Public Policy

The program emphasizes practical and applied dimensions of policy-making and implementation, encouraging students to develop skills in:

• defining policy issues to make them more intelligible to offi cials in the public, private or non-profit sector

• providing a broader perspective for assessing policy alternatives

• examining techniques for developing policy options and evaluating their social consequences

• developing strategies for the successful implementation of public policies once they have been adopted

The heart of the school is the Master in Public Policy (MPP), a two-year program designed to equip students for careers in public leadership, including government, politics, the nonprofit and private sectors. The MPP core courses provide a foundation in subjects ranging from political decision making and legal analysis to microeconomic theory and statistical modeling. The curriculum also includes five electives, taken at GSPP or on the UC Berkeley campus, that allow students to focus on a particular policy area or set of policy tools.

• Law and Public Policy

• Introduction to Policy Analysis

• The Economics of Public Policy Analysis

• Public Leadership and Management

• Decision Analysis, Modeling, and Quantitative Methods

• Advanced Policy Analysis –Thesis Seminar

• Political and Agency Management Aspects of Public Policy

Financial assistance for educational expenses is available from the School on a competitive basis to those who apply. In order to be eligible for a fellowship, applicants must submit the Financial Assistance page of the GSPP application and the appropriate forms in the graduate application packet. The request for aid cannot be considered until all the required supporting materials are received. You will be notified about any departmental award in your admission letter.