Binghamton launches new online Master of Public Policy
The College of Community and Public Affairs develops a new public policy program to meet the needs of employers and students
Governments, nonprofits and think tanks need analysts who are trained in both the theoretical and applied aspects of public policy. Students today need flexible programs that allow them to complete a degree while fulfilling their current work and family obligations.
Enter Binghamton University’s new fully online, asynchronous Master of Public Policy (MPP) program — the first of its kind in New York.
The MPP is a widely recognized degree for policy analysts, but until recently, it was not listed among New York State’s registered degree programs. In 2021, an exploratory MPP program committee, comprised of then-Department Chair Komla Dzigbede, Associate Professor Thomas Sinclair and Lecturer Aleksey Tikhomirov, initiated the process of registering the degree with the state. They also began the planning process for an online master’s degree in public policy.
The following year, the committee conducted peer faculty engagement and institutional outreach, solicited feedback from stakeholders and drafted the program proposal. Additionally, members of the committee met with faculty from institutions with established and long-running Master of Public Policy programs.
“Our committee solicited involvement of the public policy faculty from Central European University and drew upon their knowledge and curricular expertise to draft a policy laboratory course,” Dzigbede said. “Likewise, we reached out to and received peer faculty support from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, and the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at The New School in New York City.”
In 2022, the department received notification that the state successfully registered the degree and that curriculum development could proceed. In addition to review by two external evaluators, the program underwent an intra-campus review by CCPA’s Curriculum Committee and several Faculty Senate committees before being forwarded to the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department for final approval.
What emerged was a nine-course, 36-credit-hour program that can be completed entirely online over one year in a fall-to-summer sequence.
The program combines both theoretical and applied coursework. The theoretical curriculum covers topics such as policy process, policy design and implementation, and comparative public policy. Applied courses include a two-semester policy research methods sequence covering introductory data science and intermediate applied econometrics; other courses include public sector economics and policy analysis.
At the end of the program, students participate in a culminating Public Policy Laboratory experience, where they apply all the skills acquired throughout the program to write a quantitative policy report. This unique learning experience helps students build confidence in their ability to produce research in the field of public policy.
Students will gain experience in data science, applied econometrics, policy analysis and popular statistical software packages. They will graduate with the skills necessary to work in a broad range of policy areas, including education, the environment and international development.
“Students interested in public policy typically face a choice between a theory-focused degree and a more technical STEM degree,” said Vincent Reitano, associate professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration and Policy. “The Binghamton MPP allows students and the broader policy community to benefit from both approaches in a condensed one-year online format.”
The MPP program will welcome its first cohort in fall 2026.
For more information about the MPP degree or upcoming information sessions, please visit our website.