Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.), one of several public policy degrees, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. Over time, the curriculum of Master of Public Policy and the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degrees have blended and converged, due to the realization that policy analysis and program evaluation could benefit from an understanding of public administration, and vice versa. The MPP degree is the modern name for the Master of Public Affairs degree, although a number of public policy schools continue to use the Master of Public Affairs name. Today, the core course offerings of many M.P.A. and M.P.P. programs are similar, with M.P.A. programs providing training in policy analysis, and M.P.P. programs providing coursework in program implementation. However, MPP programs still place more emphasis in policy analysis, research and evaluation, while MPA programs place more emphasis on operationalization of public policies and the design of effective programs and projects to achieve public policy goals. Some universities have begun offering a combined M.P.P.A. degree, Master of Public Policy and Administration.Over the years MPP programs have become more interdisciplinary drawing from economics, sociology, anthropology, politics, and regional planning. In general a core curriculum of an MPP program includes courses on Microeconomics, Public Finance, Research Methods, Statistics and Advanced Data Analysis, Qualitative Research, Politics of Policy Process, Policy Analysis, Ethics, Public Management, Urban Policy & GIS, Program Evaluation, and more. All these courses are designed to equip MPP graduates with skills and knowledge in advanced economic analysis, political analysis, ethical analysis, data analysis, management and leadership. Depending on the interest, MPP students can concentrate in many policy areas including but not limited to urban policy, global policy, social policy, health policy, non-profit management, transportation, economic development, education, information technology, etc.
In recent years, there has been a gradual convergence between the MPP and the Master's in Public Administration(MPA). Today, the course offerings of most MPA and MPP programs overlap to some degree, but MPP programs tend to provide more focused training in policy analysis and policy design, while MPA programs usually still provide more focused coursework in program implementation and public management.