List of Master's Degrees in North America - Public Policy

Public Policy

The Master of Public Policy is a master level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. Over time, the curriculum of Master of Public Policy and the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degrees have blended and converged, due to the realization that policy analysis and program evaluation could benefit from an understanding of public administration, and vice versa. However, MPP programs still place more emphasis in policy analysis, research and evaluation, while MPA programs place more emphasis on operationalization of public policies and the design of effective programs and projects to achieve public policy goals. Over the years MPP programs have become more interdisciplinary drawing from economics, sociology, anthropology, politics, and regional planning. Depending on the interest, MPP students can concentrate in many policy areas including, but not limited to, urban policy, global policy, social policy, health policy, non-profit management, transportation, economic development, education, information technology, etc.