CGU’s Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) degree begins and ends with purpose. As an MPP student, you’ll benefit from an emphasis on social justice and human flourishing, transdisciplinarity, a customizable curriculum that aligns with your passions, and proximity to the Los Angeles metropolitan area—a living laboratory of social and economic issues.
The MPP program will challenge you to think big, but also to think practically. You’ll learn to design and implement transformative public policies, as well as fashion and invigorate institutions and partnerships. Since tomorrow’s policy challenges do not inhabit any one academic domain, you’ll work across disciplines and out into the world, and learn to combine ideas and insights in new ways that matter.
CGU’s proximity to the Los Angeles metropolitan area will give you firsthand exposure to the most pressing social and economic issues—the growth of immigrant populations, urban environmental impacts like suburban sprawl, environmental injustice, green energy infrastructure, and education reform. In the MPP program, you’ll train with some of the world’s leading experts in these areas, and you can customize your learning experience by combining core courses and electives to align your passion and purpose with pressing social problems.
Program Highlights
Design your own specialization based on your interests: urban and regional development, poverty and inequality, public health, water policy, education, international development, and more.
Pursue your MPP in conjunction with another degree. Earn a PhD in psychology or a Master’s in Public Health. Apply units from one program to the other to decrease the required total units.
Prepare yourself for a high-impact career. CGU alums work in exciting positions in government, business, and non-profits—locally, nationally, and around the world.
Program at a Glance
UNITS
32 units
ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME*
1.5 years
*This estimate assumes full-time registration and pursuit of the degree. Actual completion times will vary and may be higher, depending on full- or part-time course registration, units transferred, and time to complete other degree requirements.
Explores how policy analysis can help us devise better public policies—and then make them work in practice.
PP 330
Public Policy Process
Examines how policy is formed, framed, and filtered in the American political system. Various theories and models of policy making are examined and compared.
PP 482
Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
Examines regression analysis, focusing partly on theoretical issues and partly on practical problems in applied regression to prepare students for advanced study of econometric techniques.
PP 336
Water Finance, Law and Equity
Presents an interdisciplinary approach to state and local water policy and resource management by integrating policymaking processes, finance, law, and the practical management of water systems.
SPE 315
Game Theory
Analyzes the strategic interaction between individuals, firms, governments, and other groups of people.
TNDY 405C
Wealth, Poverty, and Inequality
Surveys the diverse literature on income inequality to develop a nuanced understanding of the issue and, ultimately, develop a policy proposal to manage rising income inequality with a multifaceted approach.
Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Public Policy is a 32-unit (up to 40 if students lack prerequisites) degree program that builds knowledge of current government programs and debates about them. This degree can be completed in 18 months (full-time) or 2 years (part-time).
Core Courses (20 units)
PP330 Public Policy Process
PP338 Policy Design and Implementation
Multivariate Regression Analysis (PP482 or INST483)
Advanced Applied Data Analysis (PP487)
Transdisciplinary Capstone (PP488 TNDY488)
Evaluation (4 units)
PP331 Policy Evaluation OR SPE 381 Cost-Benefit Analysis
MPP Pathways (8 units)
Advanced Analysis pathway
Social Justice and Inequality pathway
Environmental and Water Policy pathway
Health Policy pathway
Leadership and Flourishing pathway
Prerequisites
Statistics and Microeconomics, which can be met at CGU via SPE 313 Microeconomics and Public Policy or Econ313 Microeconomics (requires math), and PP481 or INST481 Quantitative Research Methods
Faculty & Research
Heather E. Campbell
Professor, Department of Politics & Government
Director, Division of Politics & Economics
Field Chair, Public Policy
Thornton F. Bradshaw Chair
Research Interests
Public Policy, Urban Environmental Policy, Environmental Justice
Professor of Practice, Community and Global Health
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Director of the Certificate and Master of Public Health (MPH) programs
Research Interests
Evaluation of Health Communication Campaigns, Effects of Pro- and Anti-Tobacco and Alcohol Marketing; Public Health Education Accreditation
