Program Overview

The School of Public Policy (SPP) is the hub of interdisciplinary public policy research, teaching, and engagement at UMass Amherst, dedicated to realizing social change and solving problems for the common good.

The School of Public Policy graduate programs will give you the knowledge, skills and experience you need to transform your potential into engaged policy making, effective public management and extraordinary social change. degrees, and certificates. 

To accomplish your goals we provide a variety of degree options: the one year interdisciplinary Master of Public Policy (MPP) program is one of the most affordable master’s degrees in public policy in New England, whereas the two year Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA)  program allows students to go in-depth in their knowledge of public policy.

There are dual degree programs which allow students to combine knowledge from an MPPA with areas like business, higher education, public health, and regional planning and there are also graduate certificates that compliment an MPPA with specialization in feminist studies or Latin American studies.