MSP Curriculum
The Master of Social Policy (MSP) degree offers a one-year graduate degree that equips students with the skills to make an impact in the U.S. policy ecosystem. The program will prepare you for a variety of policy-related careers, allowing students to pursue their own interests and goals to find their own unique place in the policy ecosystem.
The MSP is a year-long, 31-credit program where students will build expertise through full and short courses, expand their skills through complementary elective classes, and implement their training through a hands-on internship of their choosing.
Curriculum and required credit hours are subject to change.
Short Courses – 4 credits, may include offerings such as:
- Political Negotiation and Strategy
- Social Conditions and Interventions
- The Politics of Food: A Policy Ecosystem Approach
Economics – 3 credits
Economics of Social Welfare*
Policy Analysis – 3 credits
Social Policy Analysis and Evaluation*
Politics of Policy – 3 credits
Policy and Advocacy in the Three Branches of Government*
Management – 3 credits
Management and Leadership for Policy and Practice*
Statistics – 3 credits
Statistical Analysis for Social Policy*
Specialized Policy – 3 credits
Choose one of the following:
- State-Level Lobbying
- Local and Municipal Policy and Practice
*If a student is currently or has previously taken this course at the Brown School, substitutions will be found to fulfill the above requirements.
You can use your electives to tailor your degree to the area you are most interested in, such as advocacy, evaluation and statistical analysis, or economics. These flexible courses allow you to further develop your specific skills in your preferred area of influence within the policy ecosystem.
Following their time in the classroom, students complete a full-time, 3-credit-hour internship (typically May through August), selecting placements from a variety of leading non-profit organizations, government agencies, policy think tanks or legislative offices. Through real-world experience, students put knowledge into action through significant opportunities for policy analysis, implementation, and/or practice.
The MSP program, in close partnership with the Office of Field Education, engages with policy partner organizations and affiliated sites. Students research, apply for, and finalize their placement with support from field education faculty and program advisors. Students have completed their internships in St. Louis, Washington D.C., around the U.S. and globally. Internship placements range in policy issue areas (healthcare, housing, education, disability, criminal justice, etc.) and the policy skills and capacities that students can expect to apply and grow during their experience: analysis and evaluation, drafting legislation, advocacy, research, media and communications, community organizing, strategy and leadership, grant writing and development, statistics, and data analysis.