The Program in Public Policy offers the Master of Public Affairs and Politics (M.P.A.P.) degree to help students develop or refine analytic and quantitative skills and to form a more thorough understanding of the political institutions and processes through which public policies are implemented and formulated. The M.P.A.P. may be completed in one-year if pursued on a full-time basis, Students also may pursue it part-time.  Students must have completed five or more years of work experience in politics or public policy to qualify for the M.P.A.P. degree.

The M.P.A.P. consists of 30 credits (10 courses), including 12 required credits in policy formation, research methods, economics, and quantitative methods. There is no thesis requirement. A student must maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.0 to graduate.  

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum for the M.P.A.P. program consists of the following courses:

Public Policy Formation 34:833:510 (3 credits)

Formulation and implementation of public policy, with emphasis on federal policymaking, models for policy choice, and intergovernmental policy problems. Analysis of the formulation and implementation of a governmental program.

Research Design 34:833:530 (3 credits)

Covers both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the processes of conceptualization and measurement, “experimental design,” and how social programs are structured so they may be effectively studied. Provides a firm foundation for additional methods and substantive policy courses.

Basic Quantitative Methods 34:833:521 (3 credits)

Covers descriptive and inferential statistics with a strong focus on bivariate hypothesis tests including t-test, Chi-square, and ANOVA, and ends with an introduction to the basics of linear regression.

Economics and Public Policy 34:833:543 (3 credits)

Basic microeconomic analysis with applications to current policy issues. Models of consumer and firm behavior applied to issues such as assistance programs for low-income individuals, tax incentives for firms and workers, and environmental regulation. Public goods, externalities, and the role of government in economic markets.

Elective courses (18 credits)

Students may choose from a wide array of courses offered by faculty and practitioners in the Public Policy Program or in other programs at the Bloustein School. Students also may take up to six credits elsewhere at Rutgers University or (by special arrangement) at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.