Master of Public Policy

Our M.P.P. courses emphasize writing, research and project work. You will learn to:

• Frame a policy question: Turn a broad public issue into something that can be investigated and choose an appropriate research design.
• Judge the evidence: Work with qualitative and quantitative data and learn to recognize the difference between statistical and practical significance.
• Design policies for the real world: Account for political institutions, economic forces and consequences that may not be obvious at first.
• Find out whether policies worked: Use implementation science, logic models and outcome evaluation to study a policy after it takes effect.
• Build a financial case: Estimate costs and examine how a proposed policy could be funded.
• Make the recommendation clear: Present your analysis so decision makers can understand the evidence and act on it.

Explore the curriculum

During your first term, you’ll spend two days in Dallas with your cohort, faculty and public policy professionals moving through workshops and guest sessions that connect your coursework to the real world. You’ll also visit the George W. Bush Presidential Center, including the George W. Bush Institute to get a closer look at Dallas’ policy community.

Then in your final term, you’ll return to campus to present your client-based capstone to faculty, your client and a panel of experts. You’ll leave with a project you can use in your current position and show to future employers.

The first immersion helps you understand the field. The second asks you to contribute to it.

Learn more about the immersion experiences

Your capstone is a two-course project built around solving a challenge for a real client organization. Working with a small peer team, you’ll clearly define the issue, gather evidence and weigh possible policy responses before developing a recommendation the client can use.

In the first capstone course, you’ll shape the research plan and begin your analysis. In the second capstone, you’ll refine your recommendations and prepare to present them during the final Dallas immersion. There, you’ll explain your findings to the client, faculty and a panel of experts.

The finished project gives you a concrete example of your decision-making and communication skills that you can discuss with employers or draw on when making the case for an idea at work.

Through the AI and Public Policy elective, examine how policymakers evaluate, regulate and apply AI technologies. Explore responsible AI, data ethics, privacy, governance and regulatory approaches while considering applications such as public interest technology and algorithm auditing.

An online master’s degree will allow you the flexibility to take classes while working or attending to other priorities. That said, an online degree is still a commitment. In the SMU M.P.P., half of your work is asynchronous, meaning you can watch lecture videos and complete work at your convenience around a set schedule.

The remaining 50% of the program is synchronous via Zoom. Your instructors create engaging lessons that encourage participation, and students will benefit from arriving to class ready to engage. Each class meets weekly in the evening, typically between 6:30-10 p.m. CT. In addition, a key feature of this program is the network that you can create with your classmates, instructors and guest speakers.

Our ideal student is self-motivated and organized enough to create a schedule that allows them to meet deadlines.

Given the complexity of the policy landscape, a public policy master’s is a significant advantage for individuals applying for roles in the field. This program is a great fit for:

• Professionals who currently hold a policy role and want to advance their knowledge and career prospects
• Early to mid-career individuals who aim to demonstrate to their current or future employers that they possess the capability to excel in a demanding master’s degree program
• Career changers who are interested in pivoting to public policy, but don’t yet have a background in it

Students should expect approximately 5 to 15 hours of coursework each week, including required live sessions. Learn more about our coursework on our curriculum page.

Faculty interaction is part of the weekly rhythm. Roughly half of your coursework takes place in required live evening sessions, where you discuss cases and work through public policy decisions with your professor and classmates. Between sessions, instructors typically respond to emails and course messages within 48 business hours.

Find more information about your professors.

No. SMU does not require GRE or GMAT scores for admission to the M.P.P. Visit our admission page to review the materials needed for your application.

The cost per credit hour is $1,000, with the program consisting of 36 credits. Total tuition for the program is $36,000 without including fees. Learn more about our tuition and funding options on our tuition and financial aid page.

Yes! Students enrolled in SMU’s online master’s programs are encouraged to request federal and state financial aid by completing their FAFSA. Scholarships may be awarded by academic departments during the admission process. Any scholarships awarded will be submitted to the Graduate Financial Aid Office to be included in your total financial aid offer.

Eligible students may receive the following tuition reductions:

• 20% tuition reduction for City of Dallas employees
• 20% for HCSC employees
• 10% for SMU alumni and faculty or staff
• 10% for employees of participating AllCampus Workplace organizations

An enrollment specialist can help you determine whether your employer or SMU affiliation qualifies.

Active-duty military service members, veterans and their spouses and dependents have access to additional funding through the Yellow Ribbon Program in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Yellow Ribbon Program can cover tuition expenses and other costs, including books and fees. Learn more about our funding opportunities on our tuition and financial aid page.