Master of Public Policy (MPP) UC San Diego School Of Global Policy & Strategy

The MPP is a two-year, full-time professional degree program. Constructing the scaffolding for policymaking in a global context is the critical component of the MPP. It will prepare students with the skills needed to compare best practices in the U.S., Latin America, Asia and beyond.

Our faculty is go-to experts for the public, private and intergovernmental sectors, creating design and evaluation methodology of public policy around the globe. The MPP degree combines this social science policy expertise with our campus strengths in STEM and health sciences.

Program Overview

The MPP requires 92 units for completion. All students take eight required core courses in their first year and a capstone research seminar in the second. Students must choose a minimum of one area of specializations. Although proficiency in a foreign language is not required, 24 units may be counted toward the degree as long as the language matches an elective regional or country specialization.

Core Curriculum

Core Courses: All candidates must complete the following courses with a C- or better. The courses listed below are completed in the first year of study.

• Policy Making Processes
• Microeconomics for Policy and Management
• Market Failures and Policy Interventions
• Policy Analysis and Public Welfare
• Public Finance
• Policy Analysis and Decision Theory
• Quantitative Methods I
• Quantitative Methods II
• Public Policy Capstone

Areas of Specialization

Areas of specialization include(s):

• American and Comparative Business Regulation
• Environmental Policy
• Health Policy
• Inequality and Social Policy
• Peace and Security
• Program Design and Evaluation