School of Public Policy master’s program receives NASPAA accreditation

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Just eight years into its existence, the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program in Penn State’s School of Public Policy has been granted accreditation by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

Good for seven years, the accreditation follows a rigorous process that included a self-study and a site visit by NASPAA representatives earlier this year. Among other things, it will allow the program to continue expanding and attracting high-caliber students and faculty from around the country, School of Public Policy Director Lilliard Richardson said.

“It’s nice to get that stamp of approval for the work we’re doing,” said Richardson, professor of public policy and Sherwin-Whitmore Chair of Liberal Arts. “It took a lot of work on a lot of people’s part. And there’s something kind of special about focusing everyone’s attention for a little bit on whether we’re doing everything right. Ultimately, it’s all about making a difference for the students, which is why we’re here. So, in that way, it was very useful.”

The NASPAA committee that conducted the site visit commended the program’s versatility, curriculum, programming, student outcomes and “exceptional” leadership.

“This young school is already positioning the Penn State campus as a leader in connecting talent of any major to government and nonprofit positions,” wrote the committee members. “The program is a leader in student success and career-focused public service education. … To grow the school this quickly in a short time and have such a demonstrated impact on students is phenomenal.”

“They were very impressed with our professional development initiatives, including our Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg trips,” Richardson said. “When we heard from the site visit team that we’re doing things the right way, it reinforced to the faculty and staff why we’re doing this work.”

Richardson marveled at how much has changed since his initial July 2018 meeting with Susan Welch, the late former dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, who recruited him from Indiana University to establish the school.

“I joke that when I first got here the school was me and my laptop,” Richardson said with a chuckle.

In 2019, the school welcomed its first cohort of MPP students. Two years later, they graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the accreditation process, the school had to track a variety of outcomes, from the types of internships and jobs students are landing to the overall rigor of the curriculum. Besides learning the ins and outs of public policy, students also receive training in economics and statistics.

“Basically, it’s a mission-driven accreditation,” Richardson said. “We’re a pre-service mission, in that most of our students don’t have much work experience. So, we focus on the job skills they’re going to need.”

Given that, internships are required for students with no professional public policy experience. For their capstone project, they’re required to complete a project for a real-world client.

The annual Career Exploration Day trips to Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg, where students get to network with Penn State alumni while exploring potential careers in public policy, are another key component of the program. And Richardson and his staff collaborate closely with the school’s Board of Visitors to determine the best ways to evolve the program.

“When we meet with board members and employers and supervisors for internships, we’re constantly saying, ‘Here’s the competencies we’re looking for; are there others you would expect?’” Richardson said. “For instance, there were students who were struggling in the statistics course, because a lot of them were coming from nontechnical majors. So, we developed a lab outside of the class where they could voluntarily go. You always need to be tracking the process to see if the students are encountering problems in terms of the competencies.”

The hard work paid off. Accreditation now in hand, the school is focused on growing the MPP program, as well as its more recently established undergraduate program, said Richardson, praising Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, and the University for offering strong support throughout the process.

“I think this is a really great step at this stage of our development,” he said. “We’ve grown, but we want to continue to grow and expand. … I think back to that first conversation with Susan Welch back in 2018, and not to sound corny, but it’s kind of cool to see that dream fulfilled. We did it. We got it to this point.”