Students in the Early Career (Master of Public Policy) program must complete 48 credits of approved courses, including the 6 Core courses listed below and the courses of one of the approved specializations listed on the next page.  (Early Career students in one of the School's joint degree programs have slightly different requirements.)

In addition, students must:

(a) attend the Policy Exercise, a non-credit workshop held at the start of the Fall semester;
(b) achieve at least a 3.0 GPA in all courses to be counted toward their degree;
(c) achieve at least a 3.0 GPA in all Core courses with no grade less than a “C”, and have no more than one “C” in all Core courses.
(d) be deemed by the Dean to be making adequate progress toward their degree based on their grades and completed credits to date; and
(e) complete all requirements within 5 years of beginning the program.

Core Courses

PUAF 610 “Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy” OR PUAF 611 “Quantitative Analysis of Social Policy Issues" (for those who have already mastered the topics covered in PUAF 610)

PUAF 620 “Political Institutions and Leadership”

PUAF 640 “Microeconomics and Policy Analysis” OR (with permission of Professor Ruth) PUAF 698M "Microeconomic Applications of Public Policy"

PUAF 641 “Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis” (required for students specializing in ISEP or IDEV) OR PUAF 670 “Finance” (required for students specializing in M&L, PSFM, or Social Policy)

PUAF 650 “Moral Dimensions of Public Policy” OR PUAF 698E "Proseminar in Politics, Philosophy & Public Policy" OR PUAF698J "Proseminar in Politics, Philosophy & Public Policy"

PUAF 711 “Public Management and Leadership”

Pre-Approved Specializations

• Environmental Policy
• International Security and Economic Policy
• International Development
• Leadership and Management
• Public Sector Financial Management
• Social Policy

Approved Specializations

Environmental Policy

• PUAF 740 “Public Policy and the Environment”
• PUAF 741 “Quantitative Aspects of Global Environmental Problems”
• PUAF 745 ”Human Health and the Environment”
• One Environmental Policy elective or other environmental course approved by the Environmental Policy Director

International Security and Economic Policy

• PUAF 720 “International Security Policy”
• PUAF 780 “American Foreign Policy Process”
• PUAF 781 “International Economic Policy”
• PUAF 790 "ISEP Project Course"
• One other ISEP course

International Development

• PUAF 698R "Development Challenges in the Globalization Process"
• PUAF 781 “International Economic Policy”
• PUAF 782 “International Development Economics”
• PUAF 790 "IDEV Project Course"
• One course from the list below:
  - PUAF 698x "Institutions, Governance, and Economic Development"
  - PUAF 698Q "Ethic, Development, and Foreign Aid"
  - PUAF 699Q "Demography"
  - PUAF 699S "The State in Development"
  - PUAF 744 "Environment and Development"

Leadership and Management (L&M)

• PUAF 692 “Leadership” OR PUAF 699L “Leading & Motivating People ”
• PUAF 698P “Issues in Information Policy & Technology”
• PUAF 752 “Managing Differences”
• PUAF 790 “MFL Project Course ”
• One course from the list below:
  - PUAF 699E “Financial System & Control”
  - PUAF 712 “Analysis of Fiscal Conditions”
  - PUAF 716 “State and Local Budgeting”
  - PUAF 717 “Federal Budgeting”

Public Sector Financial Management

• Three courses from the list below:
  - PUAF 699E “Financial System & Control”
  - PUAF 712 “Analysis of Fiscal Conditions”
  - PUAF 716 “State and Local Budgeting”
  - PUAF 717 “Federal Budgeting”
• One course from the list below:
  - PUAF 692 “Leadership”
  - PUAF 698P “Issues in Information Policy & Technology”
  - PUAF 699L “Leading & Motivating People”
  - PUAF 752 “Managing Differences”
• PUAF 790 “Project Course”

Social Policy

• PUAF 611 “Quantitative Analysis of Social Policy Issues”
• PUAF 734 “Foundations of Social Policy”
• PUAF 790 "Project Course"