In addition to a core set of courses that provides a foundation in governance, quantitative skills and the practice of public policy, the Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Management (MPM) provide the opportunity to dive deeper into policy areas of interest through specializations.
Pre-designed Specializations
The Environmental Policy specialization explores and examines policy approaches for environmental protection in different regulatory and development contexts. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that brings together science, economics, management and ethics, this specialization provides the theoretical foundation and methodological skills needed for analysis and policy making across the range of domestic and global environmental issues.
Requirements
In addition to meeting the core requirements of their degree program, students specializing in Environmental Policy are required to take:
- PLCY 740: Public Policy and the Environment
- PLCY 741: Quantitative Aspects of Global Environmental Problems
- PLCY 745: Human Health and the Environment
- An environmental elective course:
- PLCY 742: Environmental Ethics
- PLCY 744: Environment and Development
- PLCY 699Z: Energy Policy
- PLCY 798N: Energy Economics
- PLCY 784: Disease, Disasters, and Development
- PLCY 798T; Sustainable Development, Democracy, and Human Rights in Peru
- PLCY 699B: Intersections of Technology and Policy: Modernizing the Energy System (cross-listed as PHYS662)
- PLCY 689I: Social-Ecological Systems, Environmental Policy, and Sustainable Development in Indonesia
- AOSC 663: Water and Climate Systems
- Any other environmental policy course approved by the specialization advisor
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 2
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 Credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 Credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Thomas Hilde.
The International Development (IDEV) Policy specialization focuses on the economics, political, demographic, health and ethical dimensions of development. Our courses cover topics such as economic stagnation, poverty, unhappiness, food insecurity, political repression, ethnic/religious conflict, population displacement, and health. Students acquire the tools and skills required to identify development challenges and to measure accurately the effects of interventions on development outcomes.
Requirements
- PLCY781 International Economic Policy
- PLCY782 International Development Economics
- PLCY698R Development Challenges
Electives
One course from the following:
- PLCY688X Human Dignity
- PLCY798T Sustainable Development, Democracy, and Human Rights in Peru
- PLCY798I India: Education and Project Management with Delhi’s NGOs
- PLCY783 Development and Foreign Aid
- PLCY744 Environment and Development
- PLCY720 International Security Policy
- PLCY784 Disease, Disaster, and Development
- PLCY689V Forecasting and Analyzing Political Violence
- PLCY689J Food, Economics and Health
- PLCY689I Indonesia: Social-Ecological Systems, Environmental Policy, and Sustainable Development in Indonesia
- PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 2
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- Specialization Elective Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Susan Parker.
The ISEP specialization provides students with the knowledge and skills to work effectively on complex global policy challenges, such as reducing the risk of nuclear war, preventing proliferation and global pandemics, averting or ending civil conflicts, enhancing cybersecurity, developing effective strategies for managing great power politics, promoting equitable global economic growth without causing catastrophic climate change, and addressing humanitarian crises around the world.
It is designed around four basic premises:
- Security and economics are so closely connected that they need to be studied together.
- Globalization erodes national boundaries, requiring attention to interactions between domestic and international politics and policies on a growing range of issues.
- Rapid technological advances with constructive and destructive potential are shaping the global policy environment.
- With more competition among major powers, increased importance of non-state actors, and domestic political dysfunction inside many countries, challenges are outstripping policymakers’ ability to design and implement effective responses.
ISEP courses help students apply the general analytical and process-oriented skills taught in the core curriculum to the specific international policy issues they care about most. ISEP courses focus on enduring policy debates, foundational concepts, flexible analytical frameworks, and emerging trends to prepare graduates to find innovative, impactful solutions to the ever-changing challenges that will arise during their career as a global policy professional.
International Security and Economic Policy Specialization Requirements:
- PLCY720 International Security Policy
- PLCY780 The Foreign Policy-Making Process
At least two courses from the following:
- PLCY781 International Economic Policy (for students who want more economics than they get in the core curriculum)
- PLCY698C Intelligence and Policy
- PLCY688C Cybersecurity
- PLCY698V Homeland Security
- PLCY699K Civil Conflict
- PLCY699L Development and Security in Africa
- PLCY700 US Trade: Policy and Politics
- PLCY798M Cooperative Security, Arms Control, and Nonproliferation Policy
The School of Public Policy offers other electives of interest to ISEP students, including in its international development, energy, and environmental policy specializations. These include:
- PLCY689A Federal Acquisitions: Concepts and Management
- PLCY798P Data Analysis for Policymakers
- PLCY798T Sustainable Development, Democracy, and Human Rights in Peru
ISEP students can also study issues not covered at the School of Public Policy by getting authorization for relevant courses outside of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, at the D.C. Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, and at University System of Maryland (USM) institutions.
