Degree Programs
Master of Arts
The Policy Center awards a Master of Arts degree in Social and Public Policy with a concentration in Policy Analysis and Administration or Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies.
The Master of Arts degree comprises 36 credits (12 courses), which generally require two academic years of full-time study (nine credit-hours per semester). All M.A. students take "Research Methods" and "Values, Ethics and Policy" and write either a three-credit thesis or an enhanced research paper. The remaining credits are in a concentration and elective courses. Up to six approved credits from another institution may count toward the degree.
Certificates
The Policy Center awards post-baccalaureate certificates in Policy Analysis and Administration and Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies. Certificates comprise 24 credits (8 courses).
To earn the certificate in Policy Analysis and Administration students take six required courses, including an internship, and two elective courses in a substantive area.
To earn the certificate in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies students take eight required courses, including an internship.
Special Programs
- With permission of their faculty advisor, students in the Policy Center may cross-register for up to one course per semester at another Pittsburgh college or university, including Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh.
- Talented undergraduate students in Duquesne University's McAnulty College of Liberal Arts can consider a combined bachelor's and master's degree program through which they can earn both a bachelor's and master's degrees in five years.
- The Policy Center and Duquesne University's John F. Donahue Graduate School of Business collaborate in offering a joint-degree program leading to the Master of Arts in Social and Public Policy and Master of Business Administration.