The Master of Public Policy (MPP) requires 48 credit hours. The UNC Graduate School allows up to 12 credits/hours of double counting/crossover of bachelor’s credits and master’s credits. UNC Public Policy will initially offer an accelerated dual bachelor’s-graduate degree (BA/BS-MPP).

MPP Academic Checklist

Program prerequisites: ECON 101, PLCY 210/210H, PLCY 460 & PLCY 581.

The MPP requires 48 credits:

• (8) core MPP courses (26 credits, inclusive of an individual project experience).
• (3) Track courses
  Track A—Policy Design & Innovation (9 credits).
  Track B—Policy Design & Impact (9 credits).
• (1) communication (strategic or visual) course (3 credits).
• (1) management/consulting course (3 credits).
• (2) elective/field courses (6 credits).
• (1) MPP professional development/internship seminar (1 credit).
• (1) Maymester MPP Seminar (3 credits).

The accelerated dual bachelor’s-graduate degree requires an internship and a Maymester seminar. Students should complete the required internship during the summer (preferably) or fall and spring semester (if necessary). The internship allows students to gain experience and apply their knowledge to significant problems in the public, private, or non-profit sectors. MPP students also apply analytical and professional skills in a final individual policy project.

“I am looking to pursue a career in policy research and advocacy at the non-profit or public sector level as it relates to education policy. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the undergraduate program in the Public Policy department. The faculty and classes of the undergraduate [program] sparked my interest in pursuing a graduate degree in Public Policy. When the accelerated MPP program was announced, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to further my studies at a university that I already had a strong attachment to.”
-Emily Palermo

Track A—Policy Design & Innovation/Certificate in Innovation for Public Good (9 credits)

Foundational Core Course (3)

HBEH/PLCY 748: Design Thinking for the Public Good (Fall/Spring)

Innovation Methods, Tools and Best Practices (3)

PLCY 790: Methods and Tools for Social Entrepreneurship
EDUC 818: Intervention Research Social Entrepreneurship
HPM 890.013: Systems Thinking & Collective Impact

Social Innovation in Practice (3)

PLCY 435: Designing for Impact: Social Enterprise Lab
EDUC 761: Special Topics Design of Emerging Technologies for Education
MBA 803C: Corporate Communication: Social Advocacy & Activism
MBA 824: Management of Workplace Diversity
MEJO 671: Social Marketing Campaigns
NURS 625: Global and Interprofessional Approaches to Solve Complex Cases
PUBA 756: Nonprofit Management
PUBA 757/SOWO 885: Financial Management for Nonprofits
PUBA 758: Navigating Nonprofit-Local Government Relationships in Organizations
PUBH 718: Designing Public Health Systems
SOWO 793: Asset Development Policy and Practice
SOWO 881: Development Theory and Practice

Track B—Policy Design & Impact/Impact Evaluation (9 credits)

Option 1

MHCH 862: Program Impact Evaluation (3)
PLCY 882 Advanced Panel Data Methodology (3)
Methods/Analytics elective (3)

OR

Option 2

HBEH/PLCY 748: Design Thinking for the Public Good (3)
PLCY 745 Mixed-Methods and Program Evaluation (3)
Methods/Analytics elective (3)

———-

Communications (strategic or visual) (3)

MEJO 701: Strategic Communication Research Methods
MEJO 732: Public Relations and Strategic Writing
MEJO 479: Market Intelligence
MEJO 730: Public Relations Foundations
MEJO 830: Public Relations Theory & Research
MEJO 634: Public Relations Campaigns
MEJO 670: Digital Advertising and Marketing
MEJO 671: Social Marketing Campaigns
MEJO 673: Advertising Campaigns
MEJO 581: User Experience Design and Usability
MEJO 753: Reporting and Writing News
MEJO 790: Research Literacy for Practitioners

Consulting/management course (i.e.,MPA, MPH, MBA, MCRP) (3)

Kenan Flagler
Public Administration
Public Health
City and Regional Planning

Elective/field courses (6 credits) (400+; 700+) (i.e., MPA, MPH, MBA, MCRP, JD)

Education and Labor Markets
Environment and Human Welfare
Innovation and Entrepreneurship/Business and Public Policy
Social Policy, Inequality and Social Entrepreneurship
Health Policy, Bioethics, and Human Rights
International Development Policy
Global Conflict and Cooperation