Health Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6501: Health Policy & Politics
- PPOL 6500: Health Care Quality: Recent Policy Issues
Homeland Security Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6705: National Security Policy: Decision Making & Strategy
- PPOL 6703: Capacity Building/Counter-terrorism
- PPOL 6704: Cyber Conflict and National Security Policy
Management & Leadership such as:
- PPOL 6612: Philanthropy, Power, Politics
- PPOL 6602: Federalism/Intergovernmental Relations
- PPOL 6603: Women and Leadership
Methods including courses such as:
- PPOL 6616: Negotiation & Conflict Management
- PPOL 6802: Data Visualization
- PPOL 6803: Intro to Data Science
Public Management including courses such as:
- PPOL 6621: Emergency & Disaster Management
- PPOL 6608: Risk Management
- PPOL 6615: Becoming a Policy Leader
Social Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6623: Nonprofit Management and Social Entrepreneurship
- PPOL 6351: Policy/Politics of Entitlements
- PPOL 6354: The War on Drugs: Causes, Consequences and Alternatives
Technology Policy including courses such as:
- PPOL 6617: Innovation in Public Policy
- PPOL 6707: Disruption, Innovation & Technology
- PPOL 6814: Policy Issues of Big data & AI
McCourt’s Foundational Skill Set
McCourt’s Curriculum Innovation Committee has developed a set of core competencies based on extensive research and outreach for all of our degree programs. By integrating these core competencies across our academic offerings, all McCourt students graduate with these foundational skills:
- Collaboration
- Critical Thinking
- Economic Analysis
- Engaging with Bias
- Ethical Leadership and Management
- Evaluation
- Policy Analysis
- Political Analysis
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Strategic Communication
MPM National Urban Fellows (NUF) Curriculum
The McCourt School of Public Policy is the academic partner of the NUF program – a 36-credit degree program comprised of four summer institutes, core courses, electives and a capstone project, as well as a mentorship experience.
NUF Summer Institute Courses
Four summer institutes for a total of 12 credits, the foundation of the MPM program, are offered in week-long sessions during the first summer semester. The MPM NUF students attend these courses in person at Georgetown’s Capitol Campus along with other MPM students.
- PPOL 5300 — MPM Public Management or
PPOL 5313 — Comparative Public Management - PPOL 5301 — The Public Policy Process or
PPOL 5003 — Comparative Policy Process - PPOL 5303 — Ethics & Public Policy
- PPOL 5305 — Decision Making for Public Policy
MPM NUF Course Sequence
The following is a typical course sequence for MPM NUF students. Please note that MPM NUF students work at their mentorship during the fall and spring semesters of their first year.
Year 1
| Semester | Course | Format | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | PPOL 5300 — MPM Public Management or PPOL 5313 — Comparative Public Management | On Campus | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5301 — US Public Policy Process or PPOL 5003 — Comparative Policy Process | On Campus | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5305 — Decision Making in Public Policy | On Campus | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5303 — Ethics & Public Policy | On Campus | 3 |
| Fall | PPOL 5302 — Research Methods I | Online | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5308 — MPM NUF Capstone I | Online | 1.5 |
| – | PPOL 5309 — MPM NUF Practicum Seminar I | Online | 1.5 |
| Spring | PPOL 5306 — Research Methods II | Online | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5304 — Economic Analysis for Public Policy | Online | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5310 — MPM NUF Capstone II | Online | 1.5 |
| – | PPOL 5311 — MPM NUF Practicum Seminar II | Online | 1.5 |
Year 2
| Semester | Course | Format | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | PPOL 6362 — Inequality & Public Policy or PPOL 6355 — Race & US Criminal Legal Policy | On Campus | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5312 — Public Leadership | On Campus | 3 |
| – | PPOL 6616 — Negotiation | On Campus | 3 |