The School of Public Policy

The MPP is a 12-month program primarily designed for full-time study. Students are normally required to complete two (2) preparatory courses1, a block week course on effective writing and research skills, eight (8) core courses (one of which involves completion of a capstone project in which they apply the skills they have learned to a well-defined issue of public policy) and two (2) elective courses. The final product of the capstone project is expected to be a high quality research report. Work on the capstone project will be jointly guided by a School of Public Policy (SPP) faculty member and an expert from the private sector or government.

Of the ten required courses beyond the preparatory stage, eight are mandatory. Required courses are designed for the MPP program and are taught by faculty appointed to or affiliated with the School of Public Policy. Depending on their background, students may be exempted from one or more of the mandatory courses. In such cases students will be required to replace the course from which they have been exempted with an approved elective course.
The remaining two courses are electives. The elective courses must be selected from graduate-level courses offered at the University of Calgary. In selecting electives, students need to be aware that they must satisfy the prerequisites for those courses. Examples of courses for which it has been determined that MPP students would typically have the necessary prerequisites is provided below under ‘Examples of Elective Courses available to MPP Students’

Students may wish to take graduate-level courses not identified on the list, but the approval of the Academic Director and the Faculty or Department offering that course is required. The two elective courses should be related in such a way that they form a concentration in an area of public policy. The choice of elective courses must in all cases be approved by the Academic Director.