Bob Terrell, 2010-2012 MPP alumnus and executive director of Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston.
One of the region’s most diverse graduate programs is celebrating 15 years of educating mid-career professionals in urban, social, and environmental policy.
The Master of Public Policy program at UEP has seen almost 130 “practical visionaries” enter its classrooms since 2002. The MPP program, which can be completed in 1-3 years, was created for students returning to school to enhance their professional practice, pursue a shift in career, or looking to create a space for reflection and rejuvenation.
MPP students bring at least seven years of professional experience on issues from affordable housing to environmental management. About 26% of MPP students are older than 45 years old when they begin the program and half are people of color.
While the requirements of the MPP program are slightly different from UEP’s MA program, both programs share classes and MPP students are often viewed as resources for their experience in the field.
“Most MPPers like myself… brought a lot of real life experience to the class,” said Bob Terrell, executive director at the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston, in a 2016 MPP report. “Faculty really saw us as resources and not as competition and threat to their authority, and [had an attitude of] ‘hey, we have some really talented people in the class, speak up!’”
UEP students participate in an orientation activity.
Other MPP graduates include Lilly Marcelin, founder and director of the Resilient Sisterhood Project; Elaine Ng, strategic planning director of special education for Boston Public Schools; and John Barros, chief of economic development for the City of Boston.
Read the 2016 report about the program and its accomplishments: 2016 MPP report.