About the MPPA
The Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) program is designed to meet the educational needs of management professionals in the public and non-profit sectors. Its faculty, with a service orientation, is dedicated to the education of the whole person. The student body is excellent and diversified, being composed primarily of individuals who are working in various private, public, or non-profit organizations. The basic purpose of the graduate program in Public Policy and Administration is to provide both a broad-based education for individuals who wish to pursue careers in administration or policy making in a variety of public service positions. Program emphasis is on state and local policy issues. The program is designed to provide each student with the following:
- a knowledge and understanding of administrative organizations and legal processes effecting public policy decision making
- the ability to identify those human and ethical values that should underlie the work of a public administrator;
- an understanding of the proper relationship between public administration and the citizenry;
- the capability of developing a sound social strategy;
- the ability to perform effectively in a leadership role under a variety of conditions; and
- the competency to conduct and present research relevant to public policy and administration.
Career Opportunities
CLU Public Policy and Administration graduates have found new or higher positions in the private sectors as public relations officers, college professors and insurance executives. In the public and non-profit sector, they are working as city managers, public-safety administrators, lobbyists, human resource managers, police and correctional management, policy analysts, recreation directors, mental health directors, directors of philanthropic organizations, school administrators and managers in federal, state and city offices.
Nationwide, MPPA graduates have secured such posts as public affairs officers in private organizations, financial administrators, museum directors, federal law enforcement officers, federal administrators, military officers, judicial administrators, city and county managers, state executives and marketing directors.
Academic Calendar
CLU offers Master of Public Policy and Administration courses year round in four 11-week terms: Fall (Aug.-Nov.), Winter (Nov.-Feb.), Spring (Feb -May) and Summer (May-Aug.) on the main campus in Thousand Oaks and at a graduate center in Ventura. Classes are scheduled at times convenient for people who are employed full-time during the day and furthering their education on a part-time basis. The continuous calendar gives students the flexibility needed to balance the demands of their career and personal commitments with the pace of the program. Those who choose to do so can complete the program in less than two years by taking two courses per term. Those who wish to proceed at a slower pace may do so as long as they complete the program within seven years of their first registration. A two-year advance planning schedule helps students design an individual program that is compatible with their personal and professional obligations.