For six decades, the School of Public Policy and Administration has been the leading centre for Canadian scholarship and graduate education in policy and administration – examining what governments do, why, and how they could do it better. The Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) is a professionally relevant academic degree. It provides a comprehensive and rigorous preparation for careers that will engage with the public sector, recognizing that those careers may span the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
We also offer a Collaborative Specialization in Data Science.
Admissions Information
Please read the Graduate Calendar for a list of all of the requirements.
Note that all applicants must have completed, with a grade of B+ or higher, a 0.5-credit university course covering microeconomic theory ( ECON 1001 [0.5] or equivalent), a 0.5 credit university course in macroeconomic theory ( ECON 1002 [0.5] or equivalent), and a 0.5-credit university political science course at the second-year level or higher, dealing with institutions and processes by which governments legitimize and exercise power, ideally in a Canadian setting (PSCI 2003 or equivalent). A working knowledge of algebra is also expected.
In some cases, applicants may be admitted to the program despite not having completed one of these prerequisite courses in economics or political science, on the condition that the course be extra to the degree requirements and be completed (with a grade of B+ or higher) in the first year of the program. Nevertheless it is strongly recommended that students complete the prerequisites before starting the program, to ensure that their progress through the core courses is unimpeded.
Capital Advantage
The national capital offers an array of learning and professional opportunities, complemented by ready access to government departments and agencies, parliamentary institutions, media and non-governmental organizations. There are unparalleled career opportunities in the public sector, and a master’s degree has become the essential entry requirement.
Faculty Research Highlights
- Why a public drug insurance plan would increase Canadians’ access to medicines, improve health outcomes and save more than $10 billion.
- New forms of non-state governance, such as certification programs in the forest, fisheries and coffee sectors.
- How governments can make the transition to an environmentally-sustainable economic & social system.
- Low-carbon energy technologies & their application in the developing world.
- Community engagement in urban planning and emergency management and preparedness.
