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Develop the skills to effectively strengthen society through public service.
The mission of the Sanford School of Public Policy Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program is to develop ethical and inclusive leaders who are committed to using evidence-based tools and rigorous analysis to solve public policy challenges and strengthen society through public service.
At Sanford you'll find:
- A close and connected community
- Top 10 rankings in public policy
- The highest-quality teaching
- One-on-one mentoring
- Individualized career counseling
- A deeply loyal alumni network
- A world-class research university
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program details | application
"At such a pivotal time in American history, it’s been really emboldening to be a part of Sanford, knowing that smart people are innovating to make the world a better place."
Program Info At a glance
Program Type: Residential
Program Length: Two years.
Application Deadline: January 5, 5 p.m. EST
Admission Decisions: Mid-March
Contact us! mppadmit@duke.edu
The two-year professional MPP Program prepares students for leadership roles in government and nonprofit organizations, both in domestic and international locations. The MPP Program requires full-time enrollment, and students average have two-to-six years of post-undergraduate work experience.
To succeed in the world of public policy, you’ll need a solid underpinning of analytical and professional skills.
The core curriculum of the MPP program includes:
- Microeconomic Analysis
- Political Analysis, or Globalization and Government
- Data Analysis, Statistics and Evaluation
- Policy Analysis
- Management and Leadership
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51 credit hours are required to obtain the two-year MPP degree. 39 credit hours are required to obtain a dual-degree. The courses include a combination of required core courses and electives. Two-year and dual degree MPP students are required to take a 3 credit hour Sanford Ethics course. Two-year MPP students are required to take 6 credit hours of courses that meet the Management and Leadership requirement.
The MPP Program offers seven policy-area concentrations. To complete a concentration, you must:
- complete nine credits of coursework in the concentration (either one, three-credit foundations course plus six elective course credits, or, for concentrations without a designated foundations course, nine approved elective course credits)
- complete a pre-approved summer internship related to the concentration.
- write a master’s project
The concentration is recorded on the student’s transcript upon graduation.
Environment & Energy Policy
The Environment and Energy concentration prepares students to evaluate, implement and influence environment and energy policy. You can prepare for a career in environmental and energy law, regulation, policymaking, research, consulting, and advocacy. With electives, you can either develop deep expertise in a sector like climate change mitigation, or gain a broad perspective on contemporary environment and energy topics.
Explore the environment & energy concentration.
Health Policy
The Health Policy Concentration provides an overview of health care systems and in-depth understanding of economic, sociological and political forces that shape health care systems in the U.S. and other countries. This concentration prepares MPP graduates to assume stimulating and substantive positions in all levels of government, in private sector companies, and in not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations as well as foundations.
Explore the health policy concentration.
International Development Policy
International development policy requires a firm foundation of knowledge about development challenges and experiences, ability to apply a wide range of evaluative and analytical tools, an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving, and communications skills. Graduates have secured jobs in applied development research, consulting, public financial analysis, impact and project evaluation, and management positions in government and non-government organizations.
Explore the international development policy concentration.
National Security Policy
The National Security and Foreign Policy Concentration prepares MPP students to assume positions in the national security community, including consulting firms with federal contracts. Graduates have secured jobs in key executive departments, such as defense, state, and homeland security, as well as in intelligence agencies and consulting firms. The economic outlook for employment in the national security community (including homeland security) is outstanding and unique.
Explore the national security policy concentration.
Social Policy
The Social Policy Concentration focuses on how to improve the lives of citizens by supporting their education, work, health and wellbeing. This concentration will prepare you for a position in government, private sector, and nonprofits. You'll focus on issues that address the needs of citizens or society related to education, work, health and wellbeing.
Explore the social policy concentration.
Technology Policy
Sanford’s focus on technology policy prepares students to address issues of government support for innovation and actions to mitigate the negative impacts that technology can make on individuals’ lives. ou will be prepared to assume positions in public service, the private sector and nonprofits dealing with public policy issues associated with tech innovation: legislative staff, executive agency analyst, national security and law enforcement, company government affairs manager, consultant and civil society advocates.
Explore the tech policy concentration.
Education Policy
The Education Policy Concentration focuses on how to analyze, explore, understand and improve educational institutions, people, and processes in the United States and globally. The education policy concentration will prepare you for positions in government, the private sector, nonprofit and advocacy groups, and in educational institutions.
Explore the education policy concentration.
Dual degrees offer the options for students to work towards two degrees at once. An MPP can give you the analytical and policy skills you need while you complete graduate study in an area you are passionate about, such as environmental science or entrepreneurship.
Dual degree students complete MPP first-year courses and the summer internship, and then register for courses in the other program during their second year at Duke. During the final year of study, students will complete coursework, including a Master’s Project under the close supervision of a public policy faculty member.
Business
The MPP/MBA program is a three-year program with either Duke's Fuqua School of Business or UNC's Kenan-Flager Business School.
Explore MPP/Business dual degree.
Data Science
The MPP/MDS program is a two-year program in data science and public policy with the Hertie School, the University of Governance in Berlin. The program combines the effectiveness of data science with evidence-based policy, preparing participants to become solution-oriented leaders within the public sector.
Explore MPP/Data Science dual degree.
