Public Policy

College of Professional Studies
Department of Public Policy
Jane A. Grant, Chair
Brian  L. Fife, Director of Graduate Studies
260-481-6351 ~ Neff Hall 260

The Department of Public Policy is a multidisciplinary department. Organized as a professional school, Public Policy faculty members are dedicated to applied, interdisciplinary learning in the study of public affairs and are committed to teaching, research, and service. The interests of the faculty and professional staff typically fall into one or more of the following areas: policy and administration; finance and economics; urban affairs; environmental science and policy; criminal justice, law, and public safety; and health science administration and policy. The department’s faculty, staff, and students work individually and jointly to solve problems that require Public Policy’s unique combination of in-depth knowledge in the natural, behavioral, social, and administrative sciences.

The Public Policy faculty at Purdue University Fort Wayne come from a variety of backgrounds, including criminal justice, political science, economics, health, law, public policy, and sociology. In addition, the department is able to call upon experienced government managers, healthcare administrators, law enforcement officials, practicing attorneys, and judges to teach specialized topics from its curriculum. The organizational design of the department reinforces a wide network of continuing relations with a large number of public agencies at all levels of government.

Admission to Department of Public Policy Graduate Programs

Regular admission to the M.P.A. or the M.P.M. program requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better. Any major is acceptable. Applications to either program must include official transcripts of all college and university work, references from three people familiar with your academic or professional abilities or potential, scores on the GRE general test, the GMAT, or the LSAT, and a nonrefundable university application fee.

Provisional admission may be granted if you are nearing completion of an undergraduate degree or if you fail to meet some criteria for regular admission.

Non-degree admission may be granted to visiting students who wish to take classes for one semester without being formally admitted to the M.P.A. or M.P.M. program.

Accelerated Master’s Program

Undergraduate Public Policy students with a GPA of 3.5 or above may apply for admission to the AMP program as early as their junior year. If admitted, they are eligible to apply up to 24 approved graduate credits to the M.P.A., or up to 18 approved graduate credits to the M.P.M., that have been earned toward the undergraduate degree during their senior year.

Prior to starting the program you must have satisfied all general education and core requirements and completed a minimum of 96 credit hours toward the bachelor’s degree.