MPA Program Course Guide 2024-2025

MPA Class of 2026

This Course Guide provides an overview of the MPA Program coursework, offering insights into the diverse departments, areas of study, and courses at Cornell that can enrich your MPA studies. However, it is essential to note that this guide is not exhaustive and should not be used as a comprehensive list of courses for the MPA degree or as a menu for curriculum development.

Not all courses listed in this guide will be available every semester or academic year. It is crucial to check the Brooks MPA Course Offerings (updated and distributed each semester via email), the Canvas Brooks MPA Advising Center, and the Cornell Class Roster for the most up-to-date information on course availability.

MPA Curriculum

During their two years of study, Brooks MPA students must satisfactorily complete at least sixteen semester-length courses (or equivalent). This generally entails four full-semester courses per semester, in addition to fulfilling colloquium, practical experience, and professional writing requirements.

Coursework Overview

Foundation Coursework

Students must complete five core foundation courses during their first year of study in the fall semester. Alongside the core foundation courses, students must also take five additional courses across specific foundation areas. Completing these foundational courses equips students with a broad and comprehensive understanding of key concepts and skills essential for public administration and policy analysis.

Concentration Coursework

Students must complete five semester-long (or equivalent) courses within one of the eight concentration areas offered in the program. One of these five concentration courses must be the designated concentration gateway course which is ideally taken in the second semester.

Professional Development Coursework

Students must complete two semester-long (or equivalent) courses aimed at strengthening their professional preparation. These courses should enhance skills in areas such as statistical, analytical, or mathematical skills; professional writing; speaking; language; leadership or management; or additional skills relevant to the student’s selected concentration.

To fulfill this category students may choose from the list of general concentration courses, select from any of the pre-approved concentration courses, or opt for any of the foundation courses.

Colloquium Coursework

All Brooks MPA students must complete the following colloquium courses:

PUBPOL 5009: Career Management for Public Affairs (to be taken in the fall semester of the first year)
PUBPOL 5012: Professional Development for Public Affairs (to be taken in the spring semester of both the first and second years)

These courses are designed to equip students with essential career management skills and to support their ongoing professional development throughout the program. Participation in these colloquia will enhance students’ readiness for the public affairs job market and help them develop key competencies for their professional growth.

Practical Experience Requirement

Students are required to fulfill a practical experience requirement to gain hands-on experience in public affairs, enhancing their practical skills and professional readiness. This can be achieved through several options:

MPA Capstone Course
Summer Internship
Externship/Off-Campus Study
Cornell in Washington Program
Capital Semester Program in Albany
Graduate Certificate
- Environmental Finance and Impact Investing (EFII)
- Infrastructure Project Management and Finance (IPMF)
- Systems Thinking, Modeling, and Leadership (STML)
Approved Engaged Learning Programs
- Sustainable Global Enterprise (SGE) Immersion Program
- Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Team (SMART) Program

For more detailed information on fulfilling the practical experience requirement, please refer to the current MPA Program Handbook. Students are encouraged to explore these options and consult with the Associate Director of Career Management to select the path that best aligns with their career goals and interests.

Professional Writing Requirement

To fulfill the professional writing requirement, Brooks MPA students have several options designed to develop essential writing skills for success in public affairs:

Write an MPA Thesis independently, demonstrating in-depth research and analysis on a public affairs issue.
Write a Professional Report independently for a public affairs client organization.
Complete the Master of Public Administration Capstone, either domestic or international.
Undertake a Capstone project as part of one of the certificate programs offered (EFII, IPMF, or STML).

For detailed information on fulfilling this requirement, students should consult the current MPA Program Handbook and the Professional Writing Requirement Guidelines. These resources provide comprehensive details on the expectations and criteria for each option, assisting students in selecting the path that best aligns with their academic and career objectives.

Your Plan of Study

Each student will develop a personalized MPA plan tailored to their professional goals within the outlined framework. This process involves completing a Plan of Study form, which will be submitted and reviewed iteratively through the Canvas Brooks MPA Advising Center.

The Plan of Study is due by the end of the first semester and must be updated regularly to reflect changes in course offerings and the student’s evolving academic and professional goals. It undergoes an iterative review process to ensure it meets program requirements and aligns with the student’s objectives. Students are encouraged to seek feedback from the Associate Director of Career Management throughout this review.

Students should consult with the Associate Director of Career Management for additional guidance and questions. They are responsible for creating and maintaining their MPA plan, ensuring it meets all program requirements by reviewing this document and the Program Handbook. Active consultation with advising resources is recommended to keep the Plan of Study aligned with evolving academic offerings and career goals.

By taking ownership of their Plan of Study and leveraging available resources, students can effectively tailor their MPA experience to support their professional aspirations.

Suggestions for Course Selection

Consider selecting additional foundation or concentration courses from the core competency foundational offerings.
There is no need to restrict yourself to just one course in each core foundation area; extra courses can be applied to other parts of the curriculum.
Utilize the list of courses suitable for any concentration.
Explore course suggestions both within and outside your intended concentration to broaden your academic experience.
The listed courses for each concentration focus on topics closely related to that field. Depending on your interests, you might include courses from other concentration areas to enrich your studies.
Although students can declare only one concentration, their coursework does not have to be exclusively from the courses listed under that concentration in this guide.
If a desired course is not listed in this guide, obtain approval by submitting the Brooks MPA petition form available on the Canvas Brooks MPA Advising Center.

By following these suggestions and utilizing the resources provided, you can effectively navigate your coursework and tailor your MPA studies to your academic and professional goals.

Foundation Coursework

It is strongly encouraged that all students complete their foundation coursework during their first year and no later than the end of their third semester. This ensures the creation of an identifiable foundational core to the Brooks MPA curriculum that will be beneficial during the second year.