Divinity
The MPP/MDVR and MPP/MTS degrees are designed to prepare individuals for positions of leadership, service, and advocacy in nonprofit organizations, government, and in the wider community.
Explore MPP/Divinity dual degrees.
Engineering
Our newest dual degree pairs public policy with an engineering degree (MEM) from Duke's Pratt School of Engineering. The three-year dual-degree program combines rigorous engineering, science and evidence-based policy to prepare students to become solutions-oriented leaders in all sectors.
Explore MPP/Engineering dual degree.
Environment
The MPP/Master of Environmental Management (MEM) or Master of Forestry (MF) gives students a strong background in environmental science plus the policy analysis and public management skills to translate science into policy.
Explore MPP/Environment dual degrees.
Law
The MPP/JD program offers students the analytical and quantitative skills of an MPP to complement their knowledge of the legal system. Students may pursue a dual MPP/JD degree with the Duke, UNC, or NCCU Schools of Law.
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* Must include summer internship.
Note: Separate applications are required for each program. You'll need to submit evaluation forms, transcripts and test scores to each program. (The same recommendation are fine, but the forms themselves must be submitted independently.)
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The faculty at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy have earned national and international recognition for excellence in research, policy engagement and teaching.
Sanford has a diverse mix of academic scholars and professors of the practice whose practical experience in top leadership roles enhances the classroom experience.
Faculty members collaborate across disciplines to explore questions relating to income inequality, obesity and hunger, energy policy, child neglect and abuse, access to health care, democratization, foreign policy and global concerns.
Real-world experience is one of the hallmarks of the Master of Public Policy program at Duke University's Sanford School. Here are some notable ways MPP students receive hands-on opportunities to hone their skills. These are required components of the degree.
Spring Consulting Projects
The Spring Consulting Project pairs teams of 3-5 Master's in Public Policy students with client organizations seeking to address a policy challenge related to their mission or operations. The student team will produce a detailed report advising the client on potential courses of action and brief the client on its findings.
Internships
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Every MPP student completes an internship. MPP students have interned at organizations such as:
- The White House
- The World Bank
- UNICEF, India
- US Agency for International Development
- Action Aid, Ghana
- FBI: Counterintelligence Unit
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- US Senate Finance Committee
- World Health Organization
- UN Environmental Programme
Master's Project
All students work closely with a faculty advisor while completing a yearlong capstone project.
The 4+1 Accelerated Master of Public Policy track is an opportunity for current Duke undergraduate students to complete both their undergraduate and master’s degrees in five years. Over the course of their senior year and their fifth year at Duke, 4+1 students will complete the entire 51 graduate credits required for the traditional two year MPP degree.
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About the Cohort
Our MPP students are a community forged from different lived experiences and represent a rich spectrum of academic, professional, and cultural backgrounds. The cohort size is approximately 100, but is different every year.
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Student Profile
Students are generally between 24-32 years old. Most have 2-6 years of post-undergraduate work experience.
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Domestic/International
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We look for applicants who have a clear vision for how they seek to serve the public good and improve the lives others. The ideal applicant has two or more years of post-undergraduate work experience in fields related to their policy interests. (The program admits a limited number of applicants directly from undergraduate programs, but we expect those applicants to have robust internship, volunteer, or part-time work experience in fields related to their policy interests.)
The average undergraduate GPA is 3.5.
Prior to enrollment, incoming MPP students must receive a grade of "B" or higher in at least one microeconomic course and one statistics course at an accredited college or university.
For applicants who have not completed microeconomics and statistics during their academic career, they may still apply to the MPP program, but will need to satisfy the prerequisite courses prior to August 1st of the year they begin the program.
A complete application includes:
- Statement of Purpose
- Resume
- Transcripts
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Required Tests (GRE is optional; Non-native English speakers who did not earn an undergraduate or graduate degree conducted in English must submit Duolingo, TOEFL or IELTS documentation.
- Video Introduction
- Curated Video (Optional but strongly recommended.)
- $80 Application Fee
The application link will be live in August.
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"Public policy is the root of just about everything. If you want to make change at scale, you have to engage with policy and regulation. Sanford taught me how to frame problems and opportunities with precision. When you define the issue clearly and accurately, you can create policy solutions that actually work." - Ivan Urlaub (MPP'04 MEM'04)
Featured MPP Student Stories
Uplifting Afghan women
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A native of Afghanistan, Nilab Ahmbadi MPP'25 is motivated by a desire to uplift Afghan women and children and has focused her MPP studies on economic and education policy, with keen interest in international development and social policy.
Expanding inclusive housing
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Eni Owoeye MPP'25 led a number of initiatives both on and off campus, including volunteer leadership in HOPE North Carolina, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding inclusive housing options, particularly for adults with intellectual and development disabilities.
Helping his city thrive
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During COVID, Jordan Wilson MPP '24 decided to go back to school. He considered law school, but stumbled across Duke’s MPP program and says he found his community. After speaking to some professors he calls Duke "an easy decision.” After graduation he landed in the Mayor's Office in San Francisco.
The Student Experience
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Apply to the MPP Program
- Ready to supercharge your outrageous ambition? Applications open August 15th.
- Have a question? E-mail us: mppadmit@duke.edu
- Attend an admissions event
- Schedule a visit