McCourt School of Public Policy
McCourt School of Public Policy

MPP Curriculum

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

Core Courses

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

Economics (6 credits)

Quantitative Methods (9 credits)

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.

McCourt’s Foundational Skill Set

McCourt’s Curriculum Innovation Committee reviewed and modernized the core curricula of our Masters degree programs. 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:

More on McCourt’s Foundational Skill Set

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. 

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.

 

More about the Client-Based Capstone

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

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

Year One: Spring Semester

Year Two: Fall Semester

Year Two: Spring Semester

 

Typical course sequence for MPP-EP students:

Year One: Fall Semester

Year One: Spring Semester

Year One: Summer Semester*

*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

Year Two: Spring Semester

Year Two: Summer Semester

Year Three: Fall Semester

Year Three: Spring Semester

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:

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).

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 months. All 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. 

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.