Core Foundation Courses

Five core foundation courses are required in the first semester. These courses provide students with the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to advance in the degree program:

PUBPOL 5009: Career Management for Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5111: Public Administration
PUBPOL 5210: Intermediate Microeconomics for Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5310: Applied Multivariate Statistics in Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5414: Project Management

Additional Foundation Courses

In addition to the five core foundation courses required in the fall of their first year, students must take five courses across the complementary foundation areas below to develop a strong foundation of cross-disciplinary knowledge for working in public affairs:

Leading and Managing Organizations (Administrative, Political, and Policy Processes)
Analyzing Politics and Processes for Public Decision Making (Administrative, Political, and Policy Processes)
Microeconomics of Government Policy (Economic Analysis and Public Sector Economics)
Decision-Analytic Methods (Quantitative Methods and Analytics)
One course chosen from any foundation area or the list of pre-approved additional foundation courses (Professional Interest).

There are a wide range of additional foundation courses available, allowing students to select courses that align with their academic and professional objectives. It is essential for students to have a clear rationale for their chosen course of study in this area, focusing on how the courses contribute to their overall academic and professional development rather than simply meeting requirements.

Administrative, Political, and Policy Processes

Brooks MPA students choose two courses from a designated list: one course focusing on leading and managing organizations, and one course focusing on analyzing politics and processes for public decision-making.

MPA students should develop a solid understanding of the following:

Planning, leading, managing and evaluating programs in the public sector, as well as across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in the public interest.
Advancing public purposes and values strategically through stakeholder engagement, effective, efficient, and equitable resource utilization, and organizational skills.
Adhering to ethical, legal, and professional standards.
Understanding the dynamics between politics and administration in various public affairs environments, including international, national, state, local government, nonprofit organizations, and private organizations interfacing with the public and nonprofit sectors.

One course on Leading and Managing Organizations chosen from the following:

PUBPOL 5410: Nonprofit Management and Finance
PUBPOL 5451: International Public and NGO Management
PUBPOL 5571: Corporate Responsibility
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience

One course on Analyzing Politics and Processes for Public Decision-Making chosen from the following:

PUBPOL 5132: Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision-Making
PUBPOL 5135: World Food Systems and Public Policy
PUBPOL 5449: Systems Thinking in Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5460: Culture, Law, and Politics of Information Policy
PUBPOL 5612: Intergovernmental Relations
PUBPOL 5634: Corruption, Governance, and Development

Economic Analysis and Public Sector Economics

Brooks MPA graduates should develop a foundational knowledge of economic theory and applications in public affairs context, including an understanding of supply and demand, marginal analysis, the price mechanism and market structures, standard justifications for government intervention in the marketplace, and appreciating economic concepts’ value in understanding human interactions and public policy.

One course on Microeconomics of Government Policy chosen from the following:

PUBPOL 5130: Behavioral Economics and Public Policy
PUBPOL 5190: Nonprofits and Public Policy
PUBPOL 5220: Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector
PUBPOL 5400: Economics of Consumer Policy
PUBPOL 5970: Economics and Environmental Policy

It is important to note that these courses have PUBPOL 5210: Intermediate Microeconomics for Public Affairs, or an equivalent intermediate microeconomics course, as a prerequisite. Therefore, students must complete their intermediate microeconomics course or demonstrate competency before taking any of these.

Quantitative Methods and Analytics

Brooks MPA graduates should demonstrate the ability to define and evaluate problems, choose suitable tools or methods for solution identification and assessment, and acknowledge the significance of quantitative skills in policy making, research, and decision-making within the public sector. Students should also understand the limitations of quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as ethical concerns associated with research.

One course on Decision-Analytic Methods chosen from the following:

PUBPOL 5325: Public Systems Modeling
PUBPOL 5360: Program Evaluation for Community Organizations
PUBPOL 5425: Accounting for Corporate, Governmental, and Nonprofit Organizations
PUBPOL 5426: Public Budgeting, Finance, and Analysis
PUBPOL 5750: Causal Analysis and Impact Evaluation in Public Policy
PUBPOL 6050: Social Demography

Professional Interest

To enhance their readiness for careers in public affairs, students will also enroll in one additional foundational course that aligns with their professional interests and provides relevant knowledge and skills. They can choose from any of the core competency lists above or select from the lists below. Substituting other relevant courses is subject to MPA petition approval. Courses should help strengthen knowledge, skills, and abilities in one of the MPA’s core competency areas.

Please note that courses at the 7000 level are typically Ph.D. level courses and may not be suitable for all MPA students. Courses at the 6000 level will generally have prerequisites and may also be Ph.D.-level courses. Students should consult with course instructors and the Brooks Master’s Programs Advisor before enrolling in Phd.-level courses.

Administrative, Political, and Policy Processes:

CRP 5460: Introduction to Community and Environmental Dispute Resolution
CRP 6011: Ethics, Development and Globalization
CRP 6120: Devolution, Privatization: Challenges for New Urban Management
CRP 6150: Current Issues and Debates on NGOs
GDEV 5045: Data and Development
GOVT 6121: American Political Development
GOVT 6171: Politics of Public Policy
GOVT 6222: Political Participation
GOVT 6273: War and the State in Comparative Perspective
GOVT 6274: People, Markets, and Democracy
GOVT 6603: Contentious Politics and Social Movements
ILRLR 6011: Negotiation: Theory and Practice
LAW 6701: Legislation
LAW 6791: Public International Law
LAW 6844: State and Local Government
PUBPOL 5114: Systems Leadership
PUBPOL 5118: Diversity in Leadership
PUBPOL 5172: Environmental Justice and Policy
PUBPOL 5418: Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
PUBPOL 5431: Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Lobbying
PUBPOL 5432: Public and Nonprofit Marketing
PUBPOL 5449: Systems Thinking in Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5455: Comparative Public Administration
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management (half semester)
PUBPOL 5607: Global Policy Challenges (half semester)
PUBPOL 5612: Intergovernmental Relations
PUBPOL 5619: Politics, Policy, and Political Management
PUBPOL 5657: Alternative Paradigms, Practices, and Challenges in International Development
PUBPOL 5730: Comparative Environmental Policy
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience
PUBPOL 5755: Infrastructure Financing

