Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Academic Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Academic Catalog [Published Catalog]

Public Policy (MPP)


Master of Public Policy

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) is triple accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA); the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation (EAPAA); and the International Commission on the Accreditation of Public Administration Education and Training (ICAPA).  The degree is administered by the Department of Public Policy and Administration in the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The program prepares students for leadership positions in public service and for careers as policy analysts. Students, who are generally in the early part of their career at entry, pursue careers in government, nonprofit organizations, international development agencies, academia, consulting firms, and the private sector.

Program objectives

The mission of the MPP Program is to support evidence-based policy-making and better public governance in Egypt and the Middle East by preparing professionals for careers in public service with the highest ethical standards, strong competencies in public governance, excellent leadership and communication skills, capability to develop and use evidence and analysis in public service settings, and a commitment to building a better future for the people of Egypt and the region.

Admission

All applicants must satisfy the university’s graduate admission requirements. Candidates for the MPP or DPP should have adequate preparation in quantitative analytic methods. Relevant professional experience is desirable but not required.

Courses (33 credit hours)

Students seeking the degree of Master of Public Policy must complete 33 credit hours plus a thesis or 39 credit hours and a comprehensive examination. The program core, required of all students, consists of 6 courses (18 credits). Students must complete a concentration of 5 courses (15 credits). Students are required to declare their concentration before beginning their second semester of enrollment in the program. In addition to coursework, students must complete a thesis, or opt to sitting for a comprehensive examination after taking two additional courses. Students writing a thesis, consistent with department and university guidelines, will complete at least one enrollment in the thesis (PPAD 5298  or PPAD 5299 , all are non-credit).

Concentration Requirement (15 credit hours):


Students must complete 5 courses in one of the concentrations below. Students may substitute up to two courses for those shown in a concentration with permission of the department.

MPP Concentration 1: Policies for Sustainable Development - 5 courses (15 credits) required


Students should select concentration courses based on their chosen area of specialization, which may include health and social services policy, anti-poverty policy, environmental policy, or an area defined by the student.

MPP Concentration 2: Promotion and Regulation of the Private Sector Development – 5 courses (15 credits) required


Students should select concentration courses based on their chosen area of specialization, which may include financial markets; telecommunications, power, and water; private sector development; regional economic development, or a topic identified by the student.

MPP Concentration 3: Media Policy - 5 courses (15 credits) required


MPP Concentration 4: Data Analytics and program Evaluation - 5 courses (15 credits) required


Students should select concentration courses based on their chosen area of specialization, which may include program evaluation and data analysis and survey data analysis , or an area defined by the student.

Practicum (PPAD 5198): 3 credits Graded Pass-Fail


Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a practicum (internship) within their concentration, ideally in conjunction with their thesis work. This class is P/F graded.

Thesis


Students are required to write a thesis on some aspect of public policy relevant to their concentration. The preparation of the thesis and the thesis itself must comply with Departmental and AUC guidelines with regard to content, format, dates, and the review and supervision process. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these guidelines and meeting formal deadlines. Students preparing the thesis normally develop a preliminary thesis proposal during PPAD 5201 , a required core course, but may prepare an alternative thesis proposal if desired. Once the proposal is approved, students can enroll in PPAD 5298 , the thesis research seminar, in the first semester in which they are working on the research component and write-up of their thesis. Thereafter, if additional work is required to complete the thesis, students must enrol each semester in PPAD 5299 . Students must pay 3 credits of tuition for the first enrolment in PPAD 5298  and PPAD 5299  and thereafter pay 1 credit of tuition for each semester, until the thesis is successfully defended and approved by the Dean.

PPAD 5298 , the thesis research seminar, is designed to support the applied research required for the thesis and the writing of the thesis itself. Students will be required to read and comment on the work of other students, both orally and in writing, and to present draft thesis chapters.

Non-Thesis Track


Students who do not wish to undertake a thesis can choose to substitute the thesis with two additional PPAD 3 credit courses, with the approval of the program director, and then sit for a comprehensive examination after completing all program course requirements. A comprehensive examination is usually offered in mid-December and mid-April. Students not registered for courses or thesis credit hours and planning to sit for the comprehensive examination in any semester must register for comprehensives (PPAD 5288 ) in that semester and pay tuition equivalent to one graduate credit hour.

Comprehensive examination may be repeated once. A student who fails the comprehensive examination a second time would be dismissed from the degree program after the end of the semester in which the examination was retaken.