PNP - Policy - Checksheet

MPA-PNP: PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS

I. DEGREE CORE REQUIREMENTS [15 CREDITS]

Students must complete or waive the following courses:

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites Typically offered credits
CORE-GP.1011 Statistical Methods None Fall, Spring, Summer 3
CORE-GP.1018 Microeconomics None Fall, Spring 3
CORE-GP.1020 Management and Leadership None Fall, Spring, Summer 3
CORE-GP.1021 Financial Management None Fall, Spring, Summer 3
CORE-GP.1022 Introduction to Public Policy None Fall, Spring 3

 

II. SPECIALIZATION REQUIREMENTS [9 credits]

Students must complete the following two courses:

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites Typically offered credits
PADM-GP.2140 Public Economics CORE-GP.1011, CORE-GP.1018; CORE-GP.1021 or MSPP-GP.4021 concurrently Fall, Spring 3
PADM-GP.2171 Evaluating Programs and Policies CORE-GP.1011 Fall, Spring, Summer 3

 

Students must also choose and complete one of the following courses:

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites Typically offered credits
PADM-GP.2411 Policy Formation and Policy Analysis CORE-GP.1022 Fall, Spring 3
PADM-GP.2902 Multiple Regression and Introduction to Econometrics CORE-GP.1011 Fall, Spring, Summer 3

 

III. CAPSTONE [3 credits]

To be eligible for Capstone, all students must have: earned at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, declared a specialization, fulfilled the Professional Experience Requirement, and completed the course prerequisite listed for their choice of Capstone (see below).

Students must choose and complete ONE of the two following pairs:

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites credits
  CAP-GP 3401 (Fall)
AND
CAP-GP 3402 (Spring)
Capstone: Advanced Projects in Policy, Management, Finance, and Advocacy I & II CORE-GP: 1011, 1018, 1020, 1021, 1022;
AND
2 of 3 required specialization courses: PADM-GP 2140*, 2171*; 2411 or 2902  (*2140 and 2171 strongly recommended as the 2 courses to take prior to capstone)
1.5 credits (Fall)
AND
1.5 credits (Spring)
  CAP-GP 3148 (Fall)
AND
CAP-GP 3149 (Spring)
Capstone: Advanced Research Projects in Quantitative Analysis I & II PREREQUISITES (taken PRIOR to Capstone year):
CORE-GP: 1011, 1018, 1020, 1021, 1022
AND
PADM-GP 2902;
AND
CO-REQUISITES (taken no later than fall of Capstone year):
Choose ONE Adv. Econ course; PADM-GP 2140, HPAM-GP 4830, URPL-GP 2608, PADM-GP 2203, PADM-GP 2441;
AND
PADM-GP 2171
1.5 credits (Fall)
AND
1.5 credits (Spring)

 

IV. ELECTIVE COURSES [18 credits] 

Focus Areas

Focus Areas are optional groupings of courses to help you choose electives. You can go deeper in your specialization and develop more advanced skills by choosing electives within the specialization-related focus areas below. To pursue depth in a focus area we suggest completing 9 credits. To pursue breadth, you may also choose electives across focus areas. 

Policy Advocacy and Creation

Creating policy through direct advocacy, working for advocacy or interest groups, or mission-driven organizations, e.g., political, social interest, etc. (potential titles and roles: interest-group advocacy, lobbyist, think-tank analyst, legislative or committee staffer, government relations for the nonprofit or private sector)

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites Typically offered credits
PADM-GP.2106 Community Organizing None Fall, January, Spring, Summer 3
PADM-GP.2186 Leadership and Social Transformation CORE-GP.1020 or PADM-GP.2106 Fall 3
PADM-GP.2407 Advocacy Lab: How to Make Change Happen None Fall, Spring 3
PADM-GP.4186 Leadership and Social Transformation CORE-GP.1020 or PADM-GP.2106 Fall 1.5
PADM-GP.4450 Strategic Communications for Advocacy None Fall 1.5

 

Policy Design

Economic analysis and design of policy (potential titles and roles: policy analyst, staffer for office holder, public office staff roles, program officer, program manager, urban and regional planner, local government manager, consultant)

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites Typically offered credits
PADM-GP.2139 Behavioral Economics and Public Policy Design CORE-GP.1011 and CORE-GP.1018 Fall 3
PADM-GP.2149 Cost-Benefit Analysis CORE-GP.1018, CORE-GP.1021 Spring 3
PADM-GP.2165 Policy Implementation: How Plans, Policies and Projects are Put into Action in the Government CORE-GP 1020 and CORE-GP 1022 or URPL-GP 2660 Fall 3
PADM-GP.2203 Economics of International Development CORE-GP.1011 and CORE-GP.1018 Fall, Spring 3
PADM-GP.2441 The Economics of Education: Policy and Finance CORE-GP.1011 and CORE-GP.1018 Fall 3
PADM-GP.2472 Climate Economics CORE-GP 1018 and co-requisite: CORE-GP 1011; or instructor permission Spring 3
URPL-GP.2608 Urban Economics CORE-GP.1018; Pre-or co-requisite: CORE-GP.1011 Spring 3
HPAM-GP.4830 Health Economics: Principles CORE-GP.1011, CORE-GP.1018 Spring 1.5
PHD-GP.5908 Doctoral Seminar in Policy: Inequality and Poverty Masters students must fill an application and be approved to take the course.  The application is found on the Course Highlights page. Spring 4

 

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

Analysis of policy outcomes, synthesizing the literature, prospective analysis of policy proposals, and ex post evaluation of program and policy impacts form the core toolkit of the policy analyst (potential titles and roles: policy analyst for government, nonprofit, think tank or consulting firm; program evaluator). 

PADM-GP.2875, Estimating Impacts in Policy Research, and PADM-GP 2172, Advanced Empirical Methods for Policy Analysis, are strongly recommended courses in this focus area.

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites Typically offered credits
PADM-GP.2170 Performance Measurement and Management CORE-GP.1020 Fall, Spring 3
PADM-GP.2171 Evaluating Programs and Policies CORE-GP.1011 Fall, Spring, Summer 3
PADM-GP.2172 Advanced Empirical Methods PADM-GP.2902 Fall 3
PADM-GP.2875 Estimating Impacts in Policy Research PADM-GP.2902; and PADM-GP.2171 or permission from the instructor Spring 3
MSPP-GP.2905 Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis MSPP.GP.1000 Fall 3
PADM-GP.4501 Designing Data Collection for Program Evaluation, Policy, and Management CORE-GP.1011 Fall 1.5
PADM-GP.4502 Using Large Data Sets in Policy Research PADM-GP 2902 Fall 1.5
PADM-GP.4504 Introduction to Database Design, Management, and Security CORE-GP.1011 Spring 1.5
PHD-GP.5905 Qualitative Research Methods Either one of the following: PADM-GP.2171 Program Analysis and Evaluation, PADM-GP 2172 Advanced Empirical Methods for Policy Analysis, PHD-GP 5902 Research Methods, an upper level research methods undergraduate course, or more than 3 years experience of research in a university or other research institution.  Masters students must fill an application and be approved to take the course.  The application is found on the Course Highlights page. Spring 4

 

Data Science

Understanding, analyzing, presenting, and managing data (potential titles and roles: policy or data analyst, data scientist, data manager, database manager, fundraising officer/manager, researcher, consultant) 

PADM-GP 2172, Advanced Empirical Methods for Policy Analysis, and PADM-GP 4503, Introduction to Data Analytics, are strongly recommended courses in this focus area.

Course Number Course Name Prerequisites Typically offered credits
PADM-GP.2172 Advanced Empirical Methods PADM-GP.2902 Fall 3
PADM-GP.2505 Advanced Data Analytics and Evidence Building PADM-GP.2902; PADM-GP.4506 recommended Spring 3
PADM-GP.4119 Data Visualization and Storytelling CORE-GP.1011 Fall, Spring, Summer 1.5
PADM-GP.4147 Large Scale Data Analysis with Machine Learning I CORE-GP.1011 Spring 1.5
PADM-GP.4148 Large Scale Data Analysis with Machine Learning II PADM-GP.4147 Spring 1.5
PADM-GP.4501 Designing Data Collection for Program Evaluation, Policy, and Management CORE-GP.1011 Fall 1.5
PADM-GP.4502 Using Large Data Sets in Policy Research PADM-GP 2902 Fall 1.5
PADM-GP.4503 Introduction to Data Analytics for Public Policy, Administration, and Management Fall, Spring 1.5
PADM-GP.4504 Introduction to Database Design, Management, and Security CORE-GP.1011 Spring 1.5
PADM-GP.4505 R Coding for Public Policy CORE-GP 1011 Fall 1.5
PADM-GP.4506 Python Coding for Public Policy Fall, Spring 1.5

 

School-wide Focus Areas

In addition to the courses in the specialization-related elective focus areas above, to gain a breadth of knowledge and skills you may also wish to choose electives from across course offerings, including from the school-wide focus areas or a different specialization. Relevant school-wide focus areas for you to consider as a Policy student include, Data Science and ManagementEnvironment and Climate ChangeHealth Policy and ManagementInequality, Race, and PovertyTransportation; and more

 

TOTAL CREDITS IN DEGREE: 45

Last Updated: October 2020