MAPP: Master of Arts in Public Policy


Stony Brook University

Overview

Stony Brook University's Master of Arts in Public Policy prepares students to take a wide variety of leadership roles in the growing field of public policy. Among the many opportunities that await graduates of this program are staff and managerial positions in executive, legislative or judicial agencies at the local, state, national and international level; work on behalf of candidates for public office; positions in public policy journalism; work for private, non-profit and advocacy organizations; leadership roles in civic associations; or advanced graduate study. For students entering the public policy field for the first time, the program offers training and credentials to launch their careers; for those already working in the field, the program will enhance their skills and credentials. Graduates of the program will be joining alumni that have established highly successful careers in many public policy venues, who are also available to assist them with employment and career counseling.


Course of Study

The MAPP program combines rigorous instruction in key components of public policy development with detailed analysis of specific public policy issues and fieldwork. The program's core required courses teach skills in political, economic, quantitative and organizational analysis, with a practical focus on the solutions to complex public policy problems. With this foundation, students take one or more courses in a specialized concentration and a related internship or research assignment. The entire program of 30 credit hours can be completed in one calendar year by full-time students, and within two years by those attending part-time.


The Students

Students in the MAPP program come from numerous academic backgrounds including those with undergraduate majors in the arts and sciences, health professions, engineering and architecture. Many students come to the program with extensive prior experience in government or the professions. The curriculum structure and scheduling of courses is designed to accommodate candidates with a broad range of interests and experiences, and to permit those that are working to earn their degree while continuing to pursue their current career.


The Faculty

The MAPP program is housed in one of the country's leading departments of political science, ranked among the top five in research and publications, with a faculty comprised of nationally recognized scholars and highly experienced public policy professionals. In addition, the program draws on faculty resources from other prestigious Stony Brook programs in health policy, business, economics and education.


Admission Requirements

Applicants must have an earned baccalaureate degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale), and have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Consideration will also be given to letters of recommendation and relevant work experience.


Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees, set by the State University of New York, are considerably below those of comparable programs on Long Island and the greater New York metropolitan region. For current tuition and fee schedules, please contact the department.


Contact Information

MA Program Director: Peter D. Salins
Graduate Coordinator: Alethia Stanley Email
Phone: 631-632-7667


The Curriculum

MAPP completion entails 30 credits, comprised of Required Foundation courses (12 credits), Advanced Policy courses (9 credits recommended), an optional policy concentration (3 credits recommended), and a 6 credit internship or research paper.

Required Core Courses (3 credits each):
Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation
Introduction to Statistics for Public policy
Intermediate Statistics for Public policy
Administrative Law for Policy Analysts

Advanced Policy Courses (3 credits each):
Public Budgeting and Finance
Public Management and Organizational Behavior
Personnel Systems for Public Policy
Data applications in Public Policy
Survey Research for Public Policy

Possible Concentrations (3 credits each):
Regional Planning
Environmental Politics and Planning
Health Policy (offered by the School of Health Technology and Management)
Concentration elective (with program approval)

Capstone Experience (6 credits):
Internship in Public Policy or
Master's Paper


Course Descriptions

Please refer to the Graduate Class Schedule for specific semester offerings.

POL 501 Introduction to Statistics for Public Policy (3 credits)
This course acquaints student with statistics. It begins with the basics of applied statistical analysis, including probability and hypothesis testing, and builds to simple regression analysis.

POL 502 Intermediate Statistics for Public Policy (3 credits)
This course acquaints students with multivariate regression analysis and explores violations of the linear model.

POL 509 Public Budgeting and Finance (3 credits)
This course examines the role of public finance in the economy, and explores the use of program, functional, capital and operating budgets, and the flow of intergovernmental expenditures. Focuses primarily on state and local finance.

POL 510 Personnel Systems for Public Policy (3 credits)
This course examines the development of civil service and other bureaucratic personnel systems in American government, and focuses on the knowledge that managers must have to utilize human resources appropriately in a constrained public sector environment. Focuses primarily on state and local government.

POL 534 Intergovernmental Relations and Policy Delivery (3 credits)
This course examines the core concepts in the formulation, implementation, and impact of intergovernmental policy. Several policies are examined in-depth, including grant-in-aid programs, General Revenue Sharing, housing and community development, and employment programs. The historical, economic, and political foundations of intergovernmental policy delivery systems are examined.

POL 535 Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation (3 credits)
This course will provide an introduction to the concepts, political and philosophical foundations, and operational methods that need to be mastered by individuals wishing to participate in the world of public policy decision-making and implementation.