Economic Analysis and Public Sector Economics:

AEM 6320: Open Economy Analysis: Theory and Applications
AEM 6300: Policy Analysis: Welfare Theory, Agriculture, and Trade (also ECON 4840)
CRP 5040: Urban Economics
ILRIC 6350: Labor Markets and Income Distribution in Developing Countries
NBA 5245: Intermediate Macroeconomics
NS 6480: Economics of Food and Malnutrition
PUBPOL 5130: Behavioral Economics and Public Policy
PUBPOL 5220: Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector
PUBPOL 5240: Risk Management and Policy
PUBPOL 5400: Economics of Consumer Policy
PUBPOL 5426: Public Budgeting, Finance, and Analysis
PUBPOL 5970: Economics and Environmental Policy

Quantitative Methods and Analytics:

To facilitate navigation within this section, these courses are organized into four sections. Students are advised to ensure they have completed prerequisite coursework before enrolling in upper-level (6000/7000 level) Quantitative Methods and Analytics courses. Students should be aware which courses require proficiency in calculus before enrolling.

Inferential Statistics, Econometrics, and Empirical Methods:

AEM 6120: Applied Econometrics
AEM 6125: Impact Evaluation in Developing Countries
AEM 6390: Research Methods in International Development
GDEV 6190: Quantitative Research Methods
GOVT 6029: Advanced Regression Analysis
GOVT 6053: Comparative Methods and Political Analysis
NS 6850: Evaluating the Impact of Health, Nutrition, and Education Programs in Developing Countries
PUBPOL 6050: Social Demography
PUBPOL 6060: Demographic Techniques
PUBPOL 6090: Empirical Strategies for Policy Analysis

Quantitative Analysis and Public System Modeling Tools and Methods:

CEE 5970: Risk Analysis and Management
CEE 5980: Introduction to Decision Analysis
CEE 6770: Natural Hazards, Reliability and Insurance
CRP 5250: Introductory Methods of Planning Analysis
NCC 5010: Data Analytics and Modeling
SYSEN 5100: Model Based System Engineering
SYSEN 5200: Systems Analysis Behavior and Optimization
SYSEN 5300: Systems Engineering and Six-Sigma for Design and Operation of Reliable Systems

Qualitative and Mixed Methods:

CRP 6201: Research Design and Qualitative Methods
DSOC 6001: The Empirics of Development and Social Change
DSOC 6150: Qualitative Research Methods
INFO 6750: Causal Inference and Design of Experiments
SOC 5080: Qualitative Methods

Spatial Analytical Methods:

CRP 5080: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
CRP 6270: Regional Economic Impact Analysis
CRP 6290: Advanced Topics in GIS
DSOC 5600: Analytical Mapping and Spatial Modeling
PUBPOL 6950: Spatial Demography

Concentration Coursework

Each student selects one of eight concentration areas offered in the program. All students are required to take five semester-long concentration courses, including the designated concentration gateway course. The concentration gateway course provides foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities in a student’s chosen concentration. With the advice and counsel of the MPA Student Advising Coordinator and their faculty mentor, students select four additional courses within that concentration. While concentration areas are broad and cannot be fully mastered with just five courses, they are designed to give students a degree of specialization and expertise to proceed effectively in a career in public affairs.

There is no single right or best set of courses for any concentration. However, careful consideration must be given to crafting a set of courses that are complementary and that provide a foundation of specific and generalizable knowledge and functional skills in a professional area. Students should also choose their professional development coursework to complement their concentration courses.

A concentration is expected to reflect a public affairs focus and to provide the student with a breadth of perspectives. No student may take more than half of their concentration courses in the S.C. Johnson School of Business or professional master’ programs offered by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the Department of City and Regional Planning, or the College of Engineering, given that the MPA Program differs from these degree programs in both purpose and content. While some courses listed for the concentrations may not have direct public policy content, most of the selected courses must have a policy or public affairs focus appropriate for an MPA degree.

MPA Concentrations

Economic and Financial Policy
Environmental Policy
Government, Politics, and Policy Studies
Human Rights and Social Justice
International Development Studies
Public and Nonprofit Management
Science, Technology, and Infrastructure Policy
Social Policy

Suggested Courses for Any Concentration

The suggested lists of concentration courses that follow are neither complete nor fully accurate. New courses are added to the curriculum every semester, and some courses are dropped as faculty interests and department needs change. Students should use these lists to get an idea of suitable courses for their personalized concentration but they should also consult the course offerings of relevant departments. Students should be aware that courses at the 6000 or 7000 level may have prerequisites and may be designed primarily for PhD students.

Students may elect to substitute relevant courses that are not listed in this Course Guide by submitting a petition to the Canvas Brooks MPA Advising Center. Core and elective foundation courses may be appropriate concentration courses, but cannot be double-counted in both areas.

Many courses beyond those in the foundation areas are relevant to public affairs professionals regardless of their interests – for example, leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills. Relevant skill sets will vary not just with the concentration area but also with chosen career paths within a concentration. For example, students interested in managing organizations or social entrepreneurship may need different skills than those primarily interested in public policy analysis. Students interested in an entrepreneurial or administrative career path might want to develop knowledge in basic accounting, budgeting, or marketing; those interested in public policy analysis will want to develop a toolkit that includes project evaluation and project management skills. While not meant to be fully inclusive, the following courses are some that may be relevant for inclusion in any concentration.

