M.P.P. Degree Requirements

Students accepted for the Ph.D./M.P.P. degree program are required to have thirty-seven hours of M.P.P. course credit.

The following core courses are required:

Course Requirements

• PUBP 500 - Mathematics for Public Policy Analysis 1
• PUBP 590 - Policy in Practice 1
• PUBP 601 - The Political Environment 3
• PUBP 602 - Quantitative Methods I 3
• PUBP 603 - Quantitative Methods II 3
• PUBP 604 - Microeconomics of Public Policy 3
• PUBP 606 - Benefit-Cost Analysis 3

• or PUBP 605 Macroeconomics for Public Policy  and PUBP 651 International Development and Policy  

• PUBP 607 - Law and Public Policy 3
• PUBP 609 - Ethics and Public Policy 3
• PUBP 610 - Policy Research Seminar 3
• PUBP 612 - Public Management and Organizational Behavior 3

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In addition to the core courses, students in the Ph.D./M.P.P. degree program  are required to take 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 emphasis or develop an alternative set of courses developed with the consent of the Director.

Students who have completed the first year of the Marine Science curriculum prior to starting the MPP coursework, will be exempt from PUBP 500, and PUBP 602, but will still be required to complete a total of 37 credit hours of approved Public Policy courses.

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:

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

In order to graduate, M.P.P. students must have completed all coursework in the program with a quality point average (Q.P.A.) of 3.0. 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.