The graduate program in Public Affairs and Policy is designed to prepare students for careers as policy analysts and advocates, managers and leaders, serving both in and out of government. The curriculum provides students with analytic and quantitative skills to frame policy issues, and with an understanding of the institutional and political context of policy-making, in order to bring about effective actions directed at the formulation, approval, implementation, and evaluation of policy.

Drawing upon the resources of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, the Schools of Criminal Justice, Social Welfare, Business, Information Science and Policy, Public Health and Education, and departments in the Arts and Sciences, the program meets the needs of persons requiring an individualized, interdisciplinary course of study focusing on public policy. In addition to the core of courses required of all students, each student must select or design a policy area concentration of courses in the student's particular policy specialty. This specialty is also pursued through the internship experience and the master's essay.

Persons with wide varieties of undergraduate background are encouraged to apply.

Admission to the program is based on a close evaluation of the individual student's needs and capacity to utilize effectively the opportunities of the program. Official scores of the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) must be submitted.

Graduates of the program are awarded the degree of Master of Arts.

Program of Study (44 credits minimum)

1. Required courses:*
   1. Pub 506 Implementation and Impact;
   2. Pub 507-8 Current Research Topics in Public Policy Analysis;
   3. Pub 503 Principles of Public Economics;
   4. Pub 514 Economic Analysis for Public Affairs II;
   5. Pub 522 Politics and Policy;
   6. Pub 504 Data Models and Decisions I;
   7. Pub 505 Data Models and Decisions II;
   8. Pub 502 Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Public Policy or Pub 529 Law and Policy;
2. Policy Specialty: At least three graduate courses (9 credits minimum) in a substantive policy area, e.g., health policy, welfare policy, criminal justice policy, education policy, environmental policy, urban policy, regulatory policy;
3. Internship: Experience in the public sector is required. This requirement can be fulfilled by completing two years of appropriate full-time employment or by completing an approved internship for at least one semester during the program.
4. Essay: Pub 698 Master's Essay in Public Affairs and Policy (4 credits). An oral presentation and defense of the master's essay is required.

*Students are expected to take all required courses. However, a student who has completed successfully an equivalent graduate-level course may select a substitute course for a required course with the approval of the Director of the Public Policy Program.