MPP Curriculum

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The MPP program is full time and fully taught in English.
The curriculum will consist of:

Common Curriculum (24 MCs)
Modules in a chosen Specialization (20 MCs)
Free Electives (20 MCs)

Common Curriculum

The Common Curriculum focuses on imparting practical skills, disciplinary knowledge, and interdisciplinary competencies that the School believes to be necessary for the kind of work done by public policy practitioners, researchers, and public managers and leaders. The modules in the Common Curriculum are:

PP5401 Policy Challenges (8MCs, year-long):
This year-long module is designed to get students to think in a practical, problem-oriented, and multidisciplinary way through critical lenses and analytical tools available in the disciplines of Public Management and Leadership, Political Science and International Relations, and Economics, all pillars of a traditional Public Policy education.

PP5402 Policy Process and Analysis (8MCs, year-long):
Public policy crafters need to use reliable evidence when creating policy. In this module, students will learn the methodology and tools to be good consumers, users, and producers of research and be equipped with foundational analytic skills through a comprehensive introduction to the field of policy analysis, underlying theory, and major analytical toolkits. The emphasis will be on application, particularly through case studies and group projects addressing research questions that will flow through the year. Every attempt will be made to relate what is learnt in this module with the topics and issues addressed in the Policy Challenges module that will run in parallel. Policy Analysis will also serve as preparation for the Policy Analysis Exercise (see below).

PP5110A Policy Analysis Exercise (4MCs, year-long):
To obtain direct practical experience, MPP students work in diverse teams to undertake a public policy or management study for a client in the public, private, or not-for-profit sectors.

PP5403 Economic Foundations for Public Policy (4MCs, semester-long):
As Economics is an essential component of a Public Policy education, all students will be expected to graduate with at least a basic understanding of the key concepts and theories associated with microeconomics and macroeconomics. The main objective of this module is to understand foundational economics concepts and principles and their application to public policy.

Specialization

Specializations (20MCs, including Gateway to Specialization module)

The Specialization component of the curriculum is where students will acquire depth and sophistication in their selected areas of policy expertise. To graduate with a Specialization, students will have to pass at least 4 modules listed in that Specialization along with the Gateway module. Students may opt not to graduate with a Specialization. The following Specializations will be offered:

Economic Policy and Analysis
International Relations
Social Policy
Sustainable Development
Public Management and Leadership

Please click here for the list of specialization areas and the modules.

Gateway to Specialization (4MCs, semester-long)

Students wishing to graduate with a Specialization are required to declare their chosen Specialization in their second semester, when they will need to read a prerequisite Gateway module designed as a ‘primer’ to give them a broad overview of the literature, debates, theories, concepts, instruments, and assumptions associated with the particular Specialization. Students must pass the Gateway module in order to graduate with a Specialization.

Free Electives

In addition to the Common and Specialization modules, students can choose to read any 5-6 electives as their Free Elective modules, either in their chosen Specialization or from other Specialization lists. Students will be allowed (but not encouraged) to retrospectively count Free Electives taken in Semester 1 towards a Specialization of their choice, if these modules are listed in the Specialization.

Samples of Electives (Please note that not all electives will be offered in any one semester)

Students may also cross-register for courses offered in other postgraduate programmes (such as Business Administration, Economics, Political Science and Southeast Asian Studies).

Note: Programme information is subject to change without prior notice, please visit our website again for updates

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