The Bloustein School’s graduate Public Policy program has risen into the top 50 public affairs program in the nation (No. 47) in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings, the highest ranking the program has ever achieved.
“Our public policy program teaches graduate students to be engaged change-makers through high-quality instruction and mentorship,” said Andrea Hetling, associate professor and director of the program. “Our small classes, strong core curriculum, and applied research and service projects enable our students to develop the skills to imagine, design, implement and evaluation equitable and inclusive policy solutions to the most pressing public problems facing society.”
The rankings are based solely on peer assessment survey results; in fall 2018, U.S. News surveyed deans, directors and department chairs representing 285 master’s programs in public affairs and administration. The lists of schools, individuals surveyed and specialty areas evaluated were provided by NASPAA–the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration–and APPAM, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
In addition, the urban policy concentration is now ranked #10. Urban policy programs educate students in fields such as urban planning, community development and policy analysis. The specialty area rankings are based solely on ratings by educators at peer schools.
The public policy program’s strength in urban policy is grounded in its applied and interdisciplinary approach to research, service, and teaching. “Located in the densest state in the nation, our faculty and students are able to use New Jersey’s cities and towns as an extension of our classrooms,” said Hetling. “Through faculty research and student projects, we work to strengthen the capacity of governmental and nonprofit organizations to address urban public problems in our own backyard.”
For more information about the school’s graduate programs in public policy, visit https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/graduate/public-policy/