MPA: Cohort Learning Community

Deep Connections Online and In-Person

Although face-to-face classroom time is less frequent, students create a close connection with each other during a week in August, and stay connected to others through regular on-line discussions about readings, and project updates. Monthly meetings (all day Friday and Saturday) enable the group to focus intently on policy analysis, leadership development, action learning projects, and quantitative analysis training.

Cohort Learning Community

Establishing a strong sense of community, students in the cohort learning community complete the 12 credit requirements with the same peer cohort; students do not have the option to move between the cohort and traditional programs. Because this learning experience is integrated, students form unusual relationships with each other and the faculty, participating in personal growth, creative problem solving, and honed application. Poetry, statistics, collage, and policy memo writing are all tools shared with other members of the learning community. Additionally, the cohort enables you to be part of the Humphrey community, even when you're not physically present. Students benefit from networking opportunities with Humphrey-wide faculty, alumni, MPA peers, and international fellows; full access to support staff in Graduate Student Services and Career Services; access to the School's website, podcasts, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Courses

The Master of Public Affairs core curriculum focuses on leadership abilities, critical thinking and analytic skills, systems thinking and an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, and the ability to work and lead as part of a team. The cohort program curriculum integrates the learning objectives and content of the core courses in the following courses:

PA 5051 Cohort Leadership I (2 credits, fall semester)
Leadership theories, tools, and strategies in global context for the mid-career student.

PA 5053 Cohort Policy Analysis I (2 credits, fall semester)
Process of public policy analysis, including problem formulation, problem-solving, and communication of findings. Commonly used analytical methods. Use of multimedia mini-cases, including readings, cases, and simulation exercises.

PA 5055 Cohort Quantitative Analytics I (2 credits, fall semester)
A problem-based learning approach to quantitative analysis. Frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, elementary probability and statistical inference. Hypothesis testing. Cross-tabulation, analysis of variance, correlation. Simple/multiple regression analysis. Data set development. Relevance to policy and leadership decision making.

PA 5052 Cohort Leadership II (2 credits, spring semester)
Continues PA 5051: Leadership theories, tools, and strategies in global context for the mid-career student.

PA 5054 Cohort Policy Analysis II (2 credits, spring semester)
Continues PA 5053: Process of public policy analysis, including problem formulation, problem-solving, and communication of findings. Commonly used analytical methods. Use of multimedia mini-cases, including readings, cases, and simulation exercises.

PA 5056 Cohort Quantitative Analytics II (2 credits, spring semester)
Continues PA 5055: A problem-based learning approach to quantitative analysis. Frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, elementary probability and statistical inference. Hypothesis testing. Cross-tabulation, analysis of variance, correlation. Simple/multiple regression analysis. Data set development. Relevance to policy and leadership decision making.

2013–2014 Session Schedule

Introductory Week (daily, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.): August 19-23, 2013

Weekend Sessions: Fridays 10a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, September 20-21
Friday-Saturday, October 18-19
Friday-Saturday, November 22-23
Friday-Saturday, January 10-11
Friday-Saturday, February 7-8
Friday-Saturday, March 7-8
Friday-Saturday, April 4-5
Friday-Saturday, May 2-3

The above core courses also can be taken in a Traditional Classroom Learning Environment.