ILRHR 7451: Leadership Assessment for Managers (half semester)
ILRLR 6012: Managing and Resolving Conflict
ILROB 5275: Leading and Managing Teams
NBA 6820: Negotiation Essentials (half semester)
PUBPOL 5114: Systems Leadership
PUBPOL 5118: Diversity in Leadership
PUBPOL 5172: Environmental Justice and Policy
PUBPOL 5330: Children’s Law and Policy
PUBPOL 5418: Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
PUBPOL 5425: Accounting for Corporate, Governmental, and Nonprofit Organizations
PUBPOL 5449: Systems Thinking in Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management
PUBPOL 5607: Global Policy Challenges (half semester)
PUBPOL 5619: Politics, Policy, and Political Management
PUBPOL 5657: Alternative Paradigms, Practices, and Challenges in International Development
PUBPOL 5658: Fixing the Future: Policy Solutions for Development Dilemmas (half semester)
PUBPOL 5679: Desktop and Modeling Solutions
PUBPOL 5730: Comparative Environmental Policy
PUBPOL 5755: Infrastructure Financing
PUBPOL 5940: Consulting for Nonprofit and Government Organizations

Economic and Financial Policy Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the Economic and Financial Policy concentration address public policy issues in these areas. Students may study these policy issues at the level of international organizations, national, state, or local governments, non-governmental organizations, or the private sector. Through this concentration, students learn about significant economic and financial policy issues and the analytical methods used to address them.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5220: Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector

Please note that courses may not be counted twice on the MPA Plan of Study. Students pursuing an Economic and Financial Policy concentration must select a different foundation course to meet the Economic Analysis and Public Sector Economics: Microeconomics of Government Policy requirement.

Themes and Sample Concentrations

This guide provides an extensive list of suggested courses for the concentration and sample concentrations organized into thematic groups. These lists are meant to be illustrative. Courses from different samples and concentrations may be combined into a customized concentration.

Economic Policy Analysis Methods:

AEM 6300: Policy Analysis: Welfare Theory, Agriculture, and Trade
GOVT 6069: Causal Inference
PUBPOL 5300: Cost-Benefit Analysis

Development Finance:

AEM 5420: Emerging Markets
AEM 6670: Topics in Economic Development
DSOC 6001: The Empirics of Development and Social Change
LAW 7740: Law and Economics: A Game Theoretic Approach
NBA 5430: Financial Markets and Institutions

Macroeconomic and International Trade Policy:

AEM 6320: Open Economy Analysis: Theory and Applications
LAW 6981: WTO and International Trade Law
LAW 7103: Capitalism: Strengths and Weaknesses
NBA 5245: Introduction to Macroeconomics
NBA 5540: International Finance

Economic Regulation and Public Economics:

PUBPOL 5220: Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector
PUBPOL 5334: Corporations, Shareholders, and Policy
PUBPOL 5400: Economics of Consumer Policy

Students interested in environmental policy, sustainability, and finance within the economic and financial policy area may want to consider the Environmental Finance and Impact Investment (EFII) certificate program.

Additional Suggested Courses for Economic and Financial Policy

AEM 5111: Introduction to Econometrics
AEM 5421: Research & Strategy in Emerging Markets
AEM 6050: Agricultural Economics and Development
CRP 5040: Urban Economics
GDEV 5680: Environmental Decision Making
MGMT 5640: Entrepreneurship
ILRIC 6350: Labor Markets and Income Distribution in Developing Economies
ILRLE 5400: Labor Economics
NBA 5061: Comprehensive Financial Statement Analysis
NBA 5980: Behavioral Finance
NBA 6030: Strategies for Sustainability (half semester)
NBA 6390: Data-Driven Marketing
PUBPOL 5130: Behavioral Economics and Public Policy
PUBPOL 5190: Nonprofits and Public Policy
PUBPOL 5240: Risk Management and Policy
PUBPOL 5340: Regulation and Infrastructure Policy
PUBPOL 5426: Public Budgeting, Finance, and Analysis
PUBPOL 5615: Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives
PUBPOL 5717: Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions

Environmental Policy Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the Environmental Policy concentration should develop the capacity to lead, coordinate, and manage teams of specialists to develop and implement environmental management plans and policies. Since working in the environmental area typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, it is advantageous to structure a concentration with the understanding that one may work with scientists, engineers, economists, and lawyers to find politically feasible solutions to complex environmental problems.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5730: Comparative Environmental Policy

Themes and Sample Concentrations

Conservation Management:

DEA 6200: Studies in Human-Environmental Relations
NTRES 6310: Environmental Governance
NTRES 6601: Decision Making in Natural Resource Management
PUBPOL 5571: Corporate Responsibility
PUBPOL 5970: Economics and Environmental Policy

Environmental Advocacy and Resilience Planning:

COMM 6860: Risk Communication
CRP 5460: Introduction to Community and Environment Dispute Resolution
DEA 6610: Environments and Health
DSOC 6320: Environmental Governance
PUBPOL 5172: Environmental Justice and Policy
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience

Environmental Regulation:

CRP 5555: Environmental Impact Review
LAW 6361: Environmental Law
PUBPOL 5730: Comparative Environmental Policy
PUBPOL 5970: Economics and Environmental Policy

Disaster Prevention, Planning and Policy:

CEE 5970: Risk Analysis and Management
DSOC 6340: Risk and Disasters
ILRLR 6057: Environmental Mediation and Negotiation (half semester)
NTRES 6201: Community, Place and Environment
PUBPOL 5418: Strategic Stakeholder Engagement (half semester)
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience

