Academics

Students sitting in a Carsey class.

There’s little that is typical about a Carsey graduate education. Our graduate programs offer a special mix of academic rigor and real-life expertise to prepare students for a career with impact. Carsey’s master's programs bring passionate students together with teachers at the top of their professions. We pride ourselves on a faculty that combines leading policy, development, and management professionals with academic scholars to bring the best hands-on experience and scholarly expertise to the classroom. Students graduate our programs empowered to contribute to building a better, more sustainable, future for their communities, state, country and planet.
 

Carsey's Graduate Degree Programs

Several Master of Public Administration students in a public meeting

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Fully Online Program

Ready to advance your public service career? Interested in working in public administration or managing a nonprofit organization? Join your online cohort in the fall or spring and complete your degree in as little as 12 months with the Executive MPA for those with 5 or more years of relevant work experience.

Master in Community Development students working on-site.

Master in Community Development (MCD)

Fully Online Program

Want to better serve your community? Through our 14-month MCD program, we'll prepare you to serve others as a community organizer, nonprofit manager, project coordinator, or fundraiser/development officer.

Students in an MPP class.

Master in Public Policy (MPP)

On-campus program

Gain the skills and learn the tools needed to make a difference and create change in the challenging world of 21st-century policymaking. Through this 14-month on-campus MPP, you will learn how to develop transformative policies through research, and how to strategically communicate those policies to bring your ideas to fruition.

Students studying in Diamond Library

