Master in Public Policy (MPP)

Job growth, affordable housing, educational reform, environmental degradation—these are just a few of the significant challenges that face society today. As these issues grow more complex, the relationships among government, business, and non-profit organizations also take on critical importance. The public policy program at Loyola can help students transform their interest in these types of problems into the ability to analyze and act upon them. The curriculum brings together knowledge about current government programs with the technical skills to assess how politics influence policy choices, how to design more effective programs, and how to evaluate the impacts of existing ones. 

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) program at Loyola is a two-year professional degree focused on training students to assume leadership roles in government, non-profit organizations, or businesses. Part-time students typically finish in three years. Internships or capstone projects allow students to apply the skills developed in the program and gain work-related experience.

Degree Requirements

Required Coursework:

The MPP degree program requires 37 credit-hours of coursework—11 three-credit courses, plus a three-credit internship or capstone experience.

You will learn how to:

• Design policy interventions and apply criteria to determine best option in each specific case
• Understand a budget and evaluate it from different stakeholder positions
• Navigate the political process at the federal, state, and local government levels
• Build a political coalition of support for a program
• Use appropriate statistical procedures for public policy research and practice
• Design, conduct, and critique program evaluations
• Experience working in the public policy arena in government agency, non-profit, research, or private sector organization

MPP alumni from SCPS apply their education to tackle some of society’s most pressing problems, from immigration to the environment, from public safety to community development. Some work for state and local governments or federal agencies; others are employed by non-profit organizations or business enterprises with connections to the public policy landscape.

SPCS students enrolled in the Master in Public Policy program receive instruction, guidance, and support from dedicated faculty members representing departments across Loyola, including criminal justice, economics, education, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and social work. Faculty include both scholars in their respective field as well as working practitioners who understand the current market climate and the crucial skills necessary to advance thoughtful policy. View Our Directory

To apply to the Master in Public Policy program at SCPS, students must provide:

• A completed application
• Official transcripts from all prior institutions. To be eligible for admission, your transcript must show an earned bachelor’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in progress (with an expected graduation to occur before the start of your graduate program).
• 2.5 GPA or higher and in good standing at all prior institutions. In exceptional cases, applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below 2.5 may be admitted. Each program area gives meaningful consideration to the applicant's graduate GPA, recommendations, professional experience and reasons for pursuing a graduate program.