Additional Suggested Courses for Environmental Policy

AEM 6510: Environmental and Resource Economics
AEM 6580: Economics and Psychology of Sustainable Business
AEM 7500: Resource Economics
CEE 6770: Natural Hazards, Reliability and Insurance
CEE 6025: Special Topics in Environmental and Water Resources Analysis
COMM 6210: Advanced Communication and the Environment
COMM 6660: Public Engagement in Science
COMM 6860: Risk Communication
CRP 5555: Environmental Impact Review
CRP 5850: Green Cities
CRP 5540: Introduction to Environmental Planning
CRP 6506: Environmental Planning Seminar: Wilderness and Wildlands
DSOC 5443: Global Climate Change Science and Policy
DSOC 6210: Foundations of Environmental Sociology
GDEV 5680: Environmental Decision Making
HD 6410: Psychology and Culture of Human-Environmental Relationships
HD 6650: Poverty, Children and the Environment
ILRIC 6020: Corporate Social Responsibility
NTRES 6240: Sustainable Water Resource Management in the Face of Climate Change
NTRES 6601: Decision Making in Natural Resource Management
PUBPOL 5615: Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives
PUBPOL 5717: Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions

Government, Politics, and Policy Studies Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the Government, Politics, and Policy Studies concentration focus on the politics of domestic and international policymaking and administrative processes. Students who elect this concentration develop an advanced understanding of how political management intersects programs and management in the public sector. Students should strive to develop a skill set that allows them to work with elected officials, public managers, and citizens to develop actionable policy goals.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5619: Politics, Policy, and Political Management

Themes and Sample Concentrations

Government or Legislative Affairs:

NBA 6820: Negotiation Essentials (half semester)
PUBPOL 5418: Strategic Stakeholder Engagement (half semester)
PUBPOL 5612: Intergovernmental Relations

International Relations:

DSOC 6250: State, Economy and Society
GOVT 6897: International Security
GOVT 6987: Domestic Politics and International Relations
ILRLR 6027: Campus Mediation Practicum

Political Analysis or Consulting:

GOVT 6171: Politics of Public Policy
GOVT 6461: Public Opinion
NBA 5690: Management Consulting Essentials (half semester)
PUBPOL 5717: Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions
PUBPOL 5850: Applied Demography in Business and Government
PUBPOL 5940: Consulting for Nonprofit and Government Organizations
SOC 6160: Survey Methods (half semester)

International Diplomacy:

CRP 6720: International Institutions
GOVT 6273: War and the State in Comparative Perspective
GOVT 7937: Proseminar in Peace Studies (half semester)
NBA 6820: Negotiation Essentials (half semester)

Students interested in international relations or international diplomacy may want to consider the graduate minor in Peace Studies. For further information see the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.

Additional Suggested Courses for Government, Politics and Policy Studies

AMST 6003: Doing Research with Marginalized Populations
AMST 6321: Black Power Movement and Transnationalism
AMST 6052: Readings in Latinx History
AMST 6201: The United States Congress
AMST 6645: Democratic Theory
AMST 6585: American Political Thought
ANTHR 6437: Brave New World: 21st Century Authoritarianism
ANTHR 6515: Power, Society, and Culture in Southeast Asia
ANTHR 6552: Genocide Today
ASIAN 6615: The Body Politic in Asia
COMM 6180: Media Influence and Persuasion
CRP 6120: Devolution, Privatization: Challenges for New Urban Management
CRP 6150: Current Issues and Debates on NGOs
DSOC 6320: Environmental Governance
DSOC 6820: Community Organizing and Development
GOVT 6132: The Politics of Inequality in the United States
GOVT 6202: Political Culture
GOVT 6251: American Political Parties
GOVT 6284: Culture, Religion, and Politics
GOVT 6291: Contemporary American Politics
GOVT 6603: Contentious Politics and Social Movements
GOVT 6461: Public Opinion
GOVT 6596: Nonviolence and Political Theory
GOVT 6857: International Political Economy
GOVT 6877: China and Asian Security
GOVT 6897: International Security
HIST 6391: Reconstruction in the New South
HIST 6851: Refugees
HIST 6290: U.S. Borders, North and South
ILRIC 5380: The Asian Century: The Rise of China and India
LAW 6161: Comparative Law: The Civil Law Tradition
LAW 6661: Constitutional Law and the European Union
LAW 6737: National Security Law
LAW 6791: Public International Law
NES 6672: Nationalism in the Arab World
PUBPOL 5460: Culture, Law, and Politics of Information Policy
PUBPOL 5634: Corruption, Governance and Development
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience
PUBPOL 5960: State Policy and Advocacy Clinic I
PUBPOL 5961: State Policy and Advocacy Clinic II

Human Rights and Social Justice Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the Human Rights and Social Justice concentration focus on human rights policies, strategies, and criteria for promoting equity and fairness as goals of public affairs. Students study theories and policies that support the expansion of human rights, the elimination of all forms of discrimination, and the work toward ensuring equal opportunities before the law and in society at large. This concentration is ideal for students who wish to prepare themselves to serve as more effective advocates for alleviating political, economic, and social inequality.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5200: International Human Rights

Themes and Sample Concentrations

Human Rights Advocacy:

GOVT 6867: International Law, War, and Human Rights
LAW 7855: International Human Rights: Litigation and Advocacy
LAW 7905: LGBT Communities Practicum
LAW 7914: Global Gender Justice Clinic

Civil Rights and Criminal Justice:

ANTHR 7476: Carceral Worlds: Policing, Prisons, and Securitization
ANTHR 6552: Genocide Today
ILRLR 6070: Values, Rights, and Justice at Work
LAW 6762: The Prosecution of Cybercrime

Poverty and Inequality:

CRP 6011: Ethics, Development, and Globalization
DEA 6650: Poverty, Children and the Environment
GOVT 6021: Poverty and Social Policy
ILRIC 6350: Labor Markets and Income Distribution in Developing Countries
PUBPOL 5150: Social Welfare Policy in the United States
PUBPOL 5172: Environmental Justice and Policy
PUBPOL 5848: The Fight Against Unemployment: Advocacy and Policy

Refugees, Migration and Immigration:

DSOC 6300: Human Migration: Internal and International
FGSS 6876: Humanitarian Affects
HIST 6851: Refugees
ILRIC 6312: Migration in the Americas: Engaged Research Methods and Practice
PUBPOL 6140: Immigrant Incorporation

Students interested in international human rights may want to consider the graduate minor in Peace Studies. For further information see the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.

