About the Program
The MSPA master's degree program is a two-year professional degree program that prepares students for careers in public service and enhances the skills of those already employed in the public sector.
The Public Affairs program includes intensive analyses of current policy issues and concentrates on topics relating to metropolitan Boston, Massachusetts and New England.
The curriculum is a carefully planned sequence of evening courses and occasional weekend seminars that provide academic instruction in politics, economics, management, budgeting, statistics and public finance. In our experiential learning capstone, students choose a real-world project to test and apply theories learned in the classroom.
Graduates of this highly competitive program include mayors, city managers, and state agency managers and directors, as well as a host of elected officials.
Goals of the MSPA Master's Degree Program
The MSPA program concentrates on four broad goals for its graduates:
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An understanding of the political and economic factors that influence the development and implementation of public policy initiatives, strategies and programs at the local, state, and national levels.
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A firm knowledge of the range of methodologies appropriate to policy analysis, including evaluation models, survey research and design, and the quantitative and qualitative measure for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data related to public policy issues.
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A solid grounding in the skills required for planning, implementing and monitoring public sector programs and policies, with special emphasis on the nature of human resources and budgeting issues in the public sector.
- The capacity to exercise the skills needed to build support for policy initiatives essential to the success of their organizations or agencies.
