Our Program educates students in a range of methods and approaches to public policy analysis in a variety of policy areas with an emphasis on social policies.
Students will complete two years of full-time course work followed by part-time study consisting of electives and dissertation research and writing.
Our part-time program for state employees is described at the bottom of this page.
Most students can complete the entire program, including the dissertation, in five years.
Student Research Areas
Primary areas of research interest are:
- children, youth and family
- community development
- disability rights and policy
- dispute resolution
- economic development
- education reform
- environmental policy
- health policy
- homelessness and housing
- human rights
- immigration policies
- labor policy
law and public policy
- mental health policy
- minority issues
- nonprofit organizations
- poverty reduction
- regional development
- welfare reform
- and women's issues.
We offer concentrations in
- Dispute Resolution
- Special Education and Disability Policy
- Regional Economic Development
A new concentration in Organizations and Social Development is currently under development and we expect to add new ones in the near future – possibly in the areas of health policy and environmental policy. For more information on our concentrations, please consult our Assistant Director (phone 617-287-6937 or public.policy@umb.edu).
Our Program’s distinguishing features include:
Interdisciplinary Study:
The program provides interdisciplinary study at both the theoretical and the applied levels, drawing on the disciplines of community planning, economics, law, management, philosophy, political economy, political science, public administration, and sociology.
Curriculum Design:
Our curriculum offers a solid grounding in a wide range of political and economic philosophies and theories of public policy and emphasizes a commitment to multicultural perspectives and a focus on state and local policy issues.
Small Classes:
UMass Boston’s Public Policy Program is dedicated to the personal and intellectual growth of a small group of students. A maximum of ten to twelve students are enrolled in a new cohort each year.
Financial Aid to all full-time students for three years:
We offer graduate assistantships with full tuition waivers, health insurance, partial fee waivers, and stipends up to $15,000 per year to all full-time first and second year students with tuition waivers awarded in year three.
Research Opportunities:
Students and faculty in the program engage in research and policy projects closely connected with several University policy centers and institutes:
- Center for Social Policy
- Center for Democracy and Development
- Center for Media and Society
- Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy
- Center for Survey Research
- Center for Social Development and Education
Institute for Asian-American Studies
Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development
- William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black Culture
to name a few.
These nationally and internationally known research centers provide students with opportunities for jobs, internships, and other types of assistance including possible dissertation data. Students also have access to activities, events, and presentations organized by these policy centers.
Degree requirements
Part-time Program for State Employees
All core classes are held during the day and require students to have flexible work schedules. Due to the sequence of the curriculum, the first semester requires completion of three courses: one and one half days on campus. The remainder of part-time study requires the completion of two courses most semesters, typically two half days on campus. The part-time schedule allows students to complete all core courses in three years. Completion of electives and dissertation research would typically begin in the fourth year. Click here for timeline of course requirements.
Candidates for the part-time program are required to meet the same admissions standards as applicants for the full-time program.
Part-time students are not eligible for assistantship awards but their state benefits provide full tuition waivers. Part-time students, however, must pay all associated fees. For a complete list of fee charges, please visit: http://www.umb.edu/students/bursar/tuition_fees.shtml.
Do
you want to change the face of public policy?
Contact
us at public.policy@umb.edu
for more information.
Home
Alumni
Elena Letona, PhD and Larry Macovich, PhD chat at last reunion. |
