Master of Public Policy - Fact Sheet

The MPP program is an academic program within the Department of Political Science in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA.

All courses are delivered online, with courses meeting synchronously via Zoom on Tuesday evenings.

The total units of credit to complete the program is 37 hours

The program follows a cohort model, with new cohorts admitted in odd-year fall semesters. The program is designed for full-time students to finish in two years. Students take two, 8-week long classes each fall and spring semester, two asynchronous courses during their first summer, and complete an independent research project in their second summer.

As of Fall 2024, the program had 19 students enrolled. This includes students who are part of the Fall 2023 cohort as well as students who are part of the Fall 2024 cohort. At any given time, students from previous cohorts may still be enrolled as they complete unfinished work. We admit students every fall semester. The total enrollment each fall semester will include students from two cohorts.

The Program is overseen by Dr. Chris Larimer, Program Coordinator, and Dr. Scott Peters, Head, Department of Political Science. Seven faculty teach courses within the MPP sequence. During the first and second summers of the program, students complete an internship course and a capstone experience course, both of which are overseen by Professor Larimer, working in conjunction with participating agencies.

All students pay the same tuition rate, regardless of location, making it an affordable option for all students.

• Tuition for the 2025-26 academic year is $586 per unit of graduate credit or $366 per unit of undergraduate credit. An additional $46 technology fee per course may apply. Tuition and fees are expected to rise each May, typically announced by the Iowa Board of Regents in March.
• Qualified students are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship for an academic year, with $500 applied to the Fall term and $500 to the Spring term. No scholarships are applied to the summer term. May be renewed for a second year. See distance.uni.edu/ode-scholarship for details.

Financial Aid eligibility: Students admitted into the Masters in Public Policy program may be eligible for Federal Direct Loans if enrolled at least half-time (5+credit hours for graduate students) in a semester. Complete the FAFSA each academic year to be considered for federal financial aid. Questions can be directed to finaid@uni.edu

More Information: Financing Graduate School | Admissions & Aid

To be admitted, students must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, with an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher. We also offer provisional admission for those whose undergraduate GPA is less than 2.75, but who demonstrate through their work experience the ability to complete graduate-level work. Toward that end, we rely heavily on letters of recommendation and personal statements to gauge how prepared students are for the work and how the program will help them pursue their career goals. Students must submit:

• Undergraduate transcript(s)
• a personal statement that reflects on the program's mission and how an MPP degree will enhance their personal and career development
• resume
• two letters of recommendation

MPP employment data for summer 2023 graduates:

• 11 graduates: 10 reporting as of fall 2024 (91%)
• Working in the public sector (federal or state government): 3 (30%)
• Working with nonprofit sector: 2 (20%)
• Working in the private sector: 5 (50%)

Recent graduates of the MPP program at the University of Northern Iowa have been employed in numerous areas relating to city management, mental health, lobbying, transportation, public finance, nonprofit management, and environmental policy, among others.  Recent examples include:

• Stormwater Coordinator, City of Marion, IA
• President and CEO, Iowa Women's Foundation
• Legal Aid Society of Story County
• Registered lobbyist, state of Iowa
• Director, Cedar Falls School Board, Cedar Falls, IA
• Paratransit Coordinator, Des Moines Area Regional Transit
• Mental Health and Disabilities Services, Bremer County, IA
• Quality Improvement Officer, Student Health Center, Iowa State University
• Sergeant, Cedar Rapids Police Department
• Iowa Counterdrug Task Force, Iowa National Guard
• Senior Program Officer, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
• City Planner, City of Ottumwa, IA
• Sexual Assault Advocate, Riverview Center
• Development Director, REM Iowa
• Patient Financial Coordinator, UnityPoint Health, Allen Hospital
• State Consultant, Iowa Department of Public Health
• Data Manager and Program Assistant, Rhode Island Department of Health
• Policy & Advocacy Manager, DMARC, Des Moines, IA

Due to the cohort nature of our program, most students complete their degree in odd-numbered years. In a December 2022 alumni survey of recent program graduates, 91% percent of respondents reported being employed full-time. Consistent with our mission to serve current and emerging public service professionals, 10 of the 12 students admitted to the program for the 2023-2025 cohort were employed in the fall of 2023.  For the 2021-2023 cohort, 7 of the 11 students graduating in 2023 were employed when they began the program in 2021.

Students are required to complete 3 hours of internship credit in a designated organization. Such organizations include, but are not limited to, federal, state, or local public organizations, or non-profit organizations.  The student and Graduate Coordinator will jointly identify a public or non-profit agency suitable for placement where the student will be expected to complete 90 hours of work. The student, in consultation with the agency and Graduate Coordinator, will then identify a project for which the student has the primary responsibility. The project must involve policy analysis (quantitative or qualitative), not just routine agency work.  For students already working in the public or non-profit sector, the internship may be completed at their current place of employment.  Performance at the internship is assessed through four work products: 

• Preliminary analysis of the policy issue
• A report produced for the agency
• A reflection paper on the experience
• An evaluation by the agency supervisor

In recent years, student have completed internships at:

• Iowa Department of Veteran Affairs, Johnston, IA
• American Network of Community Options and Resources
• Shelter House of Iowa City, IA (Nonprofit)
• National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism Advanced Research Intern (University of Maryland)
• City Clerk’s Office, Hudson, IA
• Greater Des Moines Partnership/Capital Crossroads (Nonprofit)
• Black Hawk County Elections Office, Waterloo, IA
• Goodwill of Central Iowa, Johnston, IA (Nonprofit)
• College Hill Partnership, Cedar Falls, IA (Nonprofit)