Public Policy MPP < Temple University

Learn more about the Master of Public Policy.

About the Program

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree provides training for individuals who seek public service careers in government or in private and nonprofit organizations that work on a continuous basis with legislatures and government agencies. The MPP curriculum provides students with the technical and analytical skills to be able to develop and assess proposed public policies and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and activities that governments at the federal, state and local levels undertake. The MPP also develops students’ appreciation for the political and administrative contexts in which issues reach the policy agenda and policies are formulated, adopted, implemented and evaluated.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years; part-time students may apply for extensions, if needed

Campus Location: Center City for in-person instruction or Online with a combination of asynchronous and synchronous evening components

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students complete the degree program through classes offered after 5:00 p.m. The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

Interdisciplinary Study: Courses are taken in Economics, Geography and Urban Studies, Political Science and other disciplines as needed. Students may also pursue the MPP as a dual degree with the Master of Public Health (MPH). Applicants for the dual degree must apply to each program separately and should consult the MPP website for further details.

Areas of Specialization: Students use their electives to specialize in a specific policy area or skill set.

Job Prospects: Students in the MPP program plan to seek entry-level jobs in government agencies as civil servants or in private and nonprofit organizations that work with federal, state and local governments, or may already have experience in government, private or nonprofit organizations and seek training and credentials to further develop their careers.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Prior to applying for admission, students sometimes want to take courses as non-degree students. Students are permitted to take up to 9 credits on a non-matriculated basis. If admitted to the program, students may have that coursework, with a grade of “B” or better, apply toward the MPP degree. Individuals who wish to take courses as non-matriculated students must first obtain the approval of the Director of the MPP program to determine if the individual stands a reasonable chance for admission to the program. Next, the prospective student must visit the Office of Continuing Studies with transcripts from all institutions attended, including the one that conferred the undergraduate degree, to be enrolled in the coursework.

Financing Opportunities: MPP students are not eligible for departmental assistantships, but may apply for a limited number of partial scholarships available from the program.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall:

March 1 – Application and Scholarship Deadline
April 15 – Late Application Deadline
June 15 – Final Application Deadline

Spring:

November 1 – Application Deadline
December 6 – Late Application Deadline

Applications are processed as they are received. Late applications may be considered for admission.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program. Whether delivered in person or online, curricula, admissions requirements and deadlines are the same for the Master of Public Policy program. In the application portal, applicants interested in the in-person MPP program should select “Master of Public Policy” from the drop-down menu, while those applying for the online MPP should select “Online MPP.”

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members or professionals familiar with academic competence. If applicants have finished their bachelor's or master's degree within the four years, at least one letter of recommendation should be obtained from a college/university faculty member or professional. For applicants with extensive administrative experience, the letters may come from supervisors or colleagues in the agency or organization where the applicant has been employed. Letters must be on official letterhead or include the recommender's full contact information: mailing address, phone and email.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate work is expected for consideration of the application to the program.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 500 to 1,000 words, share your interest in Temple's program, future career goals, and academic and work experience.

Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 100
IELTS Academic: 7.0
PTE Academic: 68

Resume: Current resume required.

Transfer Credit: Graduate coursework in public policy or public administration may be transferred from outside the University, provided that the credits were obtained no more than five years prior to the student's matriculation at Temple; the grades are "B" or better; and the course(s) for transfer are equivalent to those in Temple's curriculum. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 36

Required Courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses ¹
ECON 5102	Economic Decisions and Public Policy	3
GUS 5165	Community Based Program Evaluation	3
PLCY 8001	Statistics for Public Policy	3
PLCY 8118	The Policy-Making Process	3
PLCY 8119	Policy Analysis	3
PLCY 8123	Bureaucracy and Public Management	3
PLCY 8127	Public Policy Project	3
PLCY 8128	State and Local Budgeting	3
Electives		9
Internship
PLCY 5085	Internship in Public Policy	3
Total Credit Hours		36

¹: Students who matriculate into the in-person MPP program are permitted to take up to 6 credits of required core coursework online, excluding PLCY 8127. Requests to take required courses online must be approved in writing on a case-by-case basis.

Culminating Event:
Seminar Paper:
The Public Policy Project, completed in PLCY 8127, is undertaken in the student's last term in the MPP program. Students produce an original, full-length policy analysis for a client. Students attend a weekly seminar to report on their progress at each stage in the development of their policy analysis, receive feedback from other seminar participants, and provide advice to other students in the seminar.

Accelerated Programs

Undergraduate students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route.

The accelerated pathway for the Public Policy MPP is available to qualified undergraduate students.

Cohort Code: XMPP

Minimum Cumulative GPA: 3.50

Graduate Courses Approved to Count for Both Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
PLCY 8001	Statistics for Public Policy	3
PLCY 8118	The Policy-Making Process	3
PLCY 8119	Policy Analysis	3
ECON 5102	Economic Decisions and Public Policy	3
For Pennsylvania Capital and Washington Semester students, PLCY 5085 Internship in Public Policy (3 s.h.) may be substituted for any of the courses above with approval of the MPP Director.

Suggested Academic Plans

Junior Fall Start:

Plan of Study Grid
Year 3
Fall		Credit Hours
PLCY 8001	Statistics for Public Policy	3
	Credit Hours	3
Spring
ECON 5102	Economic Decisions and Public Policy	3
	Credit Hours	3
Year 4
Fall
PLCY 8118	The Policy-Making Process	3
	Credit Hours	3
Spring
PLCY 8119	Policy Analysis	3
	Credit Hours	3
	Total Credit Hours	12

Junior Spring start:

Plan of Study Grid
Year 3
Spring		Credit Hours
ECON 5102	Economic Decisions and Public Policy	3
	Credit Hours	3
Year 4
Fall
PLCY 8001	Statistics for Public Policy	3
	Credit Hours	3
Spring
PLCY 8119	Policy Analysis	3
	Credit Hours	3
	Total Credit Hours	9

Senior Fall start:

Plan of Study Grid
Year 4
Fall		Credit Hours
PLCY 8001	Statistics for Public Policy	3
PLCY 8118	The Policy-Making Process	3
	Credit Hours	6
Spring
ECON 5102	Economic Decisions and Public Policy	3
	Credit Hours	3
	Total Credit Hours	9

Admissions Criteria

Candidates for the +1 program must:

have a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA and, if a junior status entrant, must be able to complete their baccalaureate degree within two years of program entry; if a senior status entrant, must be able to complete their undergraduate degree within one year of program entry.
have three letters of support from full-time faculty who can vouch for the student's readiness for graduate work; one letter must come from a full-time instructor in the student's major.
submit a statement of goals, approximately 500 to 1,000 words, sharing your interest in the MPP program, future career goals, and academic and work experience.
submit a resume.
meet with the Director of the the MPP program.
have approval from the student's academic advisor that the student can use the 12 graduate credits towards their undergraduate degree without extending their degree.
be able to complete the graduate degree in one additional year plus a summer.

Students interested in applying to the program should reach out to the MPP program at mpp@temple.edu.

Application link: https://apply.temple.edu/CLA/Pages/Welcome.aspx