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School of Public Policy

Are you ready to turn your passion into policy?

If you’re eager to help shape policy, tackle complex social issues, and make a difference in your community and beyond, the Penn State School of Public Policy is the right place for you. Gain the skills and knowledge you need to become a future civic leader, apply to our MPP program today, and take the first step towards a rewarding career in public service.
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School of Public Policy

School ofPublic Policy

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Career Outcomes

Career Outcomes

Public policy expertise is in high demand and a public policy degree is highly valued by employers in a variety of sectors. 

Employers include:

  • National, state, and local government
  • Think tanks and consulting firms
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Lobbying firms
  • Additional private-sector organizations that work with government

Penn State’s Master of Public Policy degree is designed to train individuals to work in public policy organizations by providing expertise in data and policy analysis, program evaluation, knowledge of the policy process and the opportunity to develop expertise in a substantive policy area. 

Our current areas of concentration include data analytics, health policy, children and family policy, labor and employment relations, and criminal justice. The flexibility of Penn State’s MPP program allows students to choose an existing specialization or design a specialization that draws on the expertise of faculty from across the University Park campus.

Salary ranges for master of public policy graduates vary on sector and position. Salaries in leadership roles range from $93,000 – $176,000, with the average management public policy role salary at $132,000 as of October 2020 according to salary.com. According to Prodigy Finance, master of public policy graduates make approximately $19,000 more per year than those with just a bachelor’s degree, making the MPP program a sound investment. Bankrate also ranked the public policy degree among the top 15 most valuable majors.

MPP Career Placements

Internships

All Penn State Master of Public Policy students must complete an internship as part of the program. Our team, along with Penn State’s career services staff, will work with students to find an internship that meets their professional goals and will provide relevant hands-on experience in public policy.

Internship Placements