SPP Moves Up Nine Spots in US News and World Report Rankings. Continues as Top 10 MPP Program in the West
The Pepperdine School of Public Policy remains in the top ten Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree programs West of the Rockies, and is one of the top five policy schools in California in the latest edition of Best Graduate Schools for Public Affairs by U.S. News & World Report, released today. Pepperdine moved up nine spots from last year, improving its ranking to 65th among the 275 policy programs evaluated in the United States.
"This year's rankings continue to show the positive trajectory of our program as we've jumped nine spots since last year's report, demonstrating our increasing stature nationally," noted Braun Family dean, Pete Peterson. "Pepperdine remains one of the top 10 MPP programs in the Western United States, and is one of the top three graduate policy programs at a faith-based university in the country. As we continue to grow our presence in Washington, DC, expand our programming in crisis management and education policy—all grounded in the principle of viewpoint diversity—I remain very excited for our future."
The School of Public Policy prepares public leaders who can work across differences and across sectors to create sustainable policy solutions. It is home to many evening conversations, lectures, and conferences focused on the role of faith in politics and the importance of “viewpoint diversity”—like our “American Project: On the Future of Conservatism.” In 2019, the School launched two new initiatives, including a partnership with the Los Angeles-based nonprofit, Homeland Security Advisory Council and the new project on “Education Policy & Impact.”
The Pepperdine School of Public Policy offers a two-year, full-time Master of Public Policy degree program with its comprehensive James Q. Wilson Core curriculum grounded in both policy analysis and an exceptional understanding of the many factors—cultural, historical, philosophical, and faith perspectives—to employ what Dr. Wilson called our "moral sense." The need to humanize our politics and policymaking has never been greater, which is why we say from our breathtaking campus, our students "will see public policy differently from here." Offering joint degree programs in partnership with Pepperdine's top-ranked graduate schools for business, law, and dispute resolution, the School of Public Policy also facilitates a 3-credit Washington, DC Policy Scholars Program during summer, on the topic of “American Gospel: The Role of Religion in US Domestic and Foreign Policy” and adding a new course this year on "Humanizing Education Policy: A Study of Foundational Philosophies."