Message from Director

Greetings,

You want to make a difference – we can help.

Affordable housing, immigration, financial turbulence, struggling city schools, neighborhoods mired in poverty, pollution, urban sprawl. The challenges are all around us. So are the energy and motivation to address them.

The Master’s in Public Policy or Urban Affairs programs at Loyola can give you the tools and knowledge to turn concern about these problems into the ability to analyze them, devise appropriate solutions, and then act on them. In a small, collegial environment, students learn from engaged faculty and each other. Internships and policy clinics provide opportunities for students to utilize the material learned in the classroom to work on real problems in coordination with public or nonprofit agencies.

• The Master in Public Policy program is appropriate for students interested in federal, state or local government issues. The curriculum develops student knowledge of government programs, how politics influence policy outcomes, the design of effective programs, and the skills to evaluate them.
• The Master of Arts in Urban Affairs is an interdisciplinary degree program that provides a broad focus on the issues that cities face – such as economic competition, globalization and immigration, and the impact of diversity on communities. The curriculum uses a multidisciplinary approach to provide student with an understanding of the complexity of factors that contribute to urban problems and their possible solutions.

Neither degree program requires a specific undergraduate background. We offer introductory classes on any necessary technical material, such as statistics and economics. Advanced courses then familiarize students with some of the most sophisticated tools in public policy design, analysis, and evaluation. Both programs utilize faculty from multiple departments to offer a wide variety of courses relevant to the study of public policy and urban areas – including use of geographic information systems (GIS), financial management, community field work, and evaluation methods.

Our location in the city of Chicago provides multiple opportunities for involvement in urban affairs and public policy at all levels -- neighborhood organizations, city and county agencies, offices of the state and federal governments. The community also offers an enjoyable living environment with diverse cultural and social activities in a major metropolitan area.

Please explore the rest of our website, learn more about our programs, and visit us on campus or at an Information Session.

Annette Steinacker, PhD

Director, Urban Affairs and Public Policy Program