Master in Public Policy

The primary objective of the Accelerated 4 + 1 Master of Public Policy program is to build on the liberal arts education from Saint Anselm College to provide students from a range of majors the opportunity to learn important theoretical and applied concepts from an interdisciplinary group of scholars to grow their knowledge of public policy. Students will enhance their analytical, research, and communication skills, and practice ethical reasoning and decision-making, while preparing them for careers in public service and policymaking, public administration, nonprofit work, and the private sector.

Learning Objectives:

Students in the Master of Public Policy program will have the opportunity to:

Lead, manage, and contribute to policy processes and public governance
Analyze and synthesize information in order to evaluate and develop policies and make evidence-based decisions
Elaborate ethical responsibilities and apply a public value perspective to decision-making and leadership
Communicate and interact productively and professionally with diverse stakeholders and society at large.

These learning outcomes align with the standards of the NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration).

Master’s Degree Requirements Include:

The curriculum will require the completion of 40 credit hours. There are two tracks to complete these credit hours. Students will either enroll in a Research Track or a Professional Track, both of which begin in the spring semester of their senior year for 4 + 1 students. In other words, for 4+1 students, a total of 8 credits (2 courses) will be taken in the final spring semester of the senior year during the completion of the undergraduate degree, with the remaining 32 credits taken at the graduate level over the summer, fall, and spring terms. Students in both tracks complete a total of 11 courses that sum to the required 40 credits (two courses are 2-credits). Students in the professional track will complete an internship capstone, while those in the research track must complete a master’s thesis.

All students will complete 24 credits in core classes which include:

PO 500 - Public Institutions and the Policy Process
EC 612 - Microeconomics for Public Policy
CJ 620 - Descriptive & Inferential Statistics
SO 630 - Data Analysis for Public Policy (2 credits)

One course on Ethics of Organizational Leadership, either:

PO 601 - Ethics, Values and Public Policy OR
PH 610 - Ethical Leadership

Students in the Professional Track will also complete:

EN 650 - Professional Writing (2 credits)
PO 702 - Policy Internship Capstone

Students in the Research Track will also complete:

PO 678 - Research Design and Methods (2 credits)
PO 700 - Master’s Thesis

In addition, students will complete 16 credits of electives, which may include any of the following courses:

AC 621 - Decision Making and Control in Government and Non-Profit Organizations
BU 624 - The Leadership Experience
BU 622 - Management of Nonprofit Organizations
CJ 630 - Law and Justice
CPH 610 - Governing Health: Public Policy, Politics & Law
CPH 611 - Politics and Policy in an Aging Society
ED 635 - Getting Schooled: The Politics & Promise of American Education
FI 623 - Public Finance
HI 602 - Law in the Twentieth Century

Suggested Course Sequence

Spring

Undergraduate course I (4+1 Students only)
Undergraduate course II (4+1 Students only)
PO 500 Public Institutions and the Policy Process
CJ 620 - Descriptive & Inferential Statistics

Summer

Ethics of Organizational Leadership (PO 601 or PH 610)
Elective

Fall

EC 612 Microeconomics for Public Policy
SO 630 - Data Analysis for Public Policy (2-credits)
PO 678 - Research Design and Methods (2-credits, Research track only) OR EN 650 - Professional Writing (2 credits)
Elective

Spring

Elective
PO 685 - Internship Capstone (Professional track) OR PO 700 Master’s Thesis (Research track)
EN 650 - Professional Writing (2-credits, Professional track only)

Courses:

PO 500 Public Institutions and the Policy Process
PO 601 Ethics, values and Public Policy
PH 610 Ethical Leadership
AC 621 Decision Making and Control in Government and Not for Profit Organizations
BU 622 Management on Nonprofit Organizations
BU 624 The Leadership Experience
EC 612 Microeconomics for Public Policy
HI 602 Law in the Twentieth Century
FI 623 Public Finance
CPH 613 Governing Health: Public Policy, Politics & Law
CPH 611 Politics and Policy in an Aging Society