Masters of Public Policy (MPP) Program
Students in the Masters of Public Policy (MPP) program are required to complete sixteen courses. This includes eight required courses (six core courses plus two credit-bearing internship and research workshop courses) and eight electives which the student choose. The required classes are shown below, along with brief course descriptions:
MPP Required Courses:
- Institutions and Policymaking (PP2000)
-how political, social, and economic institutions structure policymaking, with examples from different policy areas - Economics and Public Policy (PP2010)
-application of economic reasoning to public policy, including microeconomics and public economics - Public Budgeting and Management (PP2020)
-how public organizations are managed and budgeted, with studies of selected policy agencies - Statistics (PP2030)
-social and economic statistics and their role in research - Policy Analysis (PP2040)
-program evaluation and policy analysis of various issue areas - Social Science Data Technologies (PP2600)
-applied use of data sources, software, analysis, and interpretation - Internship (PP2800)
-practical job experience in the public, private, or non-profit sector - Research Workshop (PP2900)
-group policy analysis projects centering on topics organized by the instructor. This includes policy analysis of particular agencies, data analysis of a policy area, and program evaluation of a policy topic.
We have designed the Masters program so that students have a number of electives they can choose to develop expertise in their areas of particular interest. This includes seminars in public policy and courses in related areas such as political science, economics, sociology, history, law, education, urban studies, and community health. The following chart lists some of the methodology, institutions, and policy courses that are offered regularly:
Approved Electives for Areas of Specialization
It is suggested, but not required, that students select an area of specialization that especially
interests them. The following is a list of approved elective courses for master’s students. The courses are
organized broadly by topic.
Economic Policy
Economics 2050
Microeconomics I
Economics 2080
Macroeconomics II
Economics 2130
Topics in Monetary Economics
Economics 2260
Political Economy
Economics 2330
Topics in Labor Economics
Economics 2360
Economics of Health and Population
Economics 2410
Urban Economics
Economics 2420
Urban Economics II
Economics 2480
Public Economics
Economics 2510
Economic Development 1
Economics 2520
Economic Development II
Economics 2530
Economic Analysis of Nonmarket Institutions
Political Science 1820H
Contraband Capitalism: States and Illegal Global Markets
Public Policy 1700C
The Internet and Public Policy
Public Policy 1700D
The Economics of Health Policy
Public Policy 2200
The Political Economy of Punishment
Education Policy
Education 1210
Public Education and People of Color in U.S. History
Education 1650
Policy Implementation in Education
Education 1680
Politics and Public Education
Education 1760
Education and Public Policy
Education 2130
Issues and Trends in Elementary Education
Education 2330
Urban Politics and School Government
Education 2340
Human Development and Urban Education
Education 2350
Economics and Education
Education 2360
Policy Analysis and Program Analysis for Education
Portuguese & Brazilian Studies2020C
Educational Leadership in Diverse Settings: Research, Policy, and Practice
Public Policy 1700G
Education Policy Challenges
Public Policy 2170
Leadership
University Course 1700
Transformation of the Research University
Environmental Policy
Environmental Studies 1530
From Locke to Deep Ecology: Property Rights and Environmental Policy
Environmental Studies 1700A
Community and Environmental Health Research Ethics
Environmental Studies 1710
Environmental Health and Policy
Environmental Studies 1920
Analysis & Resolution of Environmental Problems
Environmental Studies 2010
Special Topics in Environmental Studies
History 1790
North American Environmental History
Sociology 1870I
Contested Environmental Illness—Research Seminar
Health Policy
Community Health 1680E
Conceptual Issues in Health Policy: Occupational & Environmental Health
Community Health 1680I
Pathology to Power: Disability, Health, and Community
Community Health 1680N
Tobacco, Smoking, and the Evil Empire
Community Health 1680P
Case Studies in Public Health: The Role of Government, Community, and the Profession
Community Health 1700
Environmental Health and Policy
Community Health 2090
Development of a Research Proposal in Public Health
Community Health 2180
Critical Epidemiology
Community Health 2300
Ethics and Public Health
Community Health 2350
Decision Analysis Public Health Policy and Practice
Community Health 2360
Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Interventions
Community Health 2400
Determinants and Consequences of Changing U.S. Health Care System
Community Health 2410A
Analyzing Population Data for Health Policy
Community Health 2420
Health Program and Policy Analysis
Community Health 2720
Health Policy and Advocacy
Economics 2360
Economics of Health and Population
Public Policy 1700D
The Economics of Health Policy
Public Policy 1700K
Health Policy Challenges
Sociology 1540
Human Needs and Social Services
Sociology 1550
Sociology of Medicine
University Course 1160
Drug and Alcohol Addiction in the American Consciousness
Law and Public Policy
History 1850
American Legal and Constitutional History
Political Science 1821T
Criminal Justice System
Political Science 1820D
Civil Liberties: Moral, Political and Legal Approaches
Public Policy 1700N
Legal Policy Challenges
Public Policy 1700T
Good Government
Public Policy 1700W
Privacy in Networked Society
Public Policy 2200
The Political Economy of Punishment
Methods of Analysis and Organizational Theory
Community Health 2060
Qualitative Methods in Health Research
Community Health 2500
Introduction to Biostatistics
Community Health 2501
Introduction to Multivariate Regression
Community Health 2502
Regression Analysis Discrete and Event Time Data
Community Health 2510
Principles of Biostatistics and Data Analysis
Community Health 2511
Applied Regression Analysis
Economics 2530
Economic Analysis of Nonmarket Institutions
Economics 2610
Applied Econometrics
Education 2320
Quantitative Research Methods and Data Analysis
Education 2360
Education Policy Analysis
Public Policy 1700J
GIS and Public Policy
Public Policy 2130 Organizations and Policymaking Public Policy 2170
Strategic Communication
Public Policy 2550
Managing and Leading in Public Affairs
Sociology 1870J
Decision Making in Organization
Sociology 2610
Spatial Thinking in Social Science
Sociology 2960D
Organizations and Disasters
Sociology 2960G
Spatial Data Analysis Techniques in the Social Sciences
Political Institutions
Political Science 1821T
Criminal Justice System
Political Science 1820D
Civil Liberties: Moral, Political & Legal Approaches
Political Science 1820J
The Dynamics of Agenda Building
Political Science 1821G
Representation, Parties, and Interest Groups
Political Science 2070
Black Political Participation
Political Science 2090G
Readings in American Institutions
Political Science 2090H
Readings in Comparative Politics
Public Policy 1700N
Legal Policy Challenges
Public Policy 1700O
Shaping Policy: Political Institutions in the United States
Public Policy 1700T
Good Government
Public Policy 1700U
Communications, Advocacy, and Public Affairs
Public Policy 1700V
Non Profit Organizations
Public Policy 1700W
Privacy in Networked Society
Public Policy 1700Y
Crisis Management
Public Policy 1700Z
State and Local Government
Public Policy 2150
Strategic Communication
Public Policy 2170
Leadership
Public Policy 2200
The Political Economy of Punishment
Public Policy 2250
United States National Security
Public Policy 2550
Managing and Leading in Public Affairs
Social Policy
American Civ. 1610S
Immigration to the United States from the Sixteenth Century to the Present
Economics 2330
Topics in Labor Economics
Economics 2530
Economic Analysis of Nonmarket Institutions
Political Science 2190
Welfare States in Old and New Democracies
Political Science 2210
Race, Ethnicity, and Politics
Public Policy 1700B
Social Welfare Policy in the United States
Public Policy 1700C
The Internet and Public Policy
Public Policy 1700E
American Housing Policy
Public Policy 1700W
Privacy in Networked Society
Public Policy 1700X
Social Movements and Ethnic Conflict
Public Policy 2200
The Political Economy of Punishment
Sociology 2260E
Race and Ethnicity in the United States
Sociology 2280
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Population
Sociology 2300
Welfare States
Sociology 2360
Fertility
Sociology 2960D
Organizations and Disasters
Sociology 2960E
Poverty as Social Inequality
Urban Studies 1870F
Housing and Homelessness
Urban Policy
Economics 2410
Urban Economics
Education 2330
Urban Politics and Urban Education Policy
History 1974F
The Urban Crisis and American Political Culture, 1932-1984
Political Science 2070
Black Political Participation
Political Science 2210
Race, Ethnicity, and Politics
Political Science 2220
Urban Politics
Public Policy 1700Q
Urban Policy Challenges
Public Policy 1700R
Urban Revitalization: Lessons from the Providence Plan
Public Policy 1700X
Social Movements and Ethnic Conflict
Sociology 2260E
Race and Ethnicity in the United States
Sociology 2960C
Urban Sociology
Sociology 2960E
Poverty as Social Inequality
Urban Studies 1870M
Urban Regimes in the American Republic
Urban Studies 1870F
Housing and Homelessness
Urban Studies 1870D
Downtown Development
Urban Studies 1870I
