The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy – Serving New Jersey Since 1992
About Us
At Rutgers University’s Bloustein School, the disciplines and professions of urban planning, public policy, public health, health administration, and public informatics are strongly situated in an educational context that stresses social science education and public service.
For students interested in public service and social justice, the Bloustein School helps better the world around us, working to create just, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and healthy local, national, and global communities.
Located in New Brunswick, NJ, the school’s research and scholarship touch on a wide array of issues that affect public welfare including designing healthy communities, better understanding the social determinants of health, researching ways to effectively and economically combat and adapt to climate change, and much more. Our students are trained to think about what can be done to make society better.
We offer a dynamic learning environment. Our curriculum is designed to instill habits of critical inquiry, innovative thought, and ethical practice, preparing students to identify public problems, analyze alternatives, and make decisions. Our graduates are equipped with the skills to attain educational, professional, and personal goals while also reflecting and appreciating of the diversity and vitality of the communities in which they go on to live and serve.
The Bloustein School grants BA and BS degrees in five majors, four Master’s degrees, and through the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, a Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy.
Our STEM-designated Urban Planning and Policy Development program has consistently been ranked #3 in the nation for more than two decades by the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs. The school’s CAHME-accredited Master of Health Administration program has been ranked one of the best healthcare management programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The undergraduate public health program, accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), has been consistently ranked among the top 10% of undergraduate public health programs in the nation by College Factual and other sources.
The Bloustein School educates innovative people who wish to combine social concerns with analytic skills and teaches students to be engaged change-makers through high-quality instruction and mentorship. Students come to the Bloustein School to be part of the solution to create a better tomorrow.
Academics
The disciplines and professions of urban planning, public policy, public health, health administration and public informatics are strongly situated in an educational context that stresses social science education and public service. The Bloustein School grants B.A. and B.S. degrees in five majors, four Master’s degrees, and, through the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, a Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy.
A Journey from Finance to Data-Driven Policymaking
Md Nurul Hoque Master of Public Informatics, Class of 2024 Chittagong, Bangladesh Certificate: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Activities at Rutgers: President, Public Informatics Student GroupPersonal interests: watching historical documentaries and political...
Transforming Healthcare: From Caregiver to Leader
Emily Muha Master of Health Administration, Class of 2024 Long Valley, NJ Activities at Rutgers: Vice President, Graduate Society of Healthcare Leaders; Student Associate, American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Personal interests: spending time with friends...
Merging the Energy Sector and Global Data Analytics
Yousaf Shahid Master of Public Policy/Master of Public Informatics, Class of 2025 With a background in mechanical engineering and five years of experience in Pakistan's energy sector, Yousaf witnessed the critical challenges of energy security, outdated technologies,...
Bloustein public policy undergrad named to New Brunswick BOE
Ashley Caldwell, a 19-year-old Rutgers sophomore who served as the student representative to the Board of Education during her senior year at New Brunswick High School, has been tapped to fill a vacant seat on the board. She fills the position left open when her dad,...
Building Healthier Communities From First Responder to Administrative Advocate
Sergio Tlatenco Torres Master of Health Administration, Class of 2024 Roselle Park, NJ Certificate: Lean Six Sigma Green & Black Belt Activities at Rutgers: Co-Secretary and Communications Chair, Bloustein Graduate Student Association; Academic Chair, Rutgers...
Stitched with Purpose: A Career Toward Healthcare Access for Communities
Cindy Lira Master of Health Administration, Class of 2024 Linden, NJ Certificate: Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Activities at Rutgers: President, Rutgers Graduate Society of Healthcare Leaders, 2023-2024 school year; Secretary, GSHL, 2022-23 school year Personal...
Academic Community
The Bloustein School educates a highly select group of students and prepares them for careers in the public, nonprofit and for-profit sectors, teaching and research professions, and service at all levels of government. Faculty and staff aim to advance inclusion and diversity across the curriculum and include it in curriculum design. We work to remove barriers in areas of recruitment and retention, not only among our extremely diverse body of students but also among faculty and staff..
Research
Faculty, staff and students conduct research on critical issues facing the world, country, state, and neighborhoods. Researchers study climate change, poverty, inequality, housing finance, community development, transportation, health, immigration, education, urban design, statistics, and government funding and budgeting, expanding the school’s public service mission and providing students with opportunities for research on some of the most critical planning and public policy issues.
Our Mission
The mission of the Bloustein School is to create just, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable and healthy local, national and global communities.
Edward J. Bloustein — Rutgers president, constitutional scholar, active citizen, philosopher, and teacher — lived a life of civic engagement that the school’s ethic seeks to perpetuate. Research, teaching, and outreach at the Bloustein School aim for intellectual originality and practical rigor in an atmosphere of spirited and open debate. Bloustein activities are rooted in diversity of experience and thought. They create settings where individuals and communities can flourish. The Bloustein ethic strives to improve the quality of public discourse by producing ideas and measures that have impact.
The Bloustein ethic engages those who do their jobs not just honorably, but with a passion for their work that alters their surroundings. The Bloustein School seeks to foster new research and thinking that achieve both scholarly recognition and public acceptance.