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.
Transferring Lessons From the Cricket Field to the Classroom
by Sharon Waters for Rutgers Today As a professional cricket player and coach, Rutgers senior Deep Joshi learned the importance of teamwork, which helped him succeed in the classroom, as well as on the field. “Cricket is a team game of 11 players where they need to...
Washington, DC: Federal District
Michael Panchery '24 and Izabell Wilk '24 Undergraduate Planning Studio II, Spring 2023 This project was completed over the course of one semester. The premise of this project was to create a new master plan for the nation’s new capital city, given the premise that...
Cultivating an Interest in Transportation Planning from Family and Community
Arnav Prakash Master of City and Regional Planning, Class of 2024 Kolkata, India Concentration: Transportation Planning and Policy Activities at Rutgers: President, Bloustein Graduate Student Association, 2023-2024; Student Assistant, Bloustein School Graduate Career...
Advocating for Nature from Girl Scouts to Environmental Policy
Jenna Agnello Master of Public Policy, Class of 2027 South River, NJPersonal interests: Hiking, skiing, camping, kayaking, and other outdoor activities; attending concerts and listening to music; yoga An avid outdoorswoman, Jenna’s Gold Award Project—the final honor...
Forging a Path in Healthcare Leadership
Briana Hernandez Master of Health Administration, Class of 2025 North Bergen, NJPersonal interests: Spending time with family, trying new cuisines, working out. After completing a bachelor of science in public health at the Bloustein School, Briana chose to continue...
Pathways of Purpose: Changing the World through Public Policy
Jasmine Hoff Master of Public Policy, Class of 2025 Maplewood, NJSpecializations: Education PolicyActivities/Organizations: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)Personal interests: listening to different music genres, writing songs and...
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.