in person

Public Policy

MA in Public Policy

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

  • 32 units

    required units

  • MA in Public Policy

    degree awarded

  • In Person

    modality

  • Spring, Summer, Fall

    program start

  • 1.5 years | full time*

    estimated completion time

Where You Can Find Our Alumni

Faculty

  • Heather Campbell

    Heather E. Campbell

    Thornton F. Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy
    Director, Division of Politics & Economics

    Research Interests

    Public Policy, Urban Environmental Policy, Environmental Justice

  • Robert Klitgaard Portrait

    Robert Klitgaard

    University Professor

    Research Interests

    Public Policy, Economic Strategy, Institutional Reform, Corruption

  • Portrait of Darleen Peterson

    Darleen V. Peterson

    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

  • Javier Rodríguez

    Associate Professor
    Field Chair for Policy

    Research Interests

    Public & Health Policy, Social Inequality, Quantitative Methods for Social Science Research

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)

  • Public Policy Process (4 units)
  • Policy Design and Implementation (4 units)
  • Multivariate Regression Analysis (4 units)
  • Advanced Applied Data Analysis (4 units)
  • Transdisciplinary Capstone (4 units)

Evaluation (4 units)

Policy Evaluation (4 units) OR Cost-Benefit Analysis (4 units)

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 Microeconomics and Public Policy or Microeconomics (requires math) and Quantitative Research Methods.

Application Guidelines

University Requirements
Application Fee

$80 (fee is non-refundable)

Official Transcripts

Undergraduate/graduate

Applicants must submit a sealed, official transcript from every undergraduate and graduate institution that has granted the applicant a degree. Electronic transcripts sent to admissions@cgu.edu are also accepted. For undergraduate coursework, applicants are required to submit proof of a completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Unofficial copies of transcripts are accepted for review purposes, but official copies will be required upon admission.

Applicants currently earning a degree that will be completed prior to attending CGU are required to submit a transcript showing work in progress for evaluation purposes. Once the degree has been granted, a final official transcript documenting the degree conferred must be submitted to CGU.

International applicants are advised to review the International Transcript Guidelines for additional information on submitting international transcripts.

English Proficiency Exam

Required (international applicants only)

A valid score on one of the following examinations TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson PTE, Duolingo English Test is required of all non-native English-speaking applicants. The examination is not required for the following applicants:

  • Citizens or permanent residents of countries where English is the sole official language of instruction, e.g., Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, Uganda, and Wales (see the CGU Bulletin for a complete list of accepted countries).
  • Applicants who hold an undergraduate or advanced degree, or will have earned such a degree prior to enrolling at CGU, from an institution in the US or in countries where English is the sole official language of instruction (see above).
  • Applicants who have successfully completed an academic English pre-master’s or intensive graduate bridge program from a nationally recognized, regionally accredited four-year college or university in the United States in the last two years, with submitted evidence of successful completion, and subject to curriculum approval.
  • CGU allows for an English proficiency waiver if the applicant has received, or will receive prior to enrollment at CGU, an undergraduate or advanced degree from an institution where English is one of the primary languages of instruction for the majority of courses in the student’s program. To receive the waiver, documentation must be provided by the applicant to show that English is the language of instruction at their university/college.

CGU’s school code for the TOEFL exam is 4053.

International applicants are encouraged to visit our International Applicants page for more information, including score requirements.

Resume

Applicants must submit an up-to-date copy of their resume.

Program Requirements
Statement of Purpose

Please submit a 2-3 page statement of purpose that details your academic and/or professional achievements, your specific areas of research interest within your desired field of study, why you are a strong candidate for graduate studies at CGU, and your career goals.

Letter of Recommendation

2 letters required

When filling out the online application, please enter references acquainted with your potential for success who will submit a written recommendation on your behalf. In most academic departments, references from faculty members who can speak to your academic ability are preferred; applicants with substantial work experience may request professional references. Please do not enter family members as references.

You will be required to input information for your recommenders (whether they are submitting online or not) in the “Recommendations” section of the online application. Please follow the directions in this section carefully before clicking on “Recommendation Provider List” to input the names and contact information for each recommender. You will have an opportunity to indicate if the reference writer will be submitting online. These reference writers will receive an email from CGU with instructions on submitting an online recommendation.

Recommenders who are indicated as offline will not receive an email from CGU with instructions to submit. These reference writers can submit via traditional mail and should use the supplemental New Student Recommendation Form. Recommenders can also email their letter of recommendation to the Office of Admissions at admissions@cgu.edu.

Download the Recommendation Form

Standardized Test Scores

GRE (optional)

For applicants applying to begin in a 2024 term, standardized test scores are not required for this program. Applicants who have taken the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test are invited to submit scores but are not required to do so.

Applicants who feel that their Grade Point Averages do not adequately represent their ability to succeed in a graduate program may find it helpful to submit GRE scores for consideration.

CGU’s school code:
ETS (GRE and TOEFL) 4053

Key Dates & Deadlines

CGU operates on a priority deadline cycle. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit complete applications by the priority dates in order to assure maximum consideration for both admission and fellowships.

Once the priority deadlines have passed, the University will continue to review applications for qualified candidates on a competitive, space-available basis. The final deadlines listed are the last date the University can accept an application in order to allow sufficient time to complete the admissions, financial aid, and other enrollment processes.

Spring 2025
Priority Deadline – November 1, 2024
Final Deadline (International) – November 15, 2024
Final Deadline (Domestic) – December 1, 2024
Classes begin – January 21, 2025

Summer 2025
Priority Deadline – February 1, 2025
Final Deadline (International) – March 1, 2025
Final Deadline (Domestic) – April 1, 2025
Classes begin – May 19, 2025

Fall 2025
Priority Deadline – February 1, 2025
Final Deadline (International) – July 5, 2025
Final Deadline (Domestic) – August 1, 2025
Classes begin – August 25, 2025

Apply Now

Cost & Aid

ESTIMATED TUITION (CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, NON-RESIDENTS, INTERNATIONAL)
Program 36 units
Tuition per unit* $2,020

*Based on 2024-2025 tuition rates.

 

STUDENT FEES (PER SEMESTER)
$245 Student Fee
$150 Technology Fee
International Student Services Fee*: $661 fall semester, $776 spring semester
**Applies to all international students (F-1 visa only) who are registered in coursework, doctoral study, or continuous registration. The fee is assessed each fall and spring semester for annual ISO accident and sickness plans and administrative fees. Subject to change.

For estimates of room & board, books, etc., please download CGU’s Cost of Attendance 2024-2025.

Review General Costs

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