Capstone Projects
Second-year ISEP students work with faculty to design and carry-out a year-long policy analysis project with a governmental or nongovernmental partner in the field. This hands-on learning experience engages students' analytical skills, deepens their substantive expertise, and provides a bridge to professional opportunities. Recent capstone projects included analyses of:
- international best practices in supporting Yemini governance during its civil war (State Department);
- the effect of Chinese civil-military relations on weapon acquisition (an intelligence agency);
- using alternative radiological technologies to reduce nuclear proliferation (a national laboratory); and
- connections between human and drug trafficking in Latin America (State Department).
Download the Sample Plans of Study (.docx)
Faculty
The School of Public Policy has numerous faculty with research expertise and practical experience working on international security and economic policy issues.
View international policy faculty
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Michael Woldemariam.
Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM)
ISEP students have opportunities to work with CISSM faculty and scholars on innovative research that informs policy debates. Current CISSM projects examine nuclear energy and nonproliferation in East Asia, U.S.-Russia security relations, public opinion in Iran, cybersecurity risk assessment, the organizational dynamics of insurgent groups, global responses to infectious disease, human security implications of climate change, and many other topics. CISSM enriches the School of Public Policy community by organizing a bi-weekly speaker series, a week-long policy exercise with students and faculty from Russia, and multiple special events each year.
Career Development
By combining core and specialization coursework with a capstone project done for a client in the Washington, D.C., policy community, SPP students graduate with the skills, substantive knowledge, practical experience, and professional connections to take on a range of career opportunities domestically and worldwide.
Sample ISEP Alumni Employment:
- Deputy Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense
- President, Nuclear Threat Initiative
- Director, East Asia Nonproliferation Program, Middlebury Institute of International Studies
- Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State
- Senior Policy Researcher, RAND
- Director for China, U.S. National Security Council
- Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
- Senior Intelligence Advisor, U.S. Department of Defense
- Director, Nuclear Security Program, Stimson Center
- Senior Social Impact Analyst, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
- Senior Advisor, National Preparedness Directorate, U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Chief Content Officer, Quillo
- Foreign Policy Legislative Aide, U.S. Senate
- Director of Sanctions Regulatory Compliance, Citi
- Analyst, Financial Markets and Community Investment, U.S. Government Accountability Office
- Policy Advisor, U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
- Director, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Systems, U.S. Department of Defense
- Trade and Industry Analyst, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Foreign Commercial Officer, International Trade Administration, U.S. Commercial Service
- Global Technology Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of State
- Assistant Professor, LBJ School, University of Texas
- Program Officer, Stanley Center for Peace and Security
- Policy Analyst, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Program Coordinator, U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration
- Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank
- Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Analyst, Cadmus Group
- Program Analyst, Asia and Pacific, U.S. Agency for International Development
- Program Coordinator, International Programs, U.S. Forest Service
- Flight Commander, U.S. Air Force
- Director of Research, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University
- Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Based on a long tradition of an outstanding faculty of scholars and practitioners, we offer a specialization in leadership and management in cross-sector engagement and partnership. The Leadership and Management specialization prepares future leaders and the individuals who will assume major management responsibilities at the local, state and/or federal level. Leadership and management are needed now more than ever. The public demand for excellence in the management of public resources has never been stronger. Virtually every level of government faces unprecedented pressure for improved accountability while striving to provide high levels of service at low cost. This growing challenge requires a keen understanding of complex financial mechanisms, management and leadership theories and practices, and the ability of government to work with the private and nonprofit sectors.
Requirements
- PLCY698T Networks: Leading and Managing Across Sectors
- PLCY689X Performance Management: Leading for Results
Electives
Two courses from the following:
- PLCY798Y Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- PLCY689A Federal Acquisitions: Concepts and Management
- PLCY717 Federal Budget
- PLCY688F State, Local and Nonprofit Financial Management
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 2
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Requirements prior to Fall 2019
Students admitted before Fall 2019 may meet the Management and Leadership specialization requirements by completing:
- PLCY698T Networks: Leading and Managing Across Sectors
- PLCY689X Performance Management: Leading for Results
- One elective public management and leadership course from the following:
- PLCY752 Managing Differences
- PLCY798Y Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- PLCY699G Leadership in Groups & Organizations
- PLCY689Z Strategic Management for Nonprofit and Public Organizations
- Any "Leadership" course in the following specializations: Management & Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Public Sector Financial Management, and Federal Acquisitions.
- One public finance or acquisitions course
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Elizabeth Duke.
Nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurs are major players in how public policy gets developed and implemented as well as how change occurs in our society. In the United States, the nonprofit sector encompasses more than a million organizations, annually reports trillions of dollars in revenue and assets, represents approximately 10 percent of the workforce, annually generates more than 400 billion dollars through donations and volunteers, and is primarily funded by government resources.
Today’s policy challenges require that tomorrow’s leaders be well versed in innovative, collaborative cross-sector solutions. Expertise in the area of nonprofit management and philanthropy is critical to School of Public Policy graduate students in a variety of policy specializations.
MPP students of all professional interests will find a number of interesting career opportunities in the nonprofit sector; ranging from social or environmental policy, to international development. Since policy students will likely become nonprofit leaders in a particular policy field, the specialization in Nonprofit Management and Leadership (NML) will require at least four courses, and the focus will require at least three courses. This three-course package will allow MPP students to potentially specialize in a policy field and still achieve a NML credential.
Requirements
- PLCY798Y Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- PLCY688F State, Local and Nonprofit Financial Management
Electives
Two courses from the following:
- PLCY689D Social Entrepreneurship
- PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis
- PLCY689Y Nonprofit Fundraising
- PLCY689Z Strategic Management for Nonprofit and Public Organizations
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 2
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Joannie Tremblay-Boire.
Public financial management is an area in which SPP has traditionally excelled with nationally recognized faculty and significant publication, as well as outstanding teaching and internship mentoring. The Public Financial Management specialization prepares future leaders and the individuals who will assume major management responsibilities at the local, state and/or federal level. The public demand for excellence in the management of public resources has never been stronger. Virtually every level of government faces unprecedented pressure for improved accountability while striving to provide high levels of service at low cost. This growing challenge requires a keen understanding of complex financial mechanisms, management and leadership theories and practices, and the ability of government to work with the private and nonprofit sectors.
Requirements
- PLCY717 Federal Budget
- PLCY688F State, Local and Nonprofit Financial Management
Electives
Two courses from the following:
- PLCY698T Networks: Leading and Managing Across Sectors
- PLCY689X Performance Management - Leading for Results
- PLCY798Y Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- PLCY689A Federal Acquisitions: Concepts and Management
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 credits)
Semester 2
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Philip Joyce.
The Social Policy specialization acquaints students with the relevant history and institutions of social policy, develops their quantitative skills for program evaluation and the analysis of large data sets, and helps them grapple with the moral issues raised by inequality. Our required courses (Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues, Foundations of Social Policy, and Program Evaluation) anchor flexible master's degree programs for pre-career and mid-career students who may select courses in health, education, poverty, criminal justice, housing and social services management, among others. A resident faculty with nationally-renowned expertise in various fields is complemented by a broader menu of relevant course offerings across other units of the College Park campus.
Requirements
- PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis
- PLCY734 Foundations of Social Policy
- PLCY611 Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues
Electives
One course from the following (or similar social policy-related course approved by specialization head):
- TLPL788 Contested Control: School Choice, Localism, and Centralization
- TLPL670 Economics of Education (formerly EDPS615)
- TLPL671 Education Policy Analysis
- PLCY735 Health Policy
- PLCY688X Human Dignity
- TLPL672 Impact Evaluation for Education and Public Policy
- TLPL767 Law, Equity and Diversity in Education
- TLPL788F Policy and Politics of Education Reform (formerly PLCY732)
- TLPL687 Politics of Education
- PLCY698A Poverty Measurement and Alleviation
- URSP664 Real-estate Development for Planners
- PLCY737 Strategies of Equality
- URSP688O U.S. Housing Policy and Planning
NOTE: PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis must be taken in your first spring semester.
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
Semester 2
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY734 Foundations of Social Policy (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY611 Quantitative Analysis (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Shanna Pearson.
The Health Policy specialization acquaints students with the relevant history and institutions of health policy, develops their quantitative skills for program evaluation and the analysis of large data sets, and helps them grapple with the moral issues raised by inequality. Our required courses anchor flexible master's degree programs for pre-career and mid-career students who seek to specialize in health policy. A resident faculty with nationally-renowned expertise in various fields is complemented by a broader menu of relevant course offerings across other units of the College Park campus.
Requirements
- PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis
- PLCY611 Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues
- PLCY734 Foundations of Social Policy
- PLCY735 Health Policy
Electives
- One health-related course approved by specialization head
NOTE: PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis must be taken in your first spring semester.
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
Semester 2
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY734 Foundations of Social Policy (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY611 Quantitative Analysis (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Robert Sprinkle.
The Education Policy specialization acquaints students with the history and institutions of education policy, develops their program evaluation and statistical analysis skills, and enables them to address the key educational policy issues of the day, including those raised by inequality and social injustice. The specialization draws heavily on the education policy courses offered by the University of Maryland’s prestigious College of Education.
