The JU MPP Degree is a two-year program for full time students. It
includes 10 core courses, a summer internship after the first year of classes,
a capstone policy project with a real world client organization or traditional
policy research thesis, and elective courses which include one policy-oriented
law school course at the Florida Coastal School of Law. The JU MPP curriculum
stresses substantive knowledge, core skills and real world experience.
The JU MPP core curriculum is interdisciplinary
in nature and designed to provide JU MPP students with the fundamental substantive
knowledge that is essential to public policy analysis and decision-making. This
substantive knowledge includes microeconomics, public finance, political
science, statistics, legal processes and foundations, public institutions,
ethics and leadership. The core curriculum is also designed to provide JU MPP students
core skills in policy analysis, quantitative methods, policy research, and
leadership. Along with the summer internship, capstone policy project and
elective courses, JU MPP students are prepared to for diverse career
opportunities in the public, private and non-profit sectors as leaders,
managers and analysts.
Students considering an MPP degree should also understand the
difference between the MPP degree and a Master’s in Public Administration
(MPA). The MPA tends to focus on the implementation and execution of public
policy, with a core curriculum that emphasizes budgeting and management. The
MPP degree is focused on policy analysis and decision making, with a curriculum
which includes economics, quantitative methods and substantive policy courses.