Additional Suggested Courses for Human Rights and Social Justice

AMST 6733: The Future of Whiteness
AMST 6809: Urban Representation
ASRC 6132: Mobility, Circulation, Migration Diaspora: Global Connections
CRP 6011: Ethics, Development and Globalization
CRP 6720: International Institutions
DSOC 5400: Agriculture, Food, Sustainability, and Social Justice
DSOC 5710: America’s Promise: Social and Political Context of American Education
DSOC 6820: Community Organizing and Development
GOVT 6022: Racial and Ethnic Politics in the US
GOVT 6012: Labor, Class, and Race in American Politics
GOVT 6132: The Politics of Inequality in the United States
GOVT 6867: International Law, War and Human Rights
ILRLR 6010: Union Organizing
ILRLR 6070: Values, Rights and Justice at Work
ILRLR 6079: Low Wage Workers and the Law
ILRLR 6840: Fighting Discrimination in the Workplace: Employment Discrimination and the Law
ILRLR 6845: Labor, Race, and Gender
ILROB 5235: Skills and Perspective for Advancing Racial Equity in Organizations
LAW 6560: International Human Rights and Institutions
LAW 7183: Economic Justice: Understanding Law and Economic Inequality
NBA 6130: Women and Leadership
PUBPOL 5607: Global Policy Challenges
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience
PUBPOL 5960: State Policy and Advocacy Clinic I
PUBPOL 5961: State Policy and Advocacy Clinic II
SOC 6720: Sociology of Race and Institutions

International Development Studies Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the International Development Studies concentration focus on administrative and policy issues in developing countries. This concentration helps students understand the broad and specific contexts in which international development decisions are made. Given that this is a very broad concentration and a rapidly changing area of knowledge and practice, MPA students should design their concentration with an understanding of the current and historical state of the field, recognizing what has been successful and what has not, and why. In addition to emphasizing thematic problems in development, students may choose to focus their studies on a particular region of the globe.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5360: Program Evaluation for Community Organizations

Themes and Sample Concentrations

Field Work in International Development:

AEM 6390: Research Methods in International Development
CRP 6150: Current Issues and Debates on NGOs
NS 6050: Evaluating the Impact of Health, Nutrition and Education Programs in Developing Countries
PUBPOL 5657: Alternative Paradigms, Practices and Challenges in International Development

Food and Agricultural Policy:

AEM 6050: Agricultural Finance and Development
AEM 6400: Analysis of Agricultural Markets
NS 6455: Toward a Sustainable Global Food System: Food Policy in Developing Countries
NS 6480: Economics of Food and Malnutrition

Human Rights and Development:

CRP 6011: Ethics, Development and Globalization
DSOC 6300: Human Migration
DSOC 6820: Community Organizing and Development

Emerging Economies:

CRP 6740: Urban Transformations in the Global South
LAW 6681: International Law and Foreign Direct Investment
NBA 6370: Current Global Issues for Business: the US, Europe, China, and Emerging Markets (half semester)
PUBPOL 5634: Corruption, Governance and Development

Additional Suggested Courses for International Development Studies

AEM 6050: Agricultural Finance and Development
AEM 6125: Impact Evaluation in Developing Countries
AEM 6600: Natural Resources and Economic Development
CRP 6720: International Institutions
DSOC 5400: Agriculture, Food, Sustainability, and Social Justice
DSOC 6001: The Empirics of Development and Social Change
DSOC 6060: Sociological Theories of Development
DSOC 6250: State, Economy and Society
DSOC 6340: Risk and Disaster
DSOC 6380: Population and Development
AEM 6485: Economics of Food and Malnutrition
ECON 7711: Microeconomics of Development
IARD 6960: Perspectives in International Development
ILRIC 5375: Labor Practices in Global Supply Chains: Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives
LAW 6981: WTO and International Trade Law
NBA 6980: International Trade and WTO Law
NS 6480: Economics of Food and Malnutrition
NS 6850: Microeconomics of Development: Applications to Health, Nutrition and Education
PUBPOL 5607: Global Policy Challenges (half semester)
PUBPOL 5657: Alternative Paradigms, Practices and Challenges in International Development
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience

Public and Nonprofit Management Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the Public and Nonprofit Management concentration intend to pursue careers as public sector general managers or in leadership roles in domestic and international nonprofit organizations. Coursework includes fundamentals of public and nonprofit administration, budgeting, human resource management, strategy, organizational behavior, managing client relations, and leadership.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5410: Nonprofit Management and Finance

Themes and Sample Concentrations

Public Sector Management (general):

PUBPOL 5132: Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision-Making
PUBPOL 5300: Cost-Benefit Analysis
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management (half semester)
PUBPOL 5758: Managing Large-Scale Investment Projects (half semester)
PUBPOL 5848: The Fight Against Unemployment: Advocacy and Policy

Nonprofit Management (general):

LAW 6131: Business Organizations
PUBPOL 5190: Nonprofits and Public Policy
PUBPOL 5410: Nonprofit Management and Finance
PUBPOL 5425: Accounting for Corporate, Governmental, and Nonprofit Organizations
PUBPOL 5431: Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Lobbying (half semester)
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management (half semester)

International Public Management:

