Public Policy (MS)

Public Policy (MS) Website

Program Description

The Master of Science in Public Policy provides students with the skills needed to assess, create, and implement public policy that has a lasting impact on the public good. This accelerated, one-year program prepares students for a career in policy analysis in a range of fields and sectors, from local housing policy to national health policy to international development—from New York City to cities around the globe.

Effective policy analysts need to possess skills in analysis, advanced quantitative methods, public management, and strategic communications. As a designated STEM-eligible program, the Master of Science in Public Policy blends these areas so that students will know how to gather, evaluate, interpret, and communicate data to design effective public policies.

Graduates will be prepared to hit the ground running as policy analysts at think tanks, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and consulting firms.

 Program Highlights

• Accelerated and intensive one-year curriculum in policy analysis, quantitative methods, and communications skills.
• Professional internship linked to your coursework, testing classroom skills and ideas against real-world experiences.
• Tight-knit, collaborative cohort within a broader school of public service.
• A powerful community that connects you with key organizations, contacts, and career opportunities worldwide. 
• A culminating studio project that uses data as the basis for an individual master's policy analysis brief.

Admissions

Admission to the Master of Science requires the following:

• Online Application
• Essays (video essay optional)
• Resume
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• Standardized Test Scores
• Application Fee

See MS Public Policy Application Checklist for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

International Applicants should review the International Applicant Checklist for a complete and comprehensive list of application requirements and instructions.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 42 credits, comprised of the following:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Required Courses
MSPP-GP 1000	Methods and Microeconomics Intensive	3
MSPP-GP 1022	Introduction to Public Policy	3
MSPP-GP 2100	Communication Skills for the Policy Analyst	3
PADM-GP 2140	Public Economics	3
PADM-GP 2171	Evaluating Programs and Policies	3
MSPP-GP 2905	Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis	3
MSPP-GP 4021	Financial Management I	1.5
MSPP-GP 4105	Public Management I	1.5
MSPP-GP 4106	Public Management II	1.5
MSPP-GP 4900	The Practice of Work	1.5
MSPP-GP 3100	Applied Policy Analysis	3
MSPP-GP 3101	Policy and Data Studio	3
Electives
Topics electives (2 courses)		6
Methods elective (1 course)		3
Additional Topics or Methods elective (1 course)		3
Total Credits		42

Electives

 Methods Electives

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
PADM-GP 2505	Advanced Data Analytics and Evidence Building.	3
PADM-GP 2875	Estimating Impact in Policy Research	3
PADM-GP 4119	Data Visualization and Storytelling	1.5
PADM-GP 4147	Large Scale Data Analysis with Machine Learning I	1.5
PADM-GP 4148	Large Scale Data Analysis with Machine Learning II	1.5
PADM-GP 4503	Introduction to Data Analytics for Public Policy, Administration, and Management	1.5
PADM-GP 4504	Introduction to Database Design, Management, and Security	1.5
PADM-GP 4506	Python Coding for Public Policy	1.5
URPL-GP 4650	Advanced GIS: Interactive Web Mapping and Spatial Data Visualization	1.5