The Changing American City
Urban Studies 1870E
Green Cities: Parks and Designed Landscapes in Urban America
U.S. Foreign Policy and International Relations
International Relations 1280
Global Security After the Cold War
International Relations 1800V
The United States in World Politics
Political Science 1400
North Atlantic Politics: Europe, America , Transatlantic Relations
Political Science 1820B
Roots of Radical Islam
Political Science 1820H
Contraband Capitalism: States and Illegal Global Markets
Public Policy 2250
U.S. National Security Policy
|
General Elective Courses |
||
|
Methodology |
Policymaking Institutions |
Substantive Policy |
| BC132 Survey Research | PS110 Congress | EC116 Managerial Economics |
| BC203/213 Bio Statistics | PS111 Mass Media | EC121 Macroeconomics |
| BC207/208/216 Regression | PS113 Presidency | EC122 Monetary Policy |
| BC236 Evaluating Public Health | PS116 Legal System | EC148 Public Economics |
| BC237 Applied Methods | PS210 American Politics | EC180 Politics and Finance |
| BC242 Health Policy Analysis | PS182-38 Civil Liberties | EC205/206/209 Microeconomics |
| BC252/253 Data Analysis | EC207/208 Macroeconomics | |
| EC163/164/203/204 Econometrics | EC248 Public Economics | |
| ED110 Qualitative Methods | HI178 Modernizing America | |
| ED111 Statistics | PS105 Ethics and Policy | |
| ED116 Impact of Social Program | PS108 Transportation Policy | |
| PP170-1 Geographic Information Systems and Public Policy | PS114 Public Opinion | |
| PS200 Strategies of Inquiry | PS131 African-American Politics | |
| SO187-33 Geographic Information Systems | PS202 American Political Development | |
| SO201 Multivariate Methods | PS226 Issue Containment | |
| SO221 Qualitative Methods | PS182-23 Agenda Building | |
| PS182-7 Rhode Island Government | ||
| SO103 Organizational Theory | ||
| SO106 Leadership | ||
| SO140 Political Sociology | ||
| SO187-31 Management | ||
Additionally, students can specialize in one of three different tracks (education policy, health care and human services, and urban policy). Students can use research projects, internships, and elective courses to develop specialized knowledge in these areas. The following chart lists a number of courses that can be used as electives in the areas of education, health care/human services, and urban policy:
|
Policy Track Electives |
||
|
Education Policy |
Health Care/Human Services |
Urban Policy |
|
AC190-1 Nostalgic Campus |
AC190-2 Children and Childhood | AC153 Auto in American Life |
| ED102 History of Am Education | BC168-1 Public Health | AC161-4 Making America |
| ED113 Analyzing Education Policy | BC168-5 Health Policy | AC161-9 Civil Rights Movement |
| ED115 Education, Economy, and School Reform | BC168-11 Comparative Health | EC141 Urban Economics |
| ED120 History School Reform | BC240 Health Care Systems | HI183 American Urban History |
| ED121 Public Education and People of Color | EC117 Welfare Economics | PP170-1 Urban Revitalization |
| ED164 Public Schools and Politics | EC131 Labor Economics | PS131 African American Politics |
| ED173 Higher Education in Historical Context | EC136 Health Economics | PS207 Black Political Participation |
| ED176 Education and Public Policy | EC232 Labor Economics | US187-5 Downtown Development |
| PP170-13 Education Policy | HI284 US Social History | US187-11 American City |
| PP 210: " Educational Leadership in Diverse Settings | PP170-15 Fiscal Federalism | |
| PP170-10 Housing Policy | ||
| PP170 Health Policy | ||
| PS208 Politics of Child Abuse | ||
| SO155 Sociology of Medicine | ||
| SO154 Human Needs | ||
| SO231 Health Institutions | ||
Students interested in education policy can draw on courses and research opportunities in the Department of Education, Education Alliance, and Annenberg Institute. Those interested in health care and human services could take advantage of connections with the Department of Community Health, School of Medicine, and Center for Gerontology. Urban policy specialists could tap into the range of urban teaching and research at Brown through the Program in Urban Studies and Center for Population Studies, as well as the departments of Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Education, History, and American Civilization.
The table below shows the course sequencing for the Masters of Public Policy. We want students to fulfill the basic core courses during the first year to prepare them for more intensive work to follow. Completion of electives will be enhanced by fundamental skills acquired through the core courses.
|
MPP Course Sequencing |
Fall |
Spring |
| Year One | Institutions and Policymaking Statistics Public Budget/Management Elective |
Economics and Public Policy |
| Year Two | Applied Research Internship Elective Elective |
Research Workshop Elective Elective Elective |