Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Public Policy, MPP


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  College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences  > Hobby School of Public Affairs  > Public Policy, MPP

The Master of Public Policy prepares students to complete advanced analyses in public, private, and nonprofit sectors with an emphasis on developing higher level quantitative and ethical decision-making skills to solve complex policy issues and problems.

Admission Requirements


Admissions decisions for the MPP program will be made on the totality of the student’s application. However, it is expected that the typical well-qualified student will have an undergraduate GPA above 3.0 with scores above 152 on the verbal, 150 on the quantitative, and 4.0 on the analytical writing sections of the GRE. 

Applicants must show through either their quantitative GRE score or their performance in previous coursework that they possess the ability to handle the quantitative elements of the curriculum. Students must have an undergraduate degree, although no particular major is required. Applicants to the MPP program are not required to have any professional experience, although such experience enhances their application.

Application Information

For full information on application processing, required documents, and admissions deadlines, please visit http://uh.edu/class/hcpp/mpp/admissions/

MPP Curriculum and Degree Requirements


The MPP degree requires a total of 39 semester credit hours of coursework, which includes an internship within the public, private, or nonprofit sector. The program is designed to be completed in two years, but program length will vary depending on full-time or part-time enrollment. In order to accommodate working students, required classes are offered in the evenings, Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Specialization elective courses may be offered on different days/times and also online. Academic advising and career placement services will be coordinated by a dedicated Hobby School of Public Affairs staff member.

The MPP degree curriculum is interdisciplinary with a quantitative emphasis, incorporating political science, economics, computer science, business, and statistics. Other possible disciplines, depending on a student’s concentration, include sociology, psychology, and education. The MPP program shares some core courses with the Master of Public Administration program in the areas of administrative theory, policy analysis, and public finance.

Specialization Electives (2 courses required: 6 credit hours)


The specialization and elective courses are selected by the student and must be approved by the department. Some examples of specializations include Education Policy, Energy Policy, Environmental Policy, Health Policy, Quantitative Methods, and Public Relations.

Internship (1 course required: 3 credit hours)


Internships must be approved in advance by the department.

Dual Degrees


Beginning in Fall 2016, the Master of Public Policy will be available as a joint degree with the Master of Social Work. Additional dual degree options are being developed and will be announced.

Dual degree programs allow students to earn two degrees in less time than it would take to complete them sequentially. Students interested in this option must be admitted separately to each of the programs and admission to one has no official bearing on admission to the other.

For more detailed information concerning this degree program, please visit the Master of Public Policy program website.

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