The Master of Public Policy is the “industry standard” among public policy degrees, emphasizing the analysis of data and other relevant information and enabling students to assess public problems, develop appropriate policy responses, and evaluate program effectiveness.
Part-Time
The MPP degree emphasizes the analysis of data and other relevant information to enable graduates to assess public problems, develop appropriate policy responses, and evaluate program effectiveness. MPP graduates enter careers as policy analysts, researchers, consultants, program evaluators, and policymakers in a broad range of public and nonprofit settings, ranging from the local to the international, and in the private sector.
At Northeastern, the MPP joins our long-established and nationally accredited Masters of Public Administration (MPA), as well as our Master's in Urban and Regional Policy (MURP), Urban Informatics, and International Affairs. As such, students are part of a larger community of great intellectual and policy area diversity. The curriculum is designed to offer methodological rigor, a theoretical framework, and opportunities for applied experiences in optional areas of specialization. The majority of classes are offered in the early evening to accommodate working students.
MPP students build an area of subject expertise based on an array of electives offered by the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, by other programs in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and elsewhere in the university. As experiential learning is a key element of the program, students who enter with fewer than two years of relevant professional experience will be required to complete an internship. Students also have the option to take the internship for credit. Candidates with relevant professional experience can request a waiver of the internship requirement.
Learn more about the Master of Public Policy Program from the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, housed in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
More Details
Unique Features
- Required internship for students with fewer than two years of relevant professional experience
- Optional internship for candidates with relevant professional experience
- Majority of classes are offered in the early evening to accommodate working students
- Optional areas of applied specialization currently include law and public policy, sustainability and climate change, urban informatics, and health policy
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Admissions Dates
Fall Term
February 1: Priority deadline
June 15: Final deadline for International applicants
August 15: Final deadline for domestic applicants
August 25: Final deadline for Special Student applicants
Spring Term
October 1: Final deadline for International applicants
December 1: Final deadline for domestic applicants
December 15: Final deadline for Special Student applicants
Summer 1
April 15: Domestic only
Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.
Program Costs
Requirements
- Application
- Application fee – US $75.00
- Personal statement
- Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
- English proficiency for international applicants
- Three letters of recommendation
- GRE scores
General Requirements
Methods, Statistics, and Applications Core
Note: Take either LPSC 7305 or POLS 7202
Policy Frameworks and Practice Core
Methods and Statistics Elective
Complete 3 semester hours from the following:
Internship Requirement
Choose one from the following:
Complete 12 semester hours from the following:
CRIM 5000 to CRIM 7999 (by advisement only)
ECON 5000 to ECON 7999 (by advisement only)
ENGL 5000 to 7999 (by advisement only)
HIST 5000 to HIST 7999 (by advisement only)
POLS 5000 to POLS 7999 (by advisement only)
SOCL 5000 to SOCL 7999 (by advisement only)
Internship
Electives
Complete 9 semesters hours from the following:
CRIM 5000 to CRIM 7999 (by advisement only)
ECON 5000 to ECON 7999 (by advisement only)
ENGL 5000 to 7999 (by advisement only)
HIST 5000 to HIST 7999 (by advisement only)
POLS 5000 to POLS 7999 (by advisement only)
SOCL 5000 to SOCL 7999 (by advisement only)
Northeastern's signature experiential learning model combines academics with professional practice to help students acquire relevant, real-world skills they can apply to their desired industry. Each program offers its own unique experiential learning opportunities, but they might include:
- Full-Time Co-op Opportunities — Students on co-op work in a paid position in their field of study for three to six months.
- In-Class Case Studies — Professors integrate case studies and exercises into the classroom to bring a real-world perspective and relevance to what they’re teaching.
- Research — Students collaborate with faculty in our more than 30 federally funded research centers, tackling some of the most pressing challenges in health, security, and sustainability.
Our Faculty
Our faculty represents a wide cross-section of professional practices and in fields ranging from finance to education to biomedical science to management to the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors, and collaborate alongside students to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.
By enrolling in Northeastern, you gain access to a network of more than 230,000 alumni and 3,000 employer partners, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global NGOs. Our current students and faculty across strategically located regional campuses further foster that lifelong global community of learning and mentoring.
Below is a look at jobs our Master of Public Policy graduates are prepared to pursue, and the skills they bring to organizations:
Where They Work
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- City of Boston
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health
What They Do
- Policy Analysis
- Program Evaluation
- Research
- Service Delivery
What They're Skilled At
- Research and Analysis
- Policy Design
- Program Evaluation
- Policy Advocacy