UNH Program Spotlight: Master in Public Policy
The Master's in Public Policy (MPP) at UNH equips professionals with the analytical, research, and communication skills needed to tackle complex societal challenges. This program teaches students how to design sustainable, evidence-based policy solutions and effectively implement them.
Learn more from Carsey School Director Stephen Bird about what makes this program unique.
Can you give an overview of the program?
The MPP is an affordable, flexible, in-person degree typically completed in 16 months. It prepares policy leaders of tomorrow with critical skills and experience sought across the full range of policymaking and advocacy employers in government, consulting, NGOs, the private sector, and nonprofits. You'll learn from experts in their policy fields, connect with policy practitioners and leaders working inside and outside of Washington, D.C., and become intimately familiar with major public policy issues and debates. This is a degree for students who want to make change happen to build a better, more sustainable future for their communities, state, country, and planet.
Why should students interested in public policy choose UNH?
The program ensures students get plenty of in-person oversight, it's flexible, including three tracks in policy analysis, strategy and communication, or recreation policy.
We have really strong experiential activities. Our DC Colloquium is mandatory fo all MPP students and proves a week in DC meeting with policy makers inside and outside of government.
The applied opportunities include a new experiential community engagement course, both a capstone and an internship that we help support, and the chance to connect with research projects here on campus or in communities outside the university.
What are the key skills students take from this program?
Our students come out with robust policy analysis skills, communication, leadership, and advocacy training, and the development of expertise in specific policy domains that will increase their career options and advancement.
Who is the ideal student for this program?
One of the things we prize about Carsey's programs is that they span a wider range of student types than many programs. We have mid-career professionals with significant experience who are looking to bump and broaden their policy skills and opportunities, and we also have students at the beginning of their careers looking to jump-start their policy work. This mix creates great conversations in our cohorts and a really rich experience. We've seen some of our more-experienced students provide mentoring advice to those just getting going, and younger students provide policy advocacy advice in new social media for their peers.
What does a typical week look like in this program?
A typical week varies throughout the year. In the first and second semesters, students typically take 3–4 classes as they prepare for their internship and capstone. Then students move more towards the direct work of those real-world experiences in combination with their mentors or partner organization.
What career paths do graduates take?
Students from our program have careers in policy analysis for the courts, consulting firms, and local, state, and national government! They have roles doing communications on policy, sustainability management, government data analytics, community outreach, election campaigns, and several who are involved in different roles in nonprofit groups. Our MPP degree has launched new career opportunities and better advancement opportunities for our alumni.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew about this program?
Carsey's MPP program is small but mighty!
Our students are launching into super successful careers, having come here for a strong, flexible, and affordable program that gives them real skills and multiple real-world experiences. It's that combination that makes our program special.