Master of Public Policy / Master of Business Administration (Dual Degree)

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) / Master of Business Administration (MBA) dual degree program prepares you for challenging public and private-sector careers at all levels of government and in not-for-profit organizations. The program, which is offered jointly with Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy (EJBSPPP), gives you the skills you need to tackle complex public policy problems. You will develop and refine your analytic and quantitative skills, become grounded in the functions of markets, and gain a thorough understanding of the political institutions and processes through which public policies are formulated and implemented.

Students apply separately to the two programs and must identify their interest in the dual degree program on both applications. Each program accepts 12 credits from the other toward its degree. The student needs a total of 60 credits for the MBA and 48 for the MPP. The student will therefore need to take 48 credits with Rutgers Business School and 36 with Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.

Please note that students in this dual degree program who would like to work with the MBA Office of Career Management in order to compete for MBA level internships and full-time positions must begin with the MPP in their first year and start the MBA in their second year.

To learn more about the MBA program at Rutgers Business School, please click here. Please visit the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy website to learn more about the Master of Public Policy curriculum.

Combining the Bloustein Master of Public Policy (MPP) and the Rutgers Business School Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees leads to a three-year dual degree option.  Students are accepted independently to both graduate programs after providing a separate application to each.

The 3-year, 84-credit dual degree program is a saving of a full year (24 credits) compared to earning the 48-credit MPP and the 60-credit Full-Time MBA degrees separately. The dual degree option is also offered to part-time students who will earn the 48-credit MPP and the 49-credit Part-Time MBA degrees, in a flexible schedule with credit waiver benefits.

MPP Core Courses

Dual-degree students take six Bloustein core courses (21 credits) and five electives (15 credits), for a total of 36 credits.

Core courses:

  • Public Policy Formation (34:833:510) - 3 credits
  • Research Design (34:833:530) - 3 credits
  • Basic Quantitative Methods (34:833:515) - 3 credits
  • Applied Multivariate Methods (34:833:525) - 3 credits
  • Applied Field Experience (34:833:663) - 3 credits
  • Policy Research Practicum (34:833:640/641) - 6 credits

The Bloustein School accepts the RBS Financial Management course (22:390:522) in place of the Bloustein Finance/Budgeting requirement, the RBS Organizational Behavior course (22:620:540) in place of the Bloustein Management requirement, and the RBS Managerial Economic Analysis course (22:223:521) in place of the Bloustein economics requirement. The Bloustein School also waives one elective requirement.

MBA Courses 

Full-Time dual-degree students take 19 credits of MBA core courses (7 core courses listed below), 3 required foundation courses, 1 required integrative course and 20 credits of electives, for a total of 48 credits. Part-Time dual-degree students take the same MBA core, foundation, and integrative courses, as well as 12 credits of electives, for a total of 40 credits.

  • Accounting for Managers (22:010:501) - 3 credits
  • Managerial Economic Analysis (22:223:521) - 3 credits 
  • Financial Management (22:390:522) - 3 credits 
  • Organizational Behavior (22:620:540) - 3 credits
  • Marketing Management (22:630:550) - 3 credits
  • Operations Analysis (22:799:564) - 3 credits 
  • Business, Ethics, and Society (22:373:623) - 1 credit

Note that Full-Time students who intend to seek an MBA-related career are requested to take a 0-credit Career Management Course (22:135:583).

MPP/MBA Proposed Schedule

For Full-Time students:

  • Year 1: Full-time study with the Bloustein School
  • Summer 1: Public Policy internship
  • Year 2: Full-time study with Rutgers Business School
  • Summer 2: Business internship
  • Year 3 Fall Semester: Master of Public Policy courses 
  • Year 3 Spring Semester: Master of Business Administration courses

For Part-Time students, the schedule can be made flexible to meet the student’s needs, but it still will be subject to the MBA program’s maximum number of years of study requirement. Consult each program's office for additional details. 

Application Process 

Students will apply to each program separately in accordance with the criteria, policies, and procedures established by each school. Students are encouraged to apply to each school simultaneously, before starting either degree program. 

To start an application to the MPP portion of the MPP/MBA dual degree program, visit the admissions website gradstudy.rutgers.edu and select “Apply Now” on the upper right side of the page.

To start an application to the MBA portion of the MPP/MBA dual degree program, go to the Rutgers Business School application portal: https://rutgersbiz.my.site.com/ERx_Forms__Portal_Login. To learn more about the program, go to:  https://www.business.rutgers.edu/dual-degree/public-policy-mba.