Concentrations

As a student in the MPP or EMPP you can select from a wide variety of concentrations to customize your program. You can also self-design a concentration with an advisor and the approval of the public policy graduate program director. All concentrations require at least 16-quarter credits.

You can take concentration and elective courses from a variety of programs and colleges across the Oregon State University online curriculum. Each concentration is assigned a faculty advisor to help students identify appropriate courses and committee members.

Energy policy (16 credits)

PPOL 547 – Integrated Approaches to Food-Water-Energy-Climate (4 credits)
PS 555 – Politics of Climate Change (4 credits)
PS 573 – U.S. Energy Policy (4 credits)
PS 575 – Environmental Politics and Policy (4 credits)
PS 577 – International Environmental Policy (4 credits)
PS 578 – Renewable Energy Policy (4 credits); currently being developed for online

Note: You can earn a Graduate Certificate in Energy Policy and transfer the credits toward OSU's online Master or Executive Master of Public Policy. Successful completion of the certificate or its courses does not guarantee admission to the MPP or EMPP program.

Environmental policy (16 credits)

PPOL 546 – Policy and Law of Coastal Governance (4 credits)
PPOL 547 – Integrated Approaches to Food-Water-Energy-Climate (4 credits)
PPOL 548 – Marine Policy (4 credits)
PS 555 – The Politics of Climate Change (4 credits)
PS 570 – Global Food Politics and Policy (4 credits)
PS 575 – Environmental Politics and Policy (4 credits)
PS 576 – Science and Politics (4 credits)
PS 577 – International Environmental Policy (4 credits)
SOC 580 – Environmental Sociology (4 credits)
SOC 581 – Society and Natural Resources (4 credits)
SOC 585 – Consensus and Natural Resources (4 credits)

Rural policy (16 credits)

PS 570 – Global Food Politics and Policy (4 credits)
PS 575 – Environmental Politics and Policy (4 credits)
SOC 580 – Environmental Sociology (4 credits)
SOC 581 – Society and Natural Resources (4 credits)
SOC 585 – Consensus and Natural Resources (4 credits)
SOC 575 – Rural Sociology (4 credits)

Social policy (16 credits)

SOC 541 – Criminology and Penology (4 credits)
SOC 550 – Sociology of Education (4 credits)
SOC 554 – Leisure and Culture (4 credits)
SOC 571 – Social Movements (4 credits)
SOC 575 – Rural Sociology (4 credits)

Graduate certificate programs as concentration

One of the following graduate certificate programs may be used to expand your concentration options: 

• Business analytics (21 credits)
• Data analytics (18 credits)
• Energy policy (18 credits)
• Fisheries management (18 credits)
• Forests and climate change (19 credits)
• Geographic information science (GiScience) (19 credits)
• Public health (20 credits)
• Rural policy (18 credits)
• Sustainable natural resources (18 credits)
• Urban forestry (18 credits)
• Water conflict management (18 credits)
• Wildlife management (18 credits)
• Collaborative governance (offered online through Portland State University)
(16 credits)
• Gerontology (offered online through Portland State University)
(20-21 credits)

Students who successfully complete both the certificate program and the MPP or EMPP major will receive the certificate in addition to their major degree.