|
|
2025-2026 Graduate Catalog
Public Policy, M.P.P.
|
|
Return to: 2130 Department of Public Management and Policy
Dr. K. Jurée Capers, Faculty Program Director
pmapmastersdirector@gsu.edu
The Master of Public Policy (MPP) is an interdisciplinary degree program designed to prepare students for work in the analysis, development, and evaluation of public policies. In all levels of government and on a global scale, public needs and limited resources require public policy choices that are at once economically efficient, socially and technically effective, and politically responsive. Such choices confront policymakers on a broad range of critical issues, including but not limited to health, education, economic development, the environment, and global affairs.
Decision-makers often lack the knowledge and skills needed to interpret the full social, political, economic, and technical dimensions of the policy issues they face. In response, state and local governments, business, and federal agencies have turned to trained policy analysts for assistance in assessing policy options and in evaluating public programs. The same is true for nonprofit agencies, such as hospitals, schools, and regional planning organizations.
Graduates of the MPP program typically work in analytical and leadership positions in a wide array of governmental, public service, private sector, consulting, and nonprofit organizations. Metropolitan Atlanta serves as a laboratory for students, who are encouraged to undertake field instruction and action research with public, private, and nonprofit agencies in the area. Opportunities are also available through the various research centers and community outreach efforts of the Andrew Young School. These opportunities enhance the education students receive and often open doors to attractive jobs.
|
Degree Requirements
The curriculum is a two-year course of study with a minimum of 36 hours of graduate coursework, comprised of 18 credit hours of required core courses, 3 credit hours of coursework in analytical and financial methods,12 credit hours in a specialization or 12 credit hours of PMAP elective courses, and 3 credit hours of capstone or thesis. Required Core Courses (18 Credit Hours)
Analytical or Financial Methods Elective (3 Credit Hours)
Choose one from the following: Elective Requirements (12 Credit Hours)
Students may choose a generalist degree that introduces them to a range of public policy and administration topics or specialize in a specific area of study. Students pursuing a generalist MPP degree must complete four PMAP courses as electives. Any 8000 level PMAP course except PMAP 8900 or 8991 can be taken to fulfill the elective requirement. Substitutions for non-PMAP courses require a complete petition request and Program Director approval. Students seeking to develop a special competency must complete four courses in one of the four specializations listed below. Students also have the option of developing an individualized specialization in consultation with the Master’s Faculty Program Director. Approval of an individual specialization is required. Students must complete the online graduate petition found here to request approval from the department. Global Affairs Specialization Courses
Choose four. Policy Analytics Specialization Courses
Choose four. Social Policy Specialization Courses
Choose four. Urban Planning and Policy Specialization Courses
Choose four. Capstone (3 Credit Hours) or Thesis (3-6 Credit Hours)
The course options for this requirement of the MPP ask students to demonstrate, in an applied setting, the knowledge and skills learned throughout the program. These courses serve as a final, summative assessment of student learning in the degree and are used for national accreditation. Students must take at least one of these courses and are advised to complete the requirement in the final two semesters of the degree program. Capstone
PMAP 8900 - Capstone: Advanced Projects for Public and Nonprofit Organizations - The capstone is a public service experience where students work on projects in teams to address important problems facing public and nonprofit organizations using the knowledge and skills gained in prior coursework. Projects vary based on the needs of the organization, but all require implementing a work plan with the client, collecting and analyzing data, developing findings and recommendations, writing a final report, and presenting findings to the client. Students must be in the last two semesters of their graduate program to take the course. Thesis
PMAP 8991 - Thesis : Candidates for the Master’s degree in Public Policy have the option to submit an approved thesis to complete the requirements for the degree. A thesis replaces the requirement for PMAP 8900 - Capstone: Advanced Projects for Public and Nonprofit Organizations , the option most students are encouraged to pursue. A thesis may be more appropriate for a student who expects to pursue a doctoral degree, although other students may also pursue this option. The decision to write a thesis is made by the student in consultation with and with the approval of the department’s Program Director for the Department of Public Management and Policy (PMAP). Before approval is given, the student must demonstrate that an appropriate member of the faculty of PMAP is willing to chair the thesis committee, and that two other appropriate faculty members are willing to serve on the committee. A student must have completed at least 18 hours of graduate credit in the MPP, including PMAP 8010 , PMAP 8011 , and PMAP 8121 , before registering for thesis hours. - Initiating a Thesis Proposal. Any student who is considering or planning to write a thesis should meet with the Director to discuss personal interests and career objectives and to learn more about the expectations and requirements for the thesis. That meeting should occur before the end of the student’s first year of master’s degree work or before twelve (12) semester hours of coursework have been completed. If approved to pursue a thesis, the student should follow these steps:
- Choose a topic with the assistance of the thesis committee chair. Students typically approach an instructor about a topic with the intent of asking the instructor to serve as the thesis chair. The thesis chair must hold primary appointment in PMAP as a tenured or tenure-track faculty member. The student should consult with the prospective thesis chair at least one full semester before planning to register for thesis hours.
- In consultation with the committee chair, the student should select and receive agreement to serve from two additional faculty members who have appropriate academic preparation and/or experience relative to the thesis topic. (A student may also elect to have more than three members on the committee.) Faculty from other departments or institutions or from a public or nonprofit agency may serve on the committee with the approval of the Director. Composition of the committee should be determined by the time the student has completed eighteen (18) semester hours of graduate credit.