Requirements
- PLCY732 Education Policy and Reform
- PLCY688B Topics in Public Policy; Economics of Education
- PLCY611 Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues (best taken right after PLCY610)
- PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis (best taken in first year)
- PLCY734 Foundations of Social Policy (best taken in the first year)
Outside of the specialization requirements, you might be interested in the following general electives:
- PLCY798G Readings in Public Policy; Impact Evaluation for Education and Public Policy
- PLCY688D Topics in Public Policy; Federal Education Policy
- PLCY689 Public Policy Topics; Politics of Education
- TLPL765 Quantitative Applications for Education Policy Analysis
- TLPL767 Law, Equity and Diversity in Education
- TLPL770 Black and Latino Education: History and Policy
- TLPL774 Urban Education
- TLPL788D Using Stata to Clean and Analyze Big Data in Education
- TLPL788K Best School Systems in the World
- TLPL788O Immigration and Education
- TLPL788U Race, Whiteness, and Identity
- PLCY699Q Anti-Racist Community Development
Sample Plan of Study
Semester 1
- PLCY630 (formerly PLCY688E) Normative and Political Dimensions (3 credits)
- PLCY610 Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy (3 credits)
- PLCY640 Microeconomics (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 2
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY734 Foundations of Social Policy (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY611 Quantitative Analysis (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement: PLCY689E Program Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Semester 3
- PLCY690 (formerly PLCY699X) Policy Engagement Project (3 credits)
- PLCY641 Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis (3 credits)
- PLCY670 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3 credits)
- PLCY631 (formerly PLCY688G) Leadership, Management and Accountability (3 credits)
Semester 4
- PLCY790 Project Course (3 credits)
- Specialization Requirement (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
- General Elective (3 credits)
Specialization Head
For more information, contact Shanna Pearson.
Dual and Self-Designed Specializations
For MPP students, attempting dual specializations is a complex topic. With 10 specializations, we have 55 possible pairings for dual specializations. Considering several combinations is a challenging task. To reduce potential complexity, students should answer the ‘why’ of a specialization prior to the ‘how’. This can help the student to focus on the value of the program instead of novelty. Among our master's programs, only the MPP program has room for dual specializations.
Students should restrict themselves to completing not more than 48 credits or 4 traditional semesters if full-time. This becomes more important because the 55 pairings don’t articulate what is feasible within a traditional program, only what is possible without considering an actual schedule with course times and conflicts.
Students may pursue more than one specialization by meeting the requirements of both specializations, double-counting no more than one course towards each specialization.
Given scheduling variations, dual specializations are most available when combining ISEP and IDEV or for combinations within the MFL area (i.e., Leadership and Management, Public Financial Management, Acquisitions, and Non-Profit Management).
Some specializations should not be paired. For example, Energy Policy cannot be finished with either Health Policy or Education policy within the traditional 48 credit program.
Recommended approach
A student’s most flexible option for exploring multiple areas is to use general electives for the secondary specialization area. All graduate-level courses within the School are eligible for general electives. Most specializations have room for 3 general elective courses, so students have the opportunity to take several classes in an area outside of their primary specialization.
Students who wish to complete two specializations should make a course plan when they enter the School. The course plan should also include an alternate plan with a single specialization as a back-up plan. Doing this early alleviates disappointment and reminds students of the specialization that they value most.
Requirements
Self-designed specializations must:
- Have a clearly defined focus on a public policy and/or management subject
- Consist of a coherent set of courses that are feasible to complete within the program timeline
- Be conducted under the supervision of a School faculty member with expertise in the subject
- Have a proposed specialization plan approved by the School
Self-designed specializations do not have to be proposed and approved prior to applying to, or commencing, the program. It is recommended that students wishing to develop a self-designed specialization begin the process in their first or second semester.
Developing a Plan
Self-designed specializations need to be clearly defined. Students must have their proposed specialzation plan approved by the School of Public Policy. An approval’s likelihood is enhanced when the plan follows the process outlined below, but approvals are on a case-by-case basis.
Process:
- Contact the graduate academic advisor to discuss your ideas for a self-designed specialization
- Write an initial synopsis with expected outcomes (e.g., a specific policy career path you wish to pursue) as an overview
- Develop a specialization title
- List potential faculty members you would like to advise your process
- Detail how your proposal improves upon the School's pre-designed specializations to meet your goals
- Explain the quantitative and qualitative methods this specialization requires
- Explain additional skills this specialization requires
- Create a study plan for your specialization with a proposed list of classes by semester
- Describe how your specialization prepares you for your professional goals