Master of Public Policy with Concentration in Environmental Policy

at Kaplan Group - Arizona State University - Downtown Phoenix Campus USA

This top-ranked concentration within our MPA program (#3 in Local Government Management, U.S. News & World Report) will help you turn your desire for public service into a rewarding career in local and city management. The program can be completed full-time, part-time or entirely online.

The MPA is a professional degree program designed to prepare students for public service at all levels of government as well as the nonprofit and private sectors. The program consists of a core curriculum emphasizing managerial and analytic skills needed to work in a large range of careers that serve the public good.

The urban management concentration prepares students to be leaders in local government, where most services and programs to residents are managed. Through a focused set of electives and interactions with experienced city managers, students gain knowledge and develop the skills required to contribute to the operations of local government and help communities better serve the people who live there.

Learn to understand complex public problems and develop and implement innovative policy solutions. Through coursework and real-world projects, you gain the analytic skills required to address society's most challenging problems.

The MPP program allows students to approach the study of public policy with a focus on public policy in the urban setting.

The program trains people to lead by making positive policy decisions, addressing the difficult questions associated with public policy, and managing the process of policy creation, approval, implementation and evaluation. Students also gain an understanding of policies addressing issues such as poverty, education, the environment and public safety. At the conclusion of the master's degree program, students are able to identify, analyze and interpret the challenges and dilemmas of public policies, especially those of urban areas. Students also are able to approach policy analysis with a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods and are prepared to develop innovative processes and tools to deal with changing realities of public policy and address issues on a global, regional and local scale.

The Master of Public Policy program with a concentration in urban policy provides knowledge and skills for students seeking or advancing careers in areas in which urban dynamics and local governance play an integral role in the policy process. This concentration's program emphasizes theories and research concerning urban policy analysis and economics as well as urban management, urban city government, public budgeting and finance in an urban context.

The professional program leading to the MSW degree prepares social workers for advanced professional social work practice. The program is designed to prepare social workers to be capable of responding effectively to the needs of special populations, particularly in the American Southwest.

The first year of the standard program focuses on curriculum and skills that build a foundational knowledge in social work. The second year of the program allows students to focus their coursework in a specific area to build specialized practice knowledge.

The BS in food and nutrition entrepreneurship addresses significant and ongoing changes in the food industry by preparing students with sound nutrition principles and business acumen that will enable them to competitively participate in a growing field.

The program encompasses important areas of knowledge and skills for future nutrition entrepreneurs, whether they intend to innovate within an organization or launch a food or nutrition-related business. Key topics include how to develop an online presence, supported by evidence-based principles, thorough social media, blogging, podcasting and video; how to launch nutritionally sound startups and businesses for individual practice and consulting; and how to innovate within the food industry through research and development.

The BS program in public service and public policy prepares students for work in government at all levels and nonprofit organizations through comprehensive coverage of topics in public policy, public leadership and management, and urban studies.

Sustainability continues to be a highly sought-after area and it presents broad policy implications. Through this concentration, students explore the challenges of sustainability and how it may be used to develop solutions to pressing issues at local and global levels.

As the world's most global and digital leadership, management, and business school, Thunderbird prepares global leaders who help organizations manage and stay ahead of the disruption and changes that characterize this era of rapid technological transformation. This full-time master prepares graduates with the skills necessary to lead diverse, cross-cultural teams in the private, public, not-for-profit sectors, start-ups, or social enterprises.

Thunderbird's Master of Global Management is the world's #1-ranked Master in Management according to the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education. It is unlike any other program in that it harnesses the immense potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to provide our graduates with the skills organizations demand in order to manage the digital transformation and constant disruption that characterizes this time of constant technological innovation.

The Master of Global Management is the most innovative leadership and entrepreneurship degree for professionals seeking a career in the most exciting global organizations who are disrupting business as usual and redefining or creating entirely new industries. The program builds on a strong foundation of traditional business administration courses and adds Industry 4.0 skills such as digital transformation, sustainability/ESG, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, and innovation. 

In addition, the MGM offers over 16 transdisciplinary concentrations ranging from global affairs and public administration, to data science and healthcare delivery. Our graduates emerge from the program prepared to work across borders, cultures, industries, and sectors anywhere in the world.

The School of Public Affairs offers a concentration in health policy as part of the BS program in public service and public policy. This program allows students to build a course of study that focuses on the health care industry. This sector continues to be a major part of the U.S. and world economy.

The concentration in health policy provides students who have an interest in policy to focus on health-related issues and their policy implications. The courses in the concentration are offered by the College of Health Solutions and the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.

The School of Public Affairs offers a BS in public service and public policy with a concentration in nonprofit leadership and management.

The role of nonprofit organizations continues to grow and presents broad policy implications for future public sector professionals. This program empowers students to understand the unique aspect of the social, political, economic and philanthropic factors related to the nonprofit sector.

The core curriculum provides students with the intellectual tools to integrate their concentration areas, engage in transdisciplinary problem-solving and prepare for careers and graduate programs that increasingly cross disciplinary boundaries. An interdisciplinary studies student could choose to integrate concentrations like business and project management, psychology and social welfare, communication and justice studies, public administration and ethics, digital culture and computer gaming or many other unique combinations.

Interdisciplinary studies is an approach to answering questions, solving problems and addressing contemporary social issues from multiple perspectives. Interdisciplinary studies students take an active role in designing their educational plans and defining their career goals. The degree emphasizes written communication, versatility, self-assessment and critical thinking --- essential skills for today's dynamic world.

Prepare to lead community colleges, colleges and universities toward solutions in contemporary challenges. You'll gain the skills needed to operate successfully in environments that demand innovation, excellence, inclusion and collaboration.

The MEd program in higher and postsecondary education is designed to facilitate the professional development of those who work in colleges and universities in administrative roles, as well as academic support and student support positions.

The program develops leaders who have a strong understanding of the theory and practice of higher education administration; possess the ability to analyze issues confronting contemporary colleges and universities; and can exercise innovative and effective decision-making.

Coursework addresses a range of practice-focused topics in the field, including the following: the history of higher education in the United States; organizational characteristics of colleges and universities; important laws and policies pertaining to administrative practice in higher education; how colleges and universities are funded; how to work successfully with diverse stakeholders in contemporary higher education; and how to collect and use data to improve decision-making.

This 30 credit-hour, 10-course program is offered on a 7.5-week calendar in fall and spring semesters (six weeks in summer). Students may enroll part time or full time.

Most courses are offered in a hybrid format with 50% of the content delivered face-to-face (weekday evenings) and 50% delivered through independent or technology-supported learning experiences and fieldwork.

This program culminates with the creation and presentation of an applied project in which students demonstrate their understanding of critical issues in higher education and how to collect and use data to improve their professional practice. The project is also designed to promote graduates' career advancement in higher and postsecondary education settings.