- After selection of the committee, the student must submit to the Director the online Thesis Proposal and Committee Request Form for approval. The Director must approve the composition of the thesis committee and any subsequent changes to that composition.
- During registration, the PMAP staff will input the authorization on the system, and assist the student should through the registration process.
- Thesis Credit. Students may earn up to six (6) credit hours of thesis credit for PMAP 8991 . Three (3) of those credits replace PMAP 8900 and three (3) credits may be used for elective credits in the student’s concentration. Typically, the student should enroll for those credits in the last two semesters of his/her program.
- The chair of the thesis committee will submit a grade of either IP or U for the student enrolled in PMAP 8991 until the semester in which the thesis is defended and completed. A grade of “IP” indicates that the student did not complete the thesis during the semester, but was making satisfactory progress. A grade of “U” indicates that progress was unsatisfactory. At the end of the semester during which the thesis is defended and completed, the chair of the thesis committee will submit a grade of “S” or “U”. A grade of “S” indicates that the thesis was successfully completed and defended. A grade of “U” indicates that the thesis was not successfully defended or was not successfully completed following a successful defense. A student receiving a grade of “U” must petition for permission to register for additional thesis credits. Such permission is not automatic but depends upon the thesis committee chair’s determination that the student can complete the thesis satisfactorily in the succeeding semester. The grades of “IP” or “U” assigned to thesis work prior to the completion of the thesis will remain on the student’s record.
- Thesis Proposal. The choice of a thesis topic is the responsibility of the student, assisted by the committee chair. Typically, the student should have a reasonably well-defined topic in mind before requesting faculty to chair or serve on a thesis committee. That topic should take the form of a brief statement of the research problem and research design. The thesis committee must approve this statement before the student may register for thesis hours. The thesis proposal consists of the first three chapters of the thesis, including the introduction, the review of the literature, and discussion of methods and procedures. References also must be included. In addition, before any data collection or analysis can begin, the student must obtain approval from GSU’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) if the research involves human subjects. (Students are encouraged to seek IRB approval before completion of the thesis proposal, in consultation with the thesis committee chair.) The committee must approve the proposal before the student completes a significant amount of the data collection and/or analysis. The thesis committee chair and other members of the committee are responsible for providing guidance and assistance and ultimately for evaluating the thesis. The student is the investigator and author of the thesis.
- Thesis Standards and Style. The thesis constitutes a significant part of the work toward a Master’s degree and is the culmination of all other activities. The thesis must represent high standards of scholarly inquiry, technical mastery, and literary skill. It should be a contribution to the student’s area of study and should reflect the student’s independent efforts with guidance from the thesis committee. The thesis must conform either to the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Manual (latest edition) or to a citation style approved by the thesis committee. The thesis must comply with the format, style, and procedural instructions included in the Thesis Guidelines: aysps.gsu.edu/oaa/thesis-guidelines/.
- Final Defense. Every student who completes a thesis is subject to a final oral examination or defense. Prior to scheduling the defense, the student must submit a final draft of the thesis to all members of the committee, who will determine the feasibility of a final defense. The thesis committee must receive and approve the final draft of the thesis prior to the scheduling of the final defense. The student may schedule the final defense of the thesis only in a semester when all other degree requirements will be satisfied. The student and thesis committee must agree upon the date, time, and place of the final thesis defense, which must occur prior to the final two weeks of scheduled classes for the semester of anticipated graduation. With the committee’s approval, the student must announce the date, time, and place for the final thesis defense at least two weeks prior to the date of the defense. The student must deliver the original copy of the Thesis Defense Announcement to the departmental office to become a part of the student’s file. No fewer than three members of the student’s thesis committee must attend the thesis defense. The defense will be open to all faculty members and the general public. Approval of the thesis requires a majority favorable vote by the thesis committee. Should an attempt be unsuccessful, the thesis committee has the prerogative to decide how to proceed, including the latitude to recommend additional work or the student’s termination from the program. The student is allowed two attempts to successfully defend the thesis. Immediately following the thesis defense, the committee chairperson should report the results to the AYSPS Office of Academic Assistance.
- Submission of the Thesis. Having successfully defended and completed the final document, the student is required to submit the original thesis and the required number of copies to the Director for final inspection and appraisal. Instructions for submission of the final documents are found in the Thesis Guidelines online: aysps.gsu.edu/oaa/thesis-guidelines/.
- Reproduction and Publication. The completed thesis must be approved by the Office of Academic Assistance (OAA) and electronically submitted through the Georgia State University Library. The student should login to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertations website, enter personal information and other committee and thesis information. Once the thesis is approved, the student should upload the document in PDF format to the database. Contact OAA for procedural questions and refer to the library website for detailed instructions and help.
Prior Learning Credit
Students may earn up to 6 hours of academic credit towards requirements in the degree program from training gained through or in conjunction with a position in public or nonprofit service or a related profession. Students who wish to apply for credit for prior, formal training must request from the program director a list of pre-approved training that faculty have verified meets the same learning objectives of up to two courses in the program. Alternatively, a student may request to have prior, formal training reviewed by the program director and pass a faculty-designed assessment to demonstrate learning outcomes of up to two courses in the program. In both cases, students must provide documentation that describes the content, duration, and assessment of prior training and proof of successful completion when applying for prior learning credit. Credits earned through prior training may not replace PMAP 8900 or PMAP 8991 . Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester and 9 credit hours each Summer semester. These credit hours consist of courses required for prescribed 36-hour program of study, as well as additional hours of PMAP 8912 - Research in Public Administration and Policy . |
|
|
