MPP Specialization Electives

MPP students are able (but not required) to use their specialization electives to develop expertise in a particular policy area.  Below you will find optional areas of specialization and recent courses that fit within each area.

Popular MPP Specialization Areas:

Community and Economic Development
Education Policy
Environmental Policy
Health Policy
Homeland Security and Public Policy
Nonprofit Management and Policy
Policy Communication
Research and Analytic Methods
Social Justice
Urban and Social Policy

Community and Economic Development Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 623
  Community Development and Site Planning (4)
• PPD 624
  Local Economic Development: Theory and Finance (4)
• PPD 625
  Planning and Economic Development Finance (4)
• PPD 639
  Introduction to Community and Economic Development (4)
• PPDE 635
  Housing and Land Use in Rapidly Urbanizing Regions (4)
• RED 510
  Real Estate Practice and Principles (4)

Education Policy Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 542
  Policy and Program Evaluation (4)
• PPD 599
  Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research for Public Policy (4)
• PPD 599
  Data Visualization for Policy Analysis (4)
• PPDE 668
  Applied Econometrics for Program Evaluation (4)
• PPDE 669
  U.S. Education Policy (4)
• PPDE 671
  Economic Analysis of Education Policy (4)

Environmental Policy Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 587          
  Risk Analysis (4)
• PPD 599          
  Planning for Resilience: Natural Hazards, Climate Risks, & Vulnerability (4)
• PPDE 634        
  Methodology, Methods and Tools for Urban Sustainability (4)
• PPDE 640        
  Climate, Sustainability and Environmental Planning (4)
• PPDE 660        
  Environmental Policy Design and Analysis (4)
• PPDE 665        
  Economic Impact Analysis:  Methods and Applications (4)
• PPDE 673        
  Foundations of Environmental Policy (4)
• SSCI 581         
  Concepts for Spatial Thinking (4)

Health Policy Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 509
  Problems and Issues in the Health Field (4)
• PPD 514
  Economic Concepts Applied to Health (4)
• PPD 605
  Frontline Issues in Health Services Administration and Policy (2)
• PPD 697
  Cultural Proficiency in Health Management and Policy (2)
• PPDE 612
  Consulting in Healthcare Organizations (2)
• PPDE 630
  Community Health Planning (4)

Homeland Security and Public Policy Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 683
  Homeland Security and Public Policy (4)
• PPD 587
  Risk Analysis (4)
• PPD 557
  Modeling and Operations Research (4)
• PPDE 670
  American Contemporary Homegrown Violent Extremism (4)
• PPDE 672
  An Exploration of the Intelligence Community – From Policy to Cyber Espionage (4)

Nonprofit Management and Policy Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 545
  Public and Nonprofit Organizational Behavior (4)
• PPD 665
  Contemporary Issues in Philanthropy (4)
• PPD 675
  Nonprofit Management and Leadership (4)
• PPD 688
  Business and Public Policy (4)
• PPD 689
  The Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy (4)
• PPDE 580
  Social Innovation (4)
• PPDE 645
  Financial Management of Nonprofit Organizations (4)
• PPDE 646
  Grant Writing Practicum (2)

Policy Communication Specialization

Recent courses include:

• CMGT 578
  Non-profit Advocacy (4)
• PR 501
  Advocacy Communications (4)
• PR 536
  Digital, Social and Mass Media Public Relations Strategies (3)
• PPD 599
  Data Visualization for Policy Analysis (4)
• PPD 616
  Participatory Methods in Planning and Policy (4)
• PPD 693
  Communicating Public Policy (4)
• PPDE 647
  Civic Engagement in Governance (4)

Research and Analytic Methods Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 542
  Policy and Program Evaluation (4)
• PPD 599
  Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research for Public Policy (4)
• PPD 599
  Python for Public Policy and Management (4)
• PPD 599
  Advanced Urban Analytics (4)
• PPDE 661
  Methods for Equity Analysis (4)
• PPDE 668
  Applied Econometrics for Program Evaluation (4)
• SSCI 581
  Concepts for Spatial Thinking (4)

Social Justice Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 616
  Participatory Methods in Planning and Policy (4)
• PPD 686
  U.S. Immigration Policy (4)
• PPD 697
  Cultural Proficiency in Health Management and Policy (2)
• PPDE 661
  Methods for Equity Analysis (4)
• PPDE 636
  Urban Spatial Ethnography and Critical Cartography (4)
• PPDE 638
  Race, Arts, and Placemaking (4)
• PPDE 664
  Seminar in Social Justice and Public Policy (4)

Urban and Social Policy Specialization

Recent courses include:

• PPD 599
  Advanced Urban Analytics (4)
• PPD 628
  Urban Planning and Social Policy (4)
• PPD 647
  Finance of the Public Sector (4)
• PPD 686
  U.S. Immigration Policy (4)
• PPD 688
  Business and Public Policy (4)
• PPDE 580
  Social Innovation (4)
• PPDE 662
  China from a U.S. Policy Perspective (4)
• PPDE 683
  Social Finance and Development (4)