MPA Curriculum

This course provides a foundational overview of policy analysis tools and strategies to inform the decisions of public affairs practitioners. Students will learn how to identify and frame policy problems, evaluate potential solutions, and communicate decisions clearly and persuasively. They will examine the strengths and limitations of common analytical frameworks such as market analysis, benefit-cost analysis, behavioral economics, and equity analysis, applying these frameworks to real-world cases in their areas of practice. In addition to developing their skills as policy analysts, the course will strengthen students’ writing and research skills through a series of applied assignments.

This course equips public affairs practitioners to analyze and interpret data as an essential input in their decisions, with an emphasis on being informed consumers rather than original producers of quantitative analysis. Students will solidify their understanding of basic statistical concepts (including probability, sampling, and hypothesis-testing), examine the application of these concepts in common research methods, explore publicly available data sources used commonly in the practice of public affairs, and gain exposure to statistical software applications. They will also strengthen their data visualization and presentation skills through a series of applied assignments.

What makes leaders effective, ethical, and equitable? How can managers guide their organizations through times of change? This course introduces MPA students to core concepts in leadership theory, public management, and organizational behavior, providing a framework for the leadership experience they have already begun to develop as practitioners. Students will examine different models of executive leadership and develop a set of practical management skills to drive change and innovation within their organizations. They will also develop an individualized leadership plan aligned with their professional goals, informed by a leadership assessment and one-on-one executive coaching sessions.

As their capstone activity in the MPA program, students will apply the knowledge and skills developed across the curriculum to a contemporary challenge facing their organization or community of practice. Under the guidance of the course instructor and a faculty advisor with relevant expertise, students will select a topic of interest from a curated list of options, conduct a landscape analysis of existing knowledge on the topic, produce their own original research and analysis, and recommend a specific course of action. In addition to a written report, students will produce a one-page summary of their project and present their work to an audience of students, faculty, and invited guests.

This course equips students with foundational knowledge and practical skills to navigate the ethical challenges that arise in the practice of public affairs. Students will review classical ethical frameworks and seminal research in behavioral and organizational ethics, then apply insights from these works to real-world challenges. The course places significant emphasis on ethical leadership, organizational culture, and procedural justice, giving students a set of tools and strategies for responding to challenges that they may face as they advance their careers.

Today’s public affairs leaders must navigate a dynamic and disruptive information environment that poses threats as well as opportunities to the organizations they lead. This course will help students understand and navigate contemporary challenges such as the rise of artificial intelligence, mis/disinformation, threats to cybersecurity, and the fractured and volatile media landscape. Students will map and analyze the information ecosystems in which their organizations or communities of practice operate, explore contemporary topics such as privacy and data governance, and examine the evolving legal, regulatory, and political landscape surrounding the news and information environment.

This course provides students with a foundational understanding of fiscal policy, practical knowledge of the public budgeting process at various levels of government, and a set of financial management tools and strategies applicable to public and non-profit organizations. Students will analyze the “players, process, and politics” of public budgeting, participate in simulated budgeting exercises, and develop a set of skills for influencing, planning, executing, and managing their organization’s finances. The course will culminate with a team-based project requiring students to apply the skills and knowledge developed during the semester.

People are the greatest asset in any organization, and effectively leading them is one of the most complex challenges faced by public affairs professionals. This course provides students with a foundational understanding of human resources management and organizational development, with a focus on the unique workforce dynamics within public affairs organizations. Students will analyze their organization’s cultural intelligence and political environment, develop practical skills for managing all stages of the employee lifecycle, and explore contemporary challenges such as fostering inclusive workplaces, leading diverse teams, and managing hybrid and remote workforces.

This course equips students with foundational skills in advocacy and strategic communications—two interrelated competencies essential to public policy professionals across sectors. The first half of the course emphasizes advocacy strategy: setting goals, mapping power and influence, identifying target audiences, selecting tactics, and executing, monitoring, and evaluating campaigns. The second half focuses on communications strategy, teaching students to craft persuasive messages, choose the right messengers and distribution channels, and respond to crises. The course culminates in a team-based project integrating both skill sets.

This course helps students grow decision and negotiation skills for a complex and unpredictable world. The first part will focus on executive decision-making, introducing decision analysis and behavioral approaches while exploring constraints and ethical considerations. The second part will focus on negotiation, presenting theories and techniques while emphasizing the development of practical negotiation skills using case studies and simulations. Students will be asked to apply these tools to decisions they have faced in their careers, emphasizing the development of a personal leadership style, managing through differences, and unique aspects of the practice of public affairs.

