The Master of Public Policy (MPP) is primarily a face-to-face, campus-based program, designed to prepare students for professional careers as policy analysts, policy evaluators, and leaders in the public sector. Students will learn and apply evidence-based public policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation framework in a range of policy domains including urban policy, environmental policy, educational policy, health policy, transportation policy, economic development policy, immigration policy, disaster policy, homeland security policy, science and technology policy, criminal justice policy, international/global policy, etc. The MPP will serve as a platform to adequately prepare students for doctoral studies in public administration.
Students will enhance and practice their knowledge and skills through the development of various core competencies including public policy and governance, law and economic principles, research methods and tools, program analysis and evaluation, organization management and network analysis, public leadership and decision-making process and specific courses dedicated to unique topics within public policy.
The Master of Public Policy (MPP) consists of 36 credit hours. Each student completes a core of six courses (18 credit hours), one Capstone Experience course (3 credit hours) and an advanced curriculum of electives (15 credit hours).
The face-to-face courses are offered in the evenings during the week at the UCF Downtown campus. The MPP program incorporates group projects in courses intended to develop leadership abilities while also providing an opportunity to demonstrate how students work as part of a team in most courses. These projects promote important intellectual and social skills and help to prepare students for work in a world in which teamwork and collaboration are increasingly the norms.
Total Credit Hours Required: 36 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree
Degree Requirements
Required Core Courses (See Program Details for Course Prerequisites)
18 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- PAD6700 - Research Methods in Public Administration (3)
- PAD6701 - Analytical Techniques for Public Administration (3)
- PAD6035 - Public Administration in the Policy Process (3)
- PAD6307 - Public Policy Analysis and Management (3)
- PAD6327 - Public Program Evaluation Techniques (3)
- PAD6616 - Economic Principles for Public Policy and Management (3)
Capstone
3 Total Credits
- Students will engage in a capstone experience that builds upon the knowledge and skills gained from completing the core courses in the MPP program. Students will complete this requirement through enrollment in PAD 6848 - Policy Analysis Capstone. The Capstone Experience course is offered in fall and spring semesters only and should be taken following the completion of all core courses. It may not be combined with a core course in the same semester.
Course
3 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- PAD6848 - Policy Analysis Capstone (3)
Electives
9 Total Credits
- Complete at least 3 of the following:
- PAD5337 - Urban Design (3)
- PAD6234 - Public Capital and Debt (3)
- PAD6037 - Public Organization Management (3)
- PAD6053 - Foundations of Public Administration (3)
- PAD6227 - Public Budgeting (3)
- PAD6238 - Revenue Policy and Administration (3)
- PAD6260 - Fundamentals of Public Sector Accounting (3)
- PAD6335 - Strategic Planning and Management (3)
- PAD6439 - Leadership in Public Service (3)
- PAD6036 - Change Management in Public Organizations (3)
Policy Specialization Electives
6 Total Credits
- Select from the following courses or courses otherwise approved by the Program Director (3 Credit Hours each). Students take two policy specialization courses to focus on a specific policy domain, including but not limited to, Urban Policy, Economic Development Policy, Environmental and Energy Policy, Transportation Policy, Education Policy, Health Policy, Science and Technology Policy, Disaster Policy, and Criminal Justice Policy.
Courses
6 Total Credits
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- PAD5337 - Urban Design (3)
- PAD5356 - Managing Community and Economic Development (3)
- CCJ6106 - Policy Analysis in Criminal Justice (3)
- CCJ6485 - Issues in Justice Policy (3)
- PAD6339 - Housing Development and Planning (3)
- PAD6353 - Environmental Planning and Policy (3)
- PAD6387 - Transportation Policy (3)
- PAD6398 - Hazard Analysis and Disaster Planning (3)
- PAD6399 - Foundations of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (3)
- PHC6146 - Health Planning and Policy (3)
- PAD6357 - Urban Resilience (3)
- PAD5930 - Global Cities (3)
- PAD6826 - Urban Policy and Regional Governance (3)
- PAD5887 - Energy Policy (3)
Grand Total Credits: 36
Application Requirements
Application Deadlines
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
Program Requirements
Students must achieve a grade of "B-" (80%) or higher in every course listed under core requirements and in the Capstone Experience course.
Students must maintain a program of study and graduate status GPA of 3.0 or higher and can only graduate with a graduate status GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The School of Public Administration incorporates service-learning into some courses. Service-learning is a teaching method that provides a means for every student to enhance his or her academic program with experiential learning opportunities. Service-learning provides an opportunity for students to work with community partners by collecting and compiling data and producing quality products that will be beneficial to both students and organizations.
Students are expected to be computer literate and have computer internet access upon entry to the program.
Shared /Transfer Credit Policy
Students interested in pursuing more than one master’s program must be aware of the transfer or shared credit policy in the Policy section of the graduate catalog. Only a maximum of 9 credit hours may be used to fulfill the requirements of 2 master’s degrees. In no case can hours be used to fulfill the requirements of more than 2 degrees.
Independent Learning
Independent learning is demonstrated throughout the curriculum through the process of inquiry, dialogue, and service-learning. Tangible projects, such as scholarly research, papers, internships, and the capstone experience also contribute to the self-development of MPP students. The research paper and Learning and Professional Development Portfolio in the Capstone Experience focus on creating, reviewing, and analyzing contemporary issues in Public Policy.
