Master of Public Policy

The Master of Public Policy degree provides students with education and training that prepares them for opportunities in professional positions in a wide variety of organizations, including federal, state, and local governments, private business, research institutes, think tanks, nonprofit organizations, community advocacy groups, foundations, and professional and trade associations.

The George Washington University consistently ranks among the top 20 universities with graduate programs in public affairs in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Public policy education at GW provides students with the ability to think clearly and analytically about social and economic problems and public policy. Students not only learn the basic analytical and methodological tools to engage in policy analysis; they also develop an understanding of the political processes through which policy is made and the social, economic and historical context in which problems arise and are addressed. Each student chooses a policy field that serves as an area in which he/she can apply these skills and gain substantive knowledge. However, the program is generalist rather than highly specialized; it provides students with the ability to quickly and successfully come to grips with policy problems across a wide range of issues.

The MPP program is interdisciplinary; the course of studies focuses on problems, policy alternatives, and solutions rather than on methodologies and approaches that are associated with a single academic discipline. Students have the opportunity to combine academic training with a wide array of practical experiences available in our nation's capital. The faculty have extensive professional contacts to aid students in job placement.

The MPP program is available at the George Washington University's main campus in downtown Washington, DC. It is not available as a distance-learning program.

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For more information that cannot be obtained from our website, please contact the
Assistant Director of Graduate Studies: Bethany Pope or the Trachtenberg School Director: Dr. Kathryn Newcomer.

• Curriculum
• Fields of Study
• Courses
• Student Handbook

MPA or MPP: Which degree is for you?