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In addition to the core courses, students in the M.P.P. degree program are required to take 20 credit hours with at least one 3-credit or two 2-credit, program-approved, School of Law course(s). Students choose elective credits based around their chosen area of interest or develop an alternative set of courses developed with the consent of the Director. Areas of emphasis include education policy, environmental policy, health care policy, international trade, regulatory policy, and state and local policy.
Additional Requirements
Internship Requirement
Students are required to complete an internship (at least 10 weeks of full-time employment) in the summer after their first year of the program.
Thesis Requirement
There is no thesis requirement for the M.P.P. Instead, all M.P.P. students register for the Policy Research Seminar. In this course, students work in small teams for real-world clients. Like a more traditional thesis, the work done by students is original and demonstrates substantial mastery of the subject in a real-world setting.
Comprehensive Exam Requirement
There is no comprehensive exam requirement for the M.P.P.
Residence Requirement
Students are required to be in residence for the duration of the program, except during the summer internship.
Foreign Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement for the M.P.P.
Academic Status
Continuance in Program
After each semester, the student must meet minimum levels of academic progress. The minimum requirements for continuance are as follows:
| After Semester |
Cumulative Graduate Degree Credits |
Cumulative Q.P.A. |
| 1 |
13 |
2.5 |
| 2 |
25 |
2.75 |
| 3 |
37 |
3.0 |
A student who does not achieve the minimum level of academic progress for continuance or receives a grade below C (quality points = 2.0) in any one of the required core courses will be required to withdraw immediately from the program.
Satisfactory Progress
To be eligible to graduate, all students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at William & Mary after admission to a degree program. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point = 2.0).
To continue in the program, a student must make satisfactory progress toward the degree requirements. Satisfactory progress is defined as achieving and maintaining at least a 3.0 Q.P.A. for each semester of graduate study. Students with a Q.P.A. below 3.0 in any semester will automatically be placed on academic probation for the following semester. Students permitted to continue in the program on academic probation must earn a minimum of 12 academic credits and a minimum Q.P.A. of 3.0 during the probationary semester. A student who fails to meet the probationary standard will be required to withdraw from the program.
