MPP Program

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree prepares students for a variety of careers in the public policy sector.

Our MPP degree prepares students to develop new, sound public policy that anticipates how policy will be implemented and prospectively estimates likely behavioral responses and impacts on efficiency, equity, prosperity, and justice; appropriately collect data on the implementation process and outcomes; utilize the best qualitative and quantitative methods to understand policy implementation and evaluate policy effects; and to understand how and when advocacy for policy change is effective.

Our students learn how to obtain, evaluate, and interpret evidence; communicate with stakeholders; consider diverse perspectives; and make wise decisions.

Our MPP program features experiential learning, including an internship and client-based capstone

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Fall 2025 Priority Application Deadline: January 5, 2024

Fall 2025 Applications accepted on a rolling basis through June 2025

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BA/MPP Program

Learn more about our 5 year program for current undergraduate public policy students

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Drop In Hours

Please join our recruiter during our Ask Me Anything (AMA) Drop In Hours for a chance to ask questions about our MPP program, priority deadline, funding, research, and more.

These sessions are hosted on a weekly basis:

Wednesday, 2:00-3:00 PM
Friday, 11:30-12:30 PM

Where: These sessions are online only. Join virtually via Zoom.

Upcoming MPP Info Sessions

Testimonials

"I was drawn to the program because of the diversity of UCR and the percentage of underrepresented students the program admits. To me, this signaled that the university is invested and serious about uplifting first-generation students. The school provides endless opportunities to become involved through workshops, symposiums, etc. The School of Public Policy is helping me expand my social capital in ways that I never imagined possible."

Ana Yeli Ruiz (MPP' 20)

"I’m glad for my two years in the MPP program, as I was exposed to a wide variety of perspectives on policy making and evaluation through the different faculty, readings, guest speakers, and colleagues. The capstone project was a challenging process that allowed me to wrestle with a real world policy using the skills I learned through the program."

Fortino Morales III (MPP' 18)

"I chose UCR’s MPP program because of its flexibility for working professionals and its small class sizes. When making the decision to return to academia, I wanted to make sure I was making a wise investment. This meant selecting a university that had the resources to prepare me for a competitive workforce, in addition to being affordable and accessible to students."

Amber Bolden (MPP '18)