Become part of a small group of experienced policy professionals from around the world. The school’s MPR combines training in rigorous applied policy analysis with high-level public and nonprofit management, leadership and communication skills, focusing on complex domestic and international policy issues. The program is designed for experienced professionals with at least five years of experience in government, the military, public affairs in the private or nonprofit sector – in the United States or abroad.
The 30-credit MPR offers two semesters of carefully designed, challenging coursework in economics, statistics, values and ethics, policy writing, and management and leadership, with room for electives from across the University of Michigan tailored to students’ individual interests in public affairs. .
Our graduates are prepared for leadership positions in a variety of government and public agencies, in the nonprofit sector, and in the private sector, such as:
Executive positions in government, non-profit organizations, or in the government relations group of an engineering firm or other for-profit enterprise.
Leadership roles in governments around the world – Ministries of Education, Homeland Security, Environment, Social Inclusion, etc.
Top-level positions in U.S. local and state governments, such as director of immigrant affairs in a major city or state budget director.
“Translational” roles for public relations professionals working in nonprofit and communications firms, advocating and translating research into powerful campaigns.
Curriculum
Our powerful Master of Public Affairs curriculum will …
Expand your experience in a broad range of domestic and international affairs in the public domain.
Deepen your understanding of public institutions and political, economic and social processes and their implications for policy development and implementation.
Teach you the analytical skills necessary to analyze and evaluate policy objectively.
Improve and deepen your leadership and management skills.
Allow you to explore and apply the roles of values and ethics in public policy development and decision-making.
Improve your written and oral strategic communication skills.
Core Requirements.
- Values, Ethics, and Public Policy 3 credits
- Policy writing 1 credit
- Public relations management/leadership 3 credits
- Public relations economics 3 credits
- Statistics 3 credits
- Capstone Project 5 credits
Total credits for core – 18 credits
Electives – 12 credits
Total credits – 30 credits
Up to 9 elective credits are available from other graduate programs on campus. The school follows the Graduate School’s policy for awarding credit hours.
The program concludes with an experimental project. Through a 5-credit course, each student will complete a challenging application project for a client outside of the University of Michigan.
Some examples of recent culminating projects include:
- A multi-country analysis of different types of travel restrictions imposed on HRDs as strategies for disrupting their activities
- Development and implementation of workforce development policies in the U.S.
- Legal analysis of policies against data localization in the U.S. and other countries