 Topics Electives

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
URPL-GP 1605	Land Use Law: The Planning Perspective	3
PADM-GP 2109	Legal Literacy: What Public Service Leaders Need to Know About the American Legal System	3
PADM-GP 2129	Race, Identity, and Inclusion	3
PADM-GP 2138	Macroeconomics: Policy Challenges for the US & Global Economy	3
PADM-GP 2139	Behavioral Economics and Public Policy Design	3
PADM-GP 2144	Debt Financing and Management for Public Organizations	3
PADM-GP 2147	Corporate Finance and Public Policy	3
PADM-GP 2174	The Intersection of Operations, Policy, and Leadership	3
PADM-GP 2201	Institutions, Governance, and International Development	3
PADM-GP 2202	Politics of International Development	3
PADM-GP 2203	Economics of International Development	3
PADM-GP 2204	Development Assistance Accountability and Effectiveness	3
PADM-GP 2211	International Program Development and Management	3
PADM-GP 2213	Immigration Politics and Policy - Past and Present	3
PADM-GP 2245	Financing Local Government	3
PADM-GP 2311	Impact Investing	3
PADM-GP 2411	Policy Formation and Policy Analysis	3
URPL-GP 2415	Public Policy and Planning in New York	3
PADM-GP 2416	Racial Inequality in America: What Do We Do Now?	3
PADM-GP 2441	The Economics of Education Policy and Finance	3
PADM-GP 2444	Gender & Sexuality in U.S. Policy Formation	3
PADM-GP 2445	Poverty, Inequality, and Policy	3
URPL-GP 2452	Public-Private Partnerships, Public Spaces, Politics & the Press	3
PADM-GP 2472	Climate Economics	3
URPL-GP 2608	Urban Economics	3
URPL-GP 2635	Community Equity/Wealth	3
URPL-GP 2660	History and Theory of Planning	3
URPL-GP 2665	Decentralized Development Planning and Policy Reform in Developing Countries	3
URPL-GP 2670	Land Use, Housing and Community Development in New York City Seminar	3
HPAM-GP 2836	Topics in Health Policy: Policy, Politics, and Power	3
PADM-GP 4151	Inclusive Leadership	1.5
PADM-GP 4191	Understanding the Role Federal Tax Credits Play in the Affordable Housing & Renewable Energy Sectors	1.5
PADM-GP 4217	Accountability in Humanitarian Assistance	1.5
PADM-GP 4250	Hunger and Food Security in a Global Perspective: New York	1.5
PADM-GP 4313	The Intersection of Finance and Social Justice	1.5
PADM-GP 4401	Race, Crime, and Incarceration Policy in the United States	1.5
PADM-GP 4440	Education and Social Policy	1.5
URPL-GP 4622	Wealth and Inequality	1.5
URPL-GP 4636	Housing Policy I	1.5
URPL-GP 4638	Housing Policy II	1.5
URPL-GP 4665	Decentralized Development Planning	1.5
HPAM-GP 4830	Health Economics: Principles	1.5
HPAM-GP 4831	Health Economics: Topics in Domestic Health Policy	1.5

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid

1st Semester/Term		Credits
MSPP-GP 1000	Methods and Microeconomics Intensive	3
MSPP-GP 1022	Introduction to Public Policy	3
MSPP-GP 2100	Communication Skills for the Policy Analyst	3
MSPP-GP 2905	Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis	3
MSPP-GP 4021	Financial Management I	1.5
PADM-GP 2140	Public Economics	3
PADM-GP 2171	Evaluating Programs and Policies	3
	Credits	19.5
2nd Semester/Term
MSPP-GP 4105	Public Management I	1.5
MSPP-GP 4106	Public Management II	1.5
	Credits	3
3rd Semester/Term
MSPP-GP 4900	The Practice of Work	1.5
Topics Elective		3
Topics Elective		3
Methods Elective		3
Methods Elective		3
	Credits	13.5
4th Semester/Term
MSPP-GP 3100	Applied Policy Analysis	3
MSPP-GP 3101	Policy and Data Studio	3
	Credits	6
	Total Credits	42

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

1. Understand institutions within the policy process, the structure of relevant organizations, and how to manage and work within these organizations.
2. Apply analytic tools for assembling evidence, identifying policy alternatives and making policy recommendations.
3. Apply key methods of quantitative policy analysis to communicate quantitative information and argue with data.
4. Assess the normative considerations in policy making, including law, ethics, and equity vs. efficiency trade-offs.
5. Convey complex problems and alternative solutions to multiple audiences using written and oral communication skills gained in the program.

Policies

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Wagner Policies

Additional academic policies can be found on the Wagner academic policy page.