Degree Requirements

Capitol

The Master of Public Policy program is a 40 credit degree program. The curriculum is divided into core and elective courses. The core curriculum is divided into three components including policy process and institutions, economics and quantitative analysis. It is designed to equip you with the conceptual framework and the skills needed to be successful in the public sector.

The emphasis of the core curriculum is on building a strong foundation for analysis and management. You will learn to tackle complex public policy problems by asking substantive questions, exploring alternatives, and assessing the capacity of organizations to implement solutions. The MPP is a non-thesis degree. Instead, students complete an Applied Policy Project.

MPP Prerequisites
Students are required to complete three prerequisites before entering the MPP program. These courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better in the last 10 years. You may apply to the program before completing these courses, however, if you are admitted to the program, the prerequisite courses must be satisfactorily completed before enrolling in graduate level courses for the MPP.

  • Introductory Statistics (sample courses at The University of Utah include: FCS 3210; SOC 3112 and PSYCH 3000)
  • Introductory Microeconomics (sample course at The University of Utah includes: ECON 2010)
  • United States National Government (sample course at The University of Utah includes: POLS 1100)

In addition, applicants are strongly encouraged to take intermediate microeconomics. Due to the rigorous analytic nature of the MPP curriculum, it is assumed that applicants will have a strong quantitative background. Applicants lacking a solid background in economics and statistics are encouraged to strengthen their understanding of these areas prior to application.

The University of Utah course listings and descriptions are available in the Course Catalog.

1. Required Policy Process, Economics, and Management Core Courses (22 credits) - Course Descriptions

ECON 6300 - Public Finance: Public Expenditures and Cost-Benefit Analysis (3 credits)
ECON 6380 - Law and Economics (3 credits)
PADMN 6320 - Public Policy Theories and Applications (3 credits)
PADMN 6323 - Policy Analysis (3 credits)
PUBPL 6965 - Survey Research Methods (3 credits)
PUBPL 6563 - Policy and Program Evaluation (3 credits)
PUBPL 6950 - Master's Project (4 credits)

2. Required Quantitative Analysis Core Courses (6 credits) - Courses are divided into two levels.

PADMN 6290 - Quantitative Analysis (3 credits)
PUBPL 6900 - Public Policy Research (3 credits)

3. Policy-Related Emphasis Area Elective Courses (12 credits) - The track options are:

In addition, with the approval of the MPP Program Director, you can pursue an existing certificate to fulfill the emphasis. Finally, you also have the opportunity to create, in partnership with the MPP Program Manager, an alternate track of emphasis in a substantive policy area (e.g., Business Policy and Regulation, Land Use and Water Policy, Social and Child Welfare Policy). Sample Curriculum