Biden School of Public Policy and Administration

Telephone: (302)831-1687

Public Policy and Administration (Ph.D.)

The doctoral program in public policy and administration is an interdisciplinary, research degree that prepares students to engage in rigorous scholarship that addresses the critical policy and administrative challenges of our times. We achieve this mission through providing a core substantive curriculum in the areas of public policy and public administration and management alongside methodological research training, and research and engagement opportunities with faculty and the research and public service centers in the Biden School.

Disaster Science and Management (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. in Disaster Science and Management takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of disasters and emergencies, including preparedness, mitigation, management, and response. Program coursework provides a grounding in engineering and natural and social science perspectives on disaster theories and methods. Doctoral students build advanced methodological expertise and engage in rigorous research alongside faculty to develop new insights into a wide range of environmental, technological, social, and health hazards.

Energy and Environmental Policy Program (Ph.D.)

The graduate program in Energy and Environmental Policy prepares students to contribute to the improvement of environmental and energy policy through the development of an interdisciplinary understanding of the interactions of society, resources, and the environment. The Energy and Environmental Policy Program (ENEP) offers a Masters degree and a Ph.D. in Energy and Environmental Policy with support by faculty and research centers of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Business and Economics.

Public Administration (MPA)

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) in the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware is a professional degree program that prepares diverse, motivated students to become leaders, managers, analysts, front-line workers, and subject matter experts in government and the nonprofit sector. Our MPA program integrates academic excellence with professional experience, teaching students to aspire to the highest standards of ethical and effective public service. The program seeks to develop students’ leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills. All of our students engage in coursework and capstones that develop the skills critical to competent and ethical decision-making in a diverse, changing, and multi-sectored environment.

Public Policy (MPP)

The Master of Public Policy draws from multiple fields of study, including economics, political science, sociology, psychology, education, law, history, and public health. The Biden School MPP degree focuses on professional skills in public policy analysis, evaluation, and communication. MPP graduates often serve in a translational role between researchers, advocates, and policymakers. They help policymakers understand complex data and research results that should inform public policy-making, as well as stakeholder and constituent demands for public policy. This translational role can be served from within or outside of government, including in nonprofit organizations, consulting firms, and other private businesses.

Public Health (MPH)

The Master of Public Health in health policy and management is designed to prepare students for a career in health policy in applied public health settings: healthcare institutions, nonprofits, and local, state, or federal agencies. By providing students with a comprehensive foundation of public health principles and their application to policy, the MPH in health policy and management will ensure students are proficient in the skills needed to successfully enter the workforce.

The MPH in health policy and management is a 42-credit graduate program that includes interdisciplinary core courses, a required applied practice experience, and an integrative learning experience. Courses in population health policy and epidemiology are supplemented by courses in health policy and management content areas (e.g., program evaluation, financial management, conflict resolution, and inequities in health and healthcare) as well as public health electives from across the University of Delaware.

The program is designed to be completed in 15 months.

Disaster Science and Management (M.S.)

We are living in a time of increasingly complex risks and hazards. By joining essential disaster science principles with applied perspectives, the University of Delaware’s M.S. in Disaster Science and Management (DISA) meets the need for disaster professionals with advanced credentials. Students will graduate with state-of-the-art knowledge and the ability to bring that knowledge into practice and policy settings.

Energy and Environmental Policy Program (MEEP)

Urban Analytics and Policy (M.A.)

The Master of Arts in Urban Analytics & Policy program provides students with the skills to apply data science and analytics techniques and methodologies to address many of the critical challenges facing urban communities including sustainability, climate change, energy use, social justice, health and healthcare, education, housing, and poverty. The program is fundamentally interdisciplinary and approaches the understanding of cities as complex systems consisting of three core components: the human, built, and natural environments. Those components interact in a variety of dynamic ways that give rise to the rich tapestry of urban life. We equip our students with the diverse knowledge and technical skills needed to address policy challenges from data-informed and evidence-based vantage points with a focus on urban science, urban planning, economic growth, urban metabolism, data ethics and AI, and transportation and mobility.

Our educational model supports active, experiential learning at all stages. Students work side-by-side with faculty on urban and policy research and analysis designed to create and utilize knowledge that informs decisions and policies. Our faculty and students are focused on making a positive impact on the quality of life in the communities they serve, forming a bridge between the communities of ideas and the community of action. The program develops a set of technical skills including statistical methods, machine learning and AI, computer coding in Python, data visualization, quantitative reasoning, geospatial statistics and GIS, and social science implementations of the scientific method that provide the foundation for addressing urban problems through the lens of data science and analytics. M.A. students are invited to participate in real world projects, enriching and applying what they learn in the classroom while they gain valuable practical experience that will help them launch productive careers.

Discover Public Policy and Administration (Graduate Certificate/4+1)

The Discover Public Policy and Administration Certificate/4+1 provides an opportunity for students to expand their career pathways through an introduction to Public Service degree opportunities and the associated skills of Public Policy and Administration. Students who enroll in the Public Service Certificate/4+1 will understand public service career pathways associated with their areas of knowledge and passion; understand the fundamentals of Public Policy and Public Administration; learn basic statistical and analytical reasoning; explore ways to advance their public service careers; and enhance critical thinking and analytical skills.

Historic Preservation (Graduate Certificate)

The Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation introduces students to the current state of best practices in historic preservation and their theoretic underpinnings; explains the historic preservation planning process including development of preservation policies and treatment approaches; and provides basic skills and methodologies needed for the profession (including measured drawing, architectural photography, and archival research).

The Certificate can be pursued by students in any graduate degree program, by undergraduates concurrently with any undergraduate degree program, or by practicing professionals or other non-UD students.

Nonprofit and Voluntary Action (Graduate Certificate)

The Nonprofit and Voluntary Action graduate certificate provides students with an understanding of management in the nonprofit, civil society, and non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors. As a supplement to another degree program, it provides useful knowledge and practical skill-building for students in any field who want to advance their careers in the nonprofit and/or public sector. The program covers a broad range of pertinent topics in public sector management, including board relations, technology, planning, nonprofit resource allocation, accountability, data, marketing, fundraising, and advocacy.

Public Health Preparedness (Graduate Certificate)

The graduate certificate in Public Health Preparedness will provide in-service professionals with additional credentials and skills specific to operations during a public health crisis. The certificate program continues the interdisciplinary precedent set in the Biden School’s Master of Public Health program by drawing on knowledge and resources across colleges.

Urban Data Science (Graduate Certificate)

The Urban Data Science certificate will provide students with the skills to apply Data Science techniques and methodologies to pressing problems in urban policy and administration, planning, and the emerging science of cities. This certificate is closely aligned with the M.A. in Urban Analytics & Policy in the Biden School that treats the urban environment as the fundamental construct and prepares students to address critical societal issues across multiple spatial scales and disciplines. The UDS certificate enhances that approach as it conceptualizes cities as complex systems with three fundamental components–the human, natural, and built environments–whose interactions can be explored and understood through spatial and temporal quantitative and qualitative data. The technical skills developed in the program include statistical methods, computer coding, quantitative reasoning, geospatial statistics and GIS, and the social science implementations of the scientific method. These have applications in both research and practice including examples in transportation, sustainability, energy, environment, social justice, and technology in public life.

Programs

Master’s

Doctorate

Certificate

4+1