Overview
Public Policy Students Experience an Orientation Workshop, Valuable Internships, and Helpful Academic Services
As students embark on their studies in the School of Public Policy, they attend an in-depth orientation workshop before starting classes. The orientation offers new graduate students at Pepperdine the opportunity to reflect on life and career goals, while developing team skills to be used throughout the academic program and into their leadership professions. The orientation workshop is designed to establish an educational cohort of students who will work together over two years through collaborative learning and intellectual growth.
Graduate students within the school gain an understanding of local, regional, and global relationships. Pepperdine University encourages its students to see the many sides of public policy decisions, from conceptual classroom education to practical internships. Those in the Master of Public Policy program must complete a required summer internship at the end of the first year, preferably in the student's selected specialization. Internships that provide valuable, real-life experiences are completed at local, state, or federal agencies; non-profit groups; or an international setting that prepares students for foreign services. During the internship, course methods and theories are practically applied.
Students in Pepperdine's School of Public Policy are also provided career counseling and academic services. These services are specifically tailored to their studies and professional goals. Academic services include: career counseling, economic study labs, writing labs, library research assistance, and general assistance through the Office of Student Information and Services.
The Public Policy Program at Pepperdine is Innovative, Student-Focused, and Interdisciplinary
The School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University is dedicated to supporting students in their quest to serve as leaders that will create beneficial change in government agencies, as well as private and non-profit sectors. The public policy program recognizes that this goal requires graduates to have critical insights based in an understanding of the history and philosophy of free institutions.
The program prepares students by introducing them to the ideas of innovative thinkers and courageous leaders. In addition, the public policy program includes an understanding of the cultural and moral aspects to decision making. The School of Public Policy strives to share unique perspectives with students through a core curriculum that differentiates it from other public policy academic programs. Pepperdine's degree program takes a distinctive, interdisciplinary, and student-focused approach.
At Pepperdine University, the Master of Public Policy degree requires 64 units of course work taken during two academic years. The first year entails core classes and serves as the cornerstone for the student's specialization work during the second year. Students select special interest areas and complete an introductory course in that field before their summer internships. Specialization courses include: Public Policy and Economics, Public Policy and American Politics, Public Policy and International Relations, and State and Local Policy. In earning the Master of Public Policy degree, students develop and present a major project in their final semester, incorporating an actual agency situation.
Valuable Research and Academic Resources Include the Davenport Institute for Public Policy
The Davenport Institute for Public Policy is a center for discussions, project planning, and research. Through its fellows, conferences, publications, and distinguished lecture series, the Davenport Institute is a research facility and platform for faculty and students to advance policy solutions. The institute affords valuable opportunities for graduate students to hear leading thinkers and engage policy makers.
Public policy students participate in project planning and research development at the research facility, often acting as research assistants for fellows of the Davenport Institute. Students interact with permanent research fellows and conference participants in an academic environment that integrates real world experiences with educational training.
The School of Public Policy full-time faculty and visiting professors are respected scholars in their fields. The faculty members commit significant time to research and writing in the areas such as economics, American politics, international relations, and state and local policy. Through research, lectures, and class dynamics, the faculty members are teaching students to find solutions to public policy challenges and methods to create institutional change. With a distinguished faculty and innovative research facilities, graduate students can gain a range of policy-related skills at Pepperdine.
