The public policy program offers two degrees through the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. The master of public policy (M.P.P.) is a 48-credit degree program offering advanced methods training, an applied field experience, and concentration in a substantive policy area. The first M.P.P. class graduated in 1999, and graduates have already developed a strong record of placement in professional policy positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The M.P.P. program is accredited by NASPAA, the global standard in public service education. NASPAA is the membership organization of graduate education programs in public policy, public affairs, public administration, and public and nonprofit management.

The M.P.P. program is also open to superior Rutgers students enrolled in one of the Rutgers University–New Brunswick undergraduate schools through a special, five-year B.S. or B.A./M.P.P. program. A dual M.P.P./M.B.A. (master of business administration) with the Rutgers Business School: Graduate Programs-Newark and New Brunswick, and a dual M.P.P./M.C.R.P. (master of city and regional planning) program with our sister program in urban planning are also available. The school also expects to soon have an M.P.P./M.P.H. (master of public health) degree offered with Rutgers School of Public Health.

The program also offers the master of public affairs and politics (M.P.A.P.) degree, a 30-credit degree (formerly the M.S. in public policy offered by the Graduate School-New Brunswick). This program is designed for midcareer professionals who have already been working in the area of public policy with significant experience and for significant time. In various forms, this program has been training students in politics and public affairs since 1958. The program also offers the M.P.A.P. in conjunction with the juris doctor (J.D.) degree from Rutgers Law School.

Both degree programs are designed to prepare students for careers in government, politics, public affairs, and policy. Both degrees require coursework in the public policy process, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and economic analysis. A distinctive feature of these programs is their further emphasis on political institutions and the interplay between politics and policy.

The Bloustein School faculty is world renowned for its expertise in several policy areas. The school has numerous faculty members whose work focuses on using policy to improve life for the less fortunate and reduce economic inequality. As the policy program is affiliated with an urban planning program ranked number 3 nationally, the Bloustein School is an excellent place in which to study fields where urban planning and public policy intersect, namely environmental policy, housing policy, and community development.

In addition to an exceptional full-time faculty, the program engages several high-ranking current and former government officials and other practitioners to teach courses. A number of faculty members in the program also hold positions with research centers--including the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, the Center for State Health Policy, the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, and the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers--through which students can receive significant political experience.