POL 536 Public Management and Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
This course examines how public sector organizations work and how managers can operate in the public sector environment. A range of theoretical perspectives, including sociological, economic, and institutional, will be employed as real public organizations are examined and analyzed. Public agencies will also be compared to their private sector counterparts, and the nature of organizational efficiency will be explored.

POL 537 Administrative Law for Policy Analysts (3 credits)
This course examines the role of administrative law in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policy. The role of legislation such as the Administrative Procedures Act is explored. Actual cases are analyzed, as well as the broader set of precedents that have emerged in federal, state, and local administrative law proceedings.

POL 538 The Politics of Local Economic Development (3 credits)
This course examines the process of local economic development with an emphasis on the interaction of political and economic factors. It explores the extent to which local officials can influence business location decisions, the specific strategies often utilized, and the way they have changed over time. It also considers the winners and losers from the economic development game; with a focus on New York and Long Island.

POL 540 Data Applications in Public Policy (3 credits)
This course studies the strategic use of data to support public policy proposal design and implementation. With a focus on U.S. domestic policy, the class will gain proficiency in the application of data to identify policy problems, determine causative factors, develop and implement persuasive policy proposals, and evaluate the policy effectiveness.

POL 541 Survey Research for Public Policy (3 credits)
This courses studies the techniques of survey research and their application in the development of public policies. Topics include survey design, survey population sampling, use of survey data to frame policy choices and attitudes toward existing policies.

POL 542 Regional Planning (3 credits)
This course addresses the planning process as a decision-making tool in the implementation of public policy in housing, land-use, transportation, and environmental management. The course also investigates intergovernmental relations and the impact of citizen participation on policy changes.

POL 543 Environmental Politics and Planning (3 credits)
Federal environmental policies, such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Federal Pure Waters Management Act are examined in this course. The policies, politics and administrative activities of federal, state, and local levels are considered. Finally, the interaction of the public sector, the private sector, and citizen groups in the implementation of environmental policy is discussed.

POL 560 American Democracy: Its Critics and Defenders (3 credits)
This course will examine the central components of American democratic government. Critics and defenders of the over 200 year-old Constitution (Congress, President, Supreme Court) will be discussed, as will arguments surrounding the role of political parties, pressure groups, and the bureaucracy. Most readings will be from contemporary authors and reference sources. This course is offered as both CEI 560 and POL 560.

HAS 543 Health Policy (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the principles behind health policy-making. Examples of local and national policies will be used as frameworks for analyzing specific policy formats. Students will learn to develop and evaluate selective health policies throughout the course.

POL 596 Directed Policy Research (6 credits)
This course entails a student research paper prepared under supervision of faculty member on a significant public policy issue. Approval of program director required.

POL 597 Master's Paper in Public Policy (6 credits)
For a student already employed in a related field, in lieu of internship, this course requires a policy paper applying theory and methods to a specific issue possibly related to, but going beyond, their normal employment duties. Approval of program director required.

POL 598 Master's Thesis
This course entails a student thesis paper under supervision of faculty member on a research project related to public policy. Approval of program director required.

POL 599 Internship in Public Policy
This course is an applied internship in a public, not-for-profit, or private sector organization that deals with public policy. The student works in the organization and prepares a daily journal of activities, as well as a paper at the conclusion of the course, applying program knowledge to the internship activities.


Faculty Profiles

Leonie Huddy: Professor. Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1988. Research Interests: Political Attitudes; Groups and Politics; Socio-political Gerontology; Women and Politics; Survey Methodology.

Lee Koppelman: Leading Professor. Ph.D., New York University, 1967. Research Interests: Comprehensive Regional and Urban Planning; Environmental Planning; Intergovernmental Relations and American Federalism; Coastal Zone Planning and Analysis.

Matthew Lebo: Assistant Professor. Ph.D., University of North Texas, 1999. Research Interests: American Politics; Comparative Politics; Political Methodology (with emphasis on Public Opinion, Voting Behavior, and Time-Series Analysis).

Peter Salins: University Professor and Program Director. Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1969. Research Interests: Higher Education Policy; Housing, Economic Development; Immigration; Urban and Regional Planning.

Joel Simmons: Assistant Professor. Ph.D., The University of Michigan, 2007. Research Interests: Comparative Political Economy; International Political Economy; Political and Economic Development; Political Institutions; Political Parties; Public Goods Provision; International Relations; Methodology.

Harold Withers: Deputy Director of Planning for Suffolk County. Ph.D. Fordham University. Interests: Public policy; Federalism.


How To Apply

The Graduate School Application