CRP 6720: International Institutions
LAW 6791: Public International Law
PUBPOL 5360: Program Evaluation for Community Organizations
PUBPOL 5451: International Public and NGO Management

State and Local Government:

CRP 6120: Devolution and Privatization: Challenges for Urban Management
ILRLR 6028: Mediating Organizational Conflicts
PUBPOL 5455: Comparative Public Administration (half semester)
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management (half semester)
PUBPOL 5612: Intergovernmental Relations

Social Entrepreneurship:

ILRHR 6611: Seminar in Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurial Organizations
ILRHR 6615: Socially Responsible Business (half semester)
NBA 5100: Social Entrepreneurship
NBA 5640: The Business of Entrepreneurship
PUBPOL 5418: Strategic Stakeholder Engagement (half semester)
PUBPOL 5431: Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Lobbying (half semester)
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management (half semester)

Additional Suggested Courses for Public and Nonprofit Management

AEM 5421: Research & Strategy in Emerging Markets
AEM 6140: Behavioral Economics and Managerial Decisions
AEM 6245: Organizational Behavior
COMM 5150: Organizational Communication: Theory and Practice
CRP 5460: Introduction to Community and Environment Dispute Resolution
DSOC 6820: Community Organizing and Development
GDEV 5680: Environmental Decision Making
ILRHR 5600: Human Resources Management
ILRHR 5690: Rewards and Compensation
ILRHR 7451: Leadership Assessment for Managers (half semester)
ILRLE 5400: Labor Economics
ILRLR 6012: Managing and Resolving Conflict
ILROB 5210: Organizational Design, Culture, and Change
ILROB 5235: Skills and Perspectives for Advancing Racial Equity in Organizations
ILROB 5290: Social Capital and Organizations
MGMT 5640: Entrepreneurship
NBA 5061: Comprehensive Financial Statement Analysis
NBA 5150: Leadership Theory and Practice
NBA 6630: Managerial Decision Making
NBA 6820: Negotiation 1: Negotiation Essentials (half semester)
NCC 5540: Managing and Leading in Organizations
PUBPOL 5114: Systems Leadership
PUBPOL 5432: Public and Nonprofit Marketing
PUBPOL 5449: Systems Thinking in Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5571: Corporate Responsibility
PUBPOL 5717: Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience
PUBPOL 5940: Consulting for Nonprofit and Government Organizations

Science, Technology, and Infrastructure Policy Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the Science, Technology, and Infrastructure Policy concentration are interested in professional careers addressing policy issues in science, technology, or infrastructure. Students focusing on this concentration should develop the capacity to lead, coordinate, and utilize inputs from teams of specialists in these fields, rather than replicating the skills of technical experts. It is advantageous to structure a concentration with the understanding that one may work with scientists, engineers, economists, and lawyers to find politically feasible solutions to science, technology, or infrastructure problems.

Students pursuing this concentration may want to consider the Infrastructure Policy, Management, and Finance (IPMF) certificate program.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5755: Infrastructure Financing

Themes and Sample Concentrations

General Infrastructure:

PUBPOL 5118: Diversity in Leadership: Experience, Perspective, and Relatability in Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5717: Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience
PUBPOL 5755: Infrastructure Financing
PUBPOL 5758: Managing Large-Scale Investment Projects (half semester)

Water Resource Management:

BEE 6940: Water in a Changing Environment
CEE 6021: Environmental and Water Resources Systems Analysis
CEE 6200: Water Resources Systems Engineering
NTRES 6240: Sustainable Water Resource Management in the Face of Climate Change

Transportation:

CEE 6620: Urban Transportation in Network Design and Analysis
CEE 6648: Sustainable Urban Transportation Systems Design
CEE 6650: Transportation, Energy, and the Environment
PUBPOL 5755: Infrastructure Financing

Cyberpolicy:

DSOC 6020: Digital Capitalism
INFO 6600: Technology for Underserved Communities
LAW 6205: Cyber Enforcement, Regulation, and Policy Analysis
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management (half semester)

Additional Suggested Courses for Science, Technology and Infrastructure Policy

AEM 6395: Technology Strategy
BEE 6940: Water in a Changing Environment
CEE 5970: Risk Analysis and Management
CEE 5980: Introduction to Decision Analysis
CEE 6021: Environmental and Water Resources Systems Analysis
CEE 6200: Water Resources Systems Engineering
CEE 6620: Urban Transportation Network Design and Analysis
CEE 6648: Sustainable Transportation Systems Design
CEE 6650: Transportation, Energy, and the Environment
COMM 6460: Human Communication and Technology
COMM 6750: Research Methods for Social Networks and Social Media
COMM 6860: Risk Communication
CRP 5080: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
CRP 5555: Environmental Impact Review
CRP 5560: Creating the Built Environment
CRP 6270: Regional Economic Impact Analysis
DSOC 6020: Digital Capitalism
INFO 5310: Psychological and Social Aspects of Technology
INFO 5330: Technology, Media, and Democracy
INFO 6210: Information, Technology and Society
LAW 6205: Cyber Enforcement, Regulation, and Policy Analysis
NBA 6070: Designing Data Products
NBA 6120: Disruptive Technologies
NBA 6180: Global Innovation and Technology Commercialization
NBA 6650: The Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation
NBA 6850: Digital Business Operations
NTRES 6240: Sustainable Water Resource Management in the Face of Climate Change
PUBPOL 5114: Systems Leadership
PUBPOL 5240: Risk Management and Policy
PUBPOL 5334: Corporations, Shareholders, and Policy
PUBPOL 5340: Regulation and Infrastructure Policy
PUBPOL 5418: Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
PUBPOL 5449: Systems Thinking in Public Affairs
PUBPOL 5460: Culture, Law, and Politics of Information Policy
PUBPOL 5472: Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management
PUBPOL 5571: Corporate Responsibility
PUBPOL 5607: Global Policy Challenges (half semester)
PUBPOL 5734: Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience
PUBPOL 5755: Infrastructure Financing
PUBPOL 5970: Economics and Environmental Policy
STS 6661: Public Engagement in Science
STS 7201: Studying Emerging Technologies

Social Policy Coursework

Brooks MPA students in the Social Policy concentration focus on the design, management, and evaluation of public-sector programs across various policy areas, including health, education, child and family policy, housing and urban policy, welfare, and transfer programs. The fundamental material of this concentration introduces students to problem formation, identification of policy alternatives, policy implementation, and policy evaluation.