This course will help students who work (or aspire to work) in the non-profit sector develop and implement effective strategies for leading their organizations in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape. Informed by case studies, engagement with practitioners, and their own experiences, students will explore topics including non-profit governance and board engagement, fundraising and donor engagement, strategic planning, program delivery and community engagement, impact measurement and evaluation, and non-profit advocacy. As their culminating assignment, students will apply their skills and knowledge to a current challenge facing a non-profit organization of their choosing.

How can technology be designed, deployed, and governed to advance the public good? This course explores the ethical dimensions of technology policy and practice, including questions of accountability, power, opportunity, justice, and inclusion. Students will examine frameworks for responsible innovation and evaluate real-world use cases—from open data platforms to civic tech tools to algorithmic auditing—that aim to serve public interest goals. Through case analysis and applied projects, students will assess how their own organizations can adopt or influence technologies in ways that promote transparency and democratic values.

Course descriptions are for illustrative purposes only; finalized offerings will be listed here soon.

As digital systems become foundational to service delivery and decision-making across sectors, organizational leaders must understand how data is collected, managed, and regulated. This course provides students with foundational knowledge of data governance models, privacy regulations, and institutional accountability frameworks. Students will then apply these concepts in their areas of practice through practical exercises such as the development of data-sharing agreements, privacy impact assessments, and governance plans suited to cross-agency or cross-sector environments.

Course descriptions are for illustrative purposes only; finalized offerings will be listed here soon.

Cyber threats pose growing risks to public institutions, critical infrastructure, essential services such as health care and energy, and democratic governance. This course equips students with an understanding of contemporary cybersecurity threats, foundational knowledge of the relevant legal and policy landscape, and practical tools to evaluate risk and response strategies tailored to their organizational context. Through applied case studies and scenario-planning, students will develop organizational cybersecurity plans, incident response protocols, and strategies for interagency and public-private collaboration to address cybersecurity threats in their organizations or areas of practice.

Course descriptions are for illustrative purposes only; finalized offerings will be listed here soon.

This course examines the public policy challenges posed by artificial intelligence and dominant digital platforms. Topics will include algorithmic bias and accountability, transparency and auditability, misinformation, content moderation, and related regulatory frameworks. Students will analyze and debate domestic and international policy responses to contemporary platform governance challenges and develop practical tools—such as platform accountability proposals, algorithm impact assessments, or transparency reporting models—for application in their areas of professional practice.

Course descriptions are for illustrative purposes only; finalized offerings will be listed here soon.

Digital technologies are playing an increasingly central role in climate mitigation and adaptation strategies—and also creating new energy demands and other environmental challenges. This course examines how tools such as smart grids, emissions monitoring, and climate modeling intersect with sustainability goals, while also addressing the environmental footprint of data centers, AI systems, and energy-intensive computing. Students will apply tools of policy analysis to real-world challenges, designing climate-tech strategies that balance innovation with environmental goals and developing strategies for use in their areas of professional practice.

Course descriptions are for illustrative purposes only; finalized offerings will be listed here soon.

Technology and trade are deeply intertwined in today’s global economy, raising complex challenges related to innovation, security, competition, and digital sovereignty. International trade agreements, export controls, supply chain rules, and digital trade norms shape access to and governance of technology, especially at a time when the United States and China are evolving their trade relationship. Students in this course will deepen their understanding of the relationship between trade policy and technology, evaluate the trade-offs inherent in cross-border technology flows, and develop practical strategies to help government and private-sector organizations navigate these trade-offs.

Course descriptions are for illustrative purposes only; finalized offerings will be listed here soon.

Today's public affairs leaders must navigate a dynamic and disruptive information environment that poses threats as well as opportunities to the organizations they lead. This course will help students understand and navigate contemporary challenges such as the rise of artificial intelligence, mis/disinformation, threats to cybersecurity, and the fractured and volatile media landscape. Students will map and analyze the information ecosystems in which their organizations or communities of practice operate, explore contemporary topics such as privacy and data governance, and examine the evolving legal, regulatory, and political landscape surrounding the news and information environment.

Course descriptions are for illustrative purposes only; finalized offerings will be listed here soon.

This course helps policy practitioners cultivate responsible artificial intelligence leadership within their organizations and communities of practice. Students will gain familiarity with AI governance frameworks, regulatory and market trends, systemic risk, and internal controls, exploring AI’s potential as well as its limitations. They will then assess AI threats and opportunities in their specific professional contexts, examining the impact of predictive analysis, process automation, generative text, automatic summarization, and other applications. As their culminating project, students will develop custom AI use cases relevant to their career interests. No prior AI experience required.