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Public Policy Online
MPP

Earn your master’s degree from UMassD

The UMass Dartmouth online Master of Public Policy (MPP) program provides preparation for advancement or employment in state, federal and municipal governments. It also is well suited for leadership of nonprofit organizations, non-governmental organizations, and business, trade and labor associations. The course of study focuses on policy analysis, applied research and public management skills.

The MPP degree is offered fully online.

The GRE requirement is waived for students successfully completing a UMass Dartmouth Public Policy online certificate:

Curriculum

UMass Dartmouth online Master of Public Policy students must complete 12 courses.

Students holding a Public Policy certificate from UMass Dartmouth will receive credit for each certificate class with a grade of 3.0 or higher.

Master of Public Policy students must choose one of the following concentrations:

  • Educational Policy
  • Environmental Policy
  • Public Management

More information is available on the Public Policy Department website.

Career Opportunities

The MPP degree can help you progress within your career or move into a new career and leadership responsibilities in:

  • Local, state, and federal agencies, offices, and departments
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Non-governmental organizations
  • Business, trade and labor associations

Sample Course Offerings

Courses offered in the Master of Public Policy program include (course offerings subject to change):

  • Administrative Law
  • Organizational Behavior in Educational Settings
  • Policy Analysis
  • Regional Economic Development Policy
  • Research Methods for Public Policy

UMassD advantages

Customize your education and receive the help and guidance to finish as planned:

  • Value and affordability of a UMass education
  • One-on-one personal advising from enrollment through graduation
  • Military friendly, with leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience
  • Limited class size ensures individualized interaction with professors

Rankings

Candidates must submit the required application materials and application fee. Applications are reviewed and judged on the following criteria:

  • Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
  • Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. Note: applicants who have earned a graduate certificate from the UMass Dartmouth Department of Public Policy will have the application fee waived.
  • Statement of Purpose, minimum 600-900 words, explaining the your interest in the program, purpose for applying to the program, graduate study objectives, if you have previous policy-related or public management experience, and undergraduate preparation for the course of study.
  • Resume
  • Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required. International students or students who earned degrees outside the USA will need a full evaluation (including course by course translation with grades and equivalencies) if transcript is not on US 4.0 grading scale.
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT): Applicants to the Master of Public Policy must submit GRE (general test), LSAT, or GMAT scores. The MPP will not require a minimum score for admission, but performance on the examination will be factored into the admissions process. Generally students should expect to score within the 50th percentile or higher overall on the examination. Official score reports must come directly from the testing agency. [UMass Dartmouth's GRE Code for reporting scores is 3786]. 
    • Note: applicants who have already earned a graduate degree from an accredited institution or have earned a graduate certificate from the UMass Dartmouth Department of Public Policy are not required to submit GRE, LSAT, or GMAT scores.
  • 2 letters of recommendation required. For recent recipients of the bachelor’s degree, at least one of the letters should be from a professor familiar with the student’s academic work. Applicants will be required to provide the recommenders name and email address so we can contact the recommender for the letter of recommendation.
    • Note: applicants who have successfully completed one of the graduate certificates offered by the Department of Public Policy do not need to submit letters of recommendation.
  • International students: official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. The Duolingo test is not accepted for the following programs: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies & Theory, Marine Science and Technology (MS, PSM, PhD), Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Portuguese Studies, Professional Writing and Communication, Psychology (ABA, Clinical, Research), and Public Policy.

* All official documents are required for enrollment, please have documents (ie. test scores) sent prior to the expiration.

University requirements for graduate admissions

  • Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
  • Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. For Nursing applicants, the non-refundable application fee is $75.
  • Statement of Purpose, minimum 300 words. Unless otherwise indicated in the program requirement details, indicate your graduate study objectives, research interests and experience, and business or industry experience if applicable. If you are applying for a teaching or research assistantship, include any special skills or experience that would assist us in making assistantship decisions.
  • Resume
  • Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required. International students applying with an transcript evaluation, please submit that document with your unofficial transcripts. International applicants for Data Science must submit semester-by-semester transcripts as well as consolidated transcripts. 
  • Many programs have specific recommendations/requirements, please see the additional program-specific requirements for more information.
  • International students: official TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Pearson PTE or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. We require an overall/total minimum score of 72 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.0 on the IELTS or a 52 on the Pearsons PTE Academic for entrance to any program and a minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.5 on the IELTS for consideration for a teaching assistantship. Some programs require higher minimum scores (see program-specific requirements). Most programs also accept the Duolingo with a minimum score of 95. The following programs do not accept the Duolingo: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Psychology: Clinical, and Public Policy. 
  • All official documents are required for enrollment, please have documents (ie. test scores) sent prior to the expiration. 

Program deadlines

Public Policy faculty

Chad McGuire
Chad McGuire
Devon Lynch
Devon Lynch
Kathryn Wassel
Kathryn Wassel, PhD
Mark Paige
Mark Paige, PhD
Nikolay Anguelov
Nikolay Anguelov, PhD

Learning style: online

Online courses are taught by UMass Dartmouth faculty to provide high quality instruction and personal attention. Students have the flexibility to accommodate work and home responsibilities within the structure of defined assignment due dates. The majority of our online courses are taught asynchronously.

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Course descriptions, schedules and requirements

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