Required Concentration Gateway Course:

PUBPOL 5330: Children’s Law and Policy

Themes and Sample Concentrations

Design and Evaluation of Social Policy:

DSOC 6190: Quantitative Research Methods
NS 6850: Evaluating the Impact of Health, Nutrition and Education Programs in Developing Countries

Education Policy:

DSOC 5710: America’s Promise: Social and Political Context of American Education
DSOC 6610: Complex Organizations, Education, and Development
LAW 6311: Education Law
SOC 6450: Neighborhoods, Schools, and Education

Health Policy:

DEA 6610: Environments and Health
PUBPOL 5280: Population Health for Health Managers
PUBPOL 5670: Health Policy

Social Welfare Policy:

CRP 5074: Economic and Community Development Workshop
GOVT 6021: Poverty and Social Policy
ILRHR 6635: Unemployment: Causes, Experiences and Responses
ILRGL 6325: The European Social Model
PUBPOL 5150: Social Welfare Policy in the United States

Additional Suggested Courses for Social Policy

COMM 6760: Public Health Communication
CRP 5040: Urban Economics
CRP 6430: Affordable Housing Policy and Programs
DSOC 6610: Complex Organizations, Education and Development
DSOC 6150: Qualitative Research Methods
DSOC 6710: Schools, Communities and Policy Reform
GDEV 5680: Environmental Decision Making
GOVT 6293: Comparative Urbanization
GOVT 6603: Contentious Politics and Social Movements
ILRGL 5815: The Welfare State and Its Contradictions for Workers
ILRGL 6865: Thwarting the Dream of Brown v. Board of Education (half-semester)
ILRLE 6480: Economics Analysis of the University
ILRIC 6350: Labor Markets and Income Distribution in Developing Countries
ILROB 5290: Social Capital and Organizations
ILROB 6260: Managing Diversity: Policies and Practices
NS 6250: Community Nutrition in Action
PUBPOL 5010: Education Policy
PUBPOL 5080: Economics of the US Social Safety Net
PUBPOL 5150: Social Welfare Policy in the United States
PUBPOL 5172: Environmental Justice and Policy
PUBPOL 5250: Neighborhoods, Housing and Urban Policy
PUBPOL 5280: Population Health for Healthcare Managers
PUBPOL 5300: Cost-Benefit Analysis
PUBPOL 5500: Introduction to Senior Living and Related Programs
PUBPOL5607: Global Policy Challenges
PUBPOL 5615: Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives
PUBPOL 5848: The Fight Against Unemployment: Advocacy and Policy
PUBPOL 5660: Strategic Management and Organizational Design of Health Care Systems
PUBPOL 5960: State Policy and Advocacy Clinic I
PUBPOL 5961: State Policy and Advocacy Clinic II
PUBPOL 6280: Family Demography
SOC 6340: Sociology of Education
SOC 6450: Neighborhoods, Schools and Education

Professional Development Coursework

Brooks MPA students are required to select two semester-long courses to fulfill the professional development requirement. These courses should enhance professional preparation, including skills in statistical analysis, professional writing, public speaking, languages, leadership, management, or other areas relevant to the student’s chosen concentration. Students may choose courses from the general concentration list, any pre-approved concentration courses, or foundational coursework to meet this requirement.

Suggested Courses for Professional Development

Some of the courses listed below may be half-semester (7-week) courses or worth 1.5 credits. Two 1.5 or 2 credit courses combined count as one full-semester (3-4 credit) course.

AEM 5415: Pre-Engagement with Social Enterprises
AEM 5435: Data Driven Marketing
AEM 5615: Digital Platform Strategy
AEM 5840: Python Programming for Data Analysis and Business Modeling
COMM 5730: Mindful Intercultural Communication
CRP 5530: Land Use and Spatial Planning Methods
GDEV 5410: Refugee Pathways
HADM 6115: Managing Professional Relationships
HADM 6710: Python Programming
ILRHR 5660: Strategic Human Resource Metrics and Analytics
ILRHR 5680: Staffing Organizations
ILRHR 6400: Organizational Diversity and Inclusion
MGMT 5680: Management Communication (half semester)
NBA 6190: Leaders in Sustainable Global Enterprise
NBA 6215: Introduction to Python for Business (half semester)
NBA 6430: Managerial Spreadsheet Model
NBA 6540: Power and Politics in Organizations (half semester)
NBA 6550: Business Data Analysis with SQL (half semester)
NBA 5979: Environmental Finance & Impact Investing Practicum
NCC 5500: Financial Accounting
NCC 5560: Managerial Finance
NTRES 6260: Applied Conservation Ecology
PUBPOL 5114: Systems Leadership
PUBPOL 5441: Effective Writing for Public Policy (half semester)
PUBPOL 5757: Infrastructure Project Management and Finance Practicum
PUBPOL 5910: Master of Public Administration Capstone
PUBPOL 5920: Public Affairs Externships
- Note: 4 credits/one course counts as a Concentration, 4 credits/one course counts as Professional Development.
PUBPOL 5930: Writing Professional Reports for Public Affairs (half semester)
PUBPOL 5949: Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership Practicum I
PUBPOL 5959: Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership Practicum II
STSCI 5550: Applied Time Series Analysis