The Master of Arts in Public Policy (MAPP) cultivates understanding of how government can improve social and economic conditions and builds knowledge of policy, programs, and the debates surrounding them.
Good decisions in public policy depend on high-quality analysis. The appropriate design of public policies and the question of whether a policy does more harm than good in improving social and economic conditions are at the heart of our program. Our graduates emerge commanding extensive analytical skills relevant to the study of government and nonprofit programs. Our proximity to the Los Angeles metropolitan area gives 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, education reform, and more.
Program Highlights
Areas of emphasis include diversity, education, evaluation, and health, or you may create a self-designed track of study based on your interests.
Graduate-only education is offered in small, seminar-style classes taught by highly knowledgeable faculty-scholars.
Pursue your MA in conjunction with another degree, such as a PhD in Psychology. You earn a diploma for each degree and “double count” some units from one program to the other to decrease your required total units.
Racial, Ethnic & Social Minorities in American Politics
Examines the history and strategic position of minority groups in the American political system, focusing on African-Americans, Latinos, Gays, Lesbians, and Jews, to try to gain an understanding of the political history of each group.
PP 338
Policy Design and Implementation
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 309
Women & the Political Process
Provides an overview and a framework for understanding the many ways that women interact with the political system.
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.
SPE 315
Game Theory
Analyzes the strategic interaction between individuals, firms, governments, and other groups of people.
Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Public Policy is a 40-unit (10, 4-unit courses) 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 (12 units)
Public Policy Process (4 units)
Policy Design and Implementation (4 units)
Microeconomics and Public Policy (4 units)
Practical Experience: students who do not already have experience in the governmental or nonprofit sectors must gain such experience during the MAPP. This can be done in the following two ways:
Taking a class classified as a policy clinic OR
Doing an internship with a government or nonprofit organization sector
Research Methods (12 units)
Sequence 1
Quantitative Research Methods and Data Analysis
OR
Sequence 2
Probability, Statistics, and Econometrics
Policy Analytic Methods (8 units)
2 Policy Clinic classes such as Cost-Benefit Analysis or Game Theory
Areas of Substantive Emphasis (8 units)
Students choose one of the following areas of substantive emphasis:
Evaluation in Behavioral/Organizational Science
Education
Health Policy
Diversity Policy
Student-Designed Emphasis
Faculty & Research
Heather E. Campbell
Chair, Department of Politics & Government
Professor, Department of Politics & Government
Field Chair, Public Policy
Research Interests
Environmental policy, Public policy, Water policy, Racial profiling, Housing, K–12 education, Student evaluations of teaching, Public utility regulation
