UMass Boston

Applicants must meet general graduate admission requirements in addition to the following program-specific requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of recognized standing or an international equivalent at the time of enrollment
• A minimum, cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (or international equivalent) in all undergraduate work
• Official transcripts for all institutions where you have earned more than 6 credits; if your transcript is in a language other than English, please include an English translation, validated by an official public translator
• Statement of purpose
• Two (2) letters of recommendation
• If applicable, request official TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, and Duolingo scores to be sent to the University of Massachusetts Boston

Deadlines: April 1 (priority) and June 15 (final) for fall (extended to July 15 for Fall 2025 admissions); November 1 for spring (online certificate only)

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Estimate Your Program Cost: Get a feel for your expected program costs using the Graduate Program Cost Calculator.

Program Cost Information: For more detailed information on costs, please visit the Bursar's website.

Core Courses (12 Credits)

• PUBADM 619 - WPPP: Contemporary American Public Policy Issues 3 Credit(s)
• PUBADM 623 - WPPP: Women in American Politics and Policy Making 3 Credit(s)
• PUBADM 628 - Research Methods for Policy Analysis 3 Credit(s)
• PUBADM 629 - Leadership and Organizations: Gender, Power and Authority 3 Credit(s)

Internship Courses (6 Credits)

• PUBADM 622 - WPPP Fall Internship 3 Credit(s)
• PUBADM 624 - WPPP: Spring Internship 3 Credit(s)

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

• Determine opportunities and approaches for effectively influencing policy formation to create a more equitable and just society 
• Analyze dimensions of leadership and authority in groups and organizations, including the impact of gender roles and cultural assumptions 
• Examine the role of women in electoral politics, public sector agencies, and other public leadership roles in a range of settings, including workplaces and communities 
• Apply basic principles of policymaking and analysis in governmental and nongovernmental policy settings, with particular knowledge of the state and federal legislative and budget processes 
• Utilize data to analyze historical and current political processes, institutions, and events, including social movements 
• Implement approaches from feminist and systems psychodynamics perspectives to become effective leaders in diverse organizational settings, including the public and nonprofit sectors 
• Identify and assess fundamental concepts from a variety of research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, and participatory/community-based action research, and understand the value of these methods in the analysis and evaluation of existing public policies and the development of new public policies 
• Draw upon the knowledge and skills acquired during an intensive internship in a nonprofit or public sector setting designed to promote leadership development in the field of politics, broadly defined, and policymaking 
• Understand and apply the theoretical and analytic concept of “intersectionality” so that they can contribute to an understanding of how the intersection of gender, race/ethnicity, and class shapes women’s lived experiences and their potential for leadership

Complete 18 credits from six courses including four core courses and two internship courses.

Internship: Complete 10-16 hours per week at their internship site, for a minimum of 160 hours during a minimum 4-month period, over the course of the academic year.

Gender, Leadership, and Public Policy (GLPP) graduate certificate students can also choose to apply for the Public Administration (MPA) - Gender, Leadership, and Public Policy Track, and complete an MPA in just one additional academic year plus one summer.

Statute of limitations: Three years.

Assistant Program Director Muna Killingback
muna.killingback@umb.edu
(617) 287-6785

Graduate Program Director Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson
LA.NsiahJefferson@umb.edu

SARA Compliance, Disclosure & Dispute Resolution
UMass Boston programs are designed to meet the requirements for licensure or certification in Massachusetts. Please contact your state licensing or certification board to determine whether the program meets the requirements for licensure or certification in other states.

 

 

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