NYU Wagner

MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and policy

Public Policy Analysis

• Management
• Public Policy Analysis
• Finance
• International

Principal Faculty Advisors:

Ingrid Ellen	Jonathan Morduch	Mitchell Moss	Katherine O'Regan	Amy Schwartz	Leanna Stiefel

The Public Policy specialization prepares students to play a role in policy debate and deliberation by developing critical conceptual, analytical, and quantitative skills. By studying the application of social science theories and methods to the analysis of issues of public importance, students develop the critical conceptual, analytical, and quantitative skills to develop and assess alternative policy responses to public issues and urban problems.

• Should governments fund the arts?
• How can cities formulate and implement policies for growth and development?
• Should we be moving boldly to stem global warming?
• What are the most meaningful next steps in combating obesity and its associated health problems?
• What policies are most effective at minimizing racial disparities?
• How can education policy improve the performance and equity of US educational systems

Note:

Students who plan to specialize in Policy should earn a "B" or better in P11.1011 Statistics, P11.1018 Microeconomics, and P11.1022 Introduction to Public Policy. All full-time Policy students should enroll in these three courses during their first semester of study, as they are prerequisites for several advanced Policy courses.

Required Specialization Courses

Students must complete the following 12 credits:

• P11.2140, Public Economics and Finance
• P11.2171, Program Analysis and Evaluation
• P11.2902, Multiple Regression and Introduction to Econometrics

Students are also required to take one policy formation course (4 credits) from among the following:

• P11.2411, Policy Formation and Policy Analysis
• P11.2836, Current Issues in Health Policy
• P11.2415, Public Policy and Planning in New York

Students are generally expected to take the following course to complete the specialization (necessary for quantitative analyst positions¹):

• P11.2875, Estimating Impacts in Policy Research

Under consultation with their faculty advisor, students whose work will focus more on institutions and the policy process² are not required to take P11.2875.

¹ For analysis-oriented positions, such as policy analysts in a government agency, evaluation work in a nonprofit, and associates in a research organization.
² For positions more focused on the political dimensions of the policy arena - such as staff positions on the hill or with advocacy organizations, and inter-governmental positions in a government agency, mayor's office, or legislative office.

Students may wish to choose policy-oriented electives from the list below.

• P11.2145, Public Finance in Developing Countries
• P11.2228, Politics of International Development
• P11.2230, International Economic Development: Governments, Markets, and Communities
• P11.2415, Public Policy and Planning in New York
• P11.2416 , Project, Program and Policy Evaluation in Developing Countries
• P11.2418, Policy Issues in Primary and Secondary Education
• P11.2441, The Economics of Education
• P11.2445, Urban Poverty
• P11.2463, Public Policy and the Arts
• P11.2470, Transportation Policy
• P11.2608, Urban Economics
• P11.2622, Public Policy and the Shaping of Wealth and Poverty in the United States
• P11.2665, Decentralized Development Planning and Policy Reform in Developing Countries
• P11.2867, Health Care Reform: International
• P11.2868, Mental Health Policy and Service Delivery

Capstone
All Capstones begin in the fall and are completed at the end of the spring semester. Full-time students who begin in the spring semester typically need 2½ years to complete their degree. Policy students choose one of the following Capstone courses:

• P11.3148/49, Applied Research in Public Finance and Policy*
• P11.3170/71, Advanced Project in Public Policy
• P11.3175/76, Advanced Project in Public Policy and Management

* Recommended for students interested in quantitative analyst positions.