Curriculum

This is a stock photo. An aerial image of downtown New York city. This is a stock photo. An aerial image of downtown New York city.

General Curriculum

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) program requires the completion of 36 graduate credits. is a professional degree designed to prepare students for a career in public policy. At the University of Miami, the MPP program trains future policy analysts to utilize their skills to strengthen communities, impact public policy, and serve the public interest. We do this through an innovative curriculum that emphasizes skill building.

The curriculum is composed of a core, a specialization track, electives, and the completion of an internship or practicum. Each student can customize their specialization track and their elective course in consultation with the faculty advisor to ensure that the student meets their professional goals.

Core - 24 Credits

Students are required to complete the following courses.

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  • POL 601 - Budgeting and Financial Management and Administration

    Role of the budget in shaping public policy; managing public revenues; budgetary theory, politics, and fiscal management. Examples from state, municipal and federal governments.

    Credit Hours: 3

  • POL 610 - Statistics for Politics and Public Administration

    This course focuses on the use of statistics to conduct quantitative research (i.e., statistics) in political science and public administration. The course emphasizes hands-on data work. Students will learn how to perform political analyses – and present findings in an appropriate manner – using SPSS statistical software.

    Credit Hours: 3

  • POL 622 - Introduction to Graduate Public Administration

    Introduction to concepts, issues, problems, theories and process in the field of public administration and/or public management.

    Credit Hours: 3

  • POL 634 - Applied Policy Analysis

    Examines a variety of policy problems through the framework of problem definition, formulation of alternatives, assessment of alternatives, and policy impact evaluation. Students will also be introduced to cost-benefit analysis and evaluation methods.

    Credit Hours: 3

  • POL 637 - Microeconomics for Public Policy

    Microeconomic theory as applied to policy making, concepts of efficiency. Microeconomic analysis and modeling to incorporate market failure and issues of uncertainty and information failure; organization models; policy instruments; policy and planning applications.

  • POL 646 - Public Policy Process and Implementation

    Examination of public policy issue areas including education, health, welfare, urban mass transit. Limits to effectiveness of federal, state and local governments in providing services. Techniques for analyzing the effectiveness of public policies; research techniques for the assessment of future policy alternatives.

    Credit Hours: 3

  • POL 660 - Public Program Evaluation

    Background information needed to evaluate public programs, organizations, and policies. Focus on how to design an evaluation using research methods to evaluate a program. Students will construct logic models, understand program theory, apply research methodology, and discuss stakeholders in public organizations and policies.

    Credit Hours: 3

  • POL 656 – Public Service Internship

    Individual on-the-job work experience; arranged and monitored by a faculty member.

    Credit Hours: 3

Specialization Track - 9 Credits

Students must complete one track of 9 credit hours. For additional details on each track within the MPP program, please visit our Tracks webpage.

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Electives - 3 Credits

Students may select from a wide variety of courses in order to complete a required three credit hours. Electives can be taken within the Political Science Department or taken within other departments across the university. These electives should be discussed with your program advisor. We encourage students to utilize this elective to select a specific analytic tool that they would like to learn. Examples include GIS, Infographics, Data Science, Advanced Statistics.

Public Policy Practicum - 3 Credits

Students will participate in a practicum course that allows them to work on policy problem solving skills and develop professional skills related to their degree program. This can include course sessions on grant writing, interviewing and resume development, leveraging social media, and working with clients to deliver a final product.

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