ACADEMICS
The small faculty-student ratio of the program is especially appealing, and the professors--many of whom are well-established researchers--are committed to preparing us professionally.
Johns Hopkins has designed a fresh, innovative approach to policy studies that builds on past experience but adapts it to the new policy realities of the 21st century. We emphasize analytic thinking throughout the curriculum, from applied statistics and microeconomics to the policy process and policy implementation. And the program embeds those skills in the concept of citizenship, linking questions of ethics and values to policymaking. Courses are designed to prepare students for involvement in the critical decision-making required in the development of public policy in the public, nonprofit and private sectors.
The Hopkins MPP program stands out from most public policy programs in several major respects: a balance of quantitative and qualitative courses; close contact with core faculty; courses reflecting current and often path-breaking research; enrichment through the involvement of scholars and practitioners from overseas; and the opportunity for master's candidates to produce a research- or practice-oriented thesis.
In addition to rigorous academic training, MPP students also develop real-world skills through internships, courses, seminars, and formal presentations by policy practitioners. By the end of the first semester of the first year, each MPP student will have conducted an applied policy research project—identifying key questions, collecting and analyzing data, and writing and presenting a report for publication—on a real-world issue in social policy. The MPP program also requires students to observe policy-making first-hand through internships of at least 300 hours in public or private agencies.