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Rutgers
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| Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey Department of Public Policy Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy 33 Livingston Avenue, Suite 202 New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1980 Program Link: |
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Professor David H. Guston Phone (732) 932-2499 x707 FAX (732) 932-1107 guston@rci.rutgers.edu |
The Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy has a five-fold mission to: prepare students for careers in the public and private sector, teaching and research, and service; serve as a national and international locus of policy and planning scholarship; provide service to all levels of government; serve as a major public policy forum for the region and the nation; and serve as an intellectual center in the university for applied social science research and its public policy implications. The School houses the Department of Public Policy, as well as Departments of Urban Planning and of Urban Studies and Community Health. The Department of Public Policy offers a concentration in science, technology and environmental politics, and students may take advantage of related curricula in the other departments as well.
The Department's curriculum is intense, its atmosphere intimate, and
it offers a variety of extra-curricular experiences to supplement the
educational experience.
M.P.P. -- Master of Public Policy
Full-time students complete the curriculum in two years, including the middle summer; part-time students complete the degree in four or five years.
M.P.A.P. -- Master of Public Affairs and Politics
Full-time students complete the curriculum in one year; part-time students complete the degree in two or three years.
M.P.A.P./J.D. -- Master of Public Affairs and Politics/Juris Doctor with Rutgers School of Law in Camden
Full-time students complete both degrees in 3 1/2 years of study.
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college, three letters of recommendation,
a writing sample, and either the GRE (general test) or LSAT are required
for admissions. Students with backgrounds in any discipline are welcome,
but a demonstrated interest in politics and public policy is vital.
Admission is competitive.
The primary objective of the M.P.P. program is to prepare students for careers in government, politics and public affairs within the public, non-profit, or private sectors. The M.P.P. requires 45 credits to complete. A required core of 30 credits consist of course work, an applied field experience or internship, and a faculty-directed research practicum. Students complete the remaining 15 credits with electives, at least 9 of which are drawn from an approved specialization such as science, technology and environmental politics.
The core courses for the M.P.P. are: Public Policy Formation; State & Local Public Finance; Quantitative Skills I & II; Policy Analysis & Evaluation; Applied Field Experience; and Research Practicum. Students complete their specialization with at least three electives selected from courses offered by the Department or elsewhere in the Bloustein School or the university.
The M.S. degree requires 30 credits to complete. A required core of 15 credits consists of courses in Public Policy Formation, State & Local Public Finance, Quantitative Skills I, Policy Analysis & Evaluation, and a Research Practicum. Although students have no formal specialization, they have 15 credits of electives. The public policy curriculum for the M.P.A.P./J.D. degree is identical to the M.P.A.P. degree.
No thesis is required for either degree, but students in the M.P.A.P.
must successfully complete a written comprehensive examination.
The M.P.P. degree is is recently instituted, enrolling its second full
class in the fall of 1999. The university has been awarding the M.P.A.P.
(formerly M.S.) for four decades with the Eagleton Institute of Politics.
Together, both programs are expected to enroll about three dozen full-time
students, with an additional dozen part-time students. Students come
from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and more than half have worked
for at least one year, often in positions in politics and public policy.
Some students, particularly part-time students, have a more extensive
professional background.
There are approximately 10 faculty members involved in teaching the
public policy curriculum. Faculty members have disciplinary backgrounds
in political science, economics, planning, and the law. The faculty
also includes current and former policy practitioners. There is one
faculty member in the Department and several others in the Bloustein
School whose primary interest is in science, technology and environmental
politics. Other areas of interest for the faculty members in the Department
include education and training, welfare, economic development, mass
media, and political institutions.
The Department prepares its students for careers in politics and public policy at all levels of government and in both the profit and non-profit sectors. Department graduates compete successfully for prestigious positions such as the Presidential Management Internship, and graduates currently work on the staffs of several governors, members of House and Senate, in several state legislatures, and for the President of the United States.
Tuition and fees for full-time resident students was $6,776 for the 1999-00 academic year and $9,936 for non-residents. Significant merit- or need-based financial aid is available, including fellowships and research assistantships.
