Deans' Welcome

The School of Social Ecology and the School of Social Sciences at the University of California, Irvine are pleased to launch the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program by welcoming our inaugural class in Fall 2011. This is a historic moment—and one that demands attention, generates excitement, and elevates and enhances the work of our Schools and, by extension, the University of California.

The MPP program at UCI is unique in multiple ways. Administered by both the School of Social Sciences and the School of Social Ecology, the program draws on the strengths of an abundance of faculty with expertise in public policy across multiple disciplines, including economics, criminology, political science, sociology, urban planning, psychology, and anthropology. With Irvine’s specialties in both qualitative and quantitative and demographic analysis, the program provides training in basic and applied research to address a range of timely public policy concerns about the economy, population, crime, and formal and informal governance structures. The home to a creative exchange among research-oriented faculty, public policy decision-makers, strategically located practitioners, and students, UCI’s MPP program is well-positioned to draw on the best of what the University of California has to offer—superb research endeavors and top-notch educational experiences and connections to local, regional, state, national, and international communities. 

As a new University of California degree program, the UCI MPP is designed to educate the next generation of public policy experts and practitioners to meet the unique multifaceted challenges of the 21^st century. A fundamental objective of the MPP program is to offer a degree that will allow graduates to participate in the full range of policy activities, including analyzing, developing, implementing, and advocating for policy solutions. Graduates of this program will become leaders in policy in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and will make meaningful contributions to the “common good.”

We are excited to launch the MPP program as a joint enterprise. Both the School of Social Sciences and the School of Social Ecology have historically been committed to research and education as a primary venue through which we can shape the future and make a positive difference in our and others’ lives. The MPP program furthers this larger mission by putting public policy center stage in our research, teaching, and service. We could not be more pleased to announce the launch of this new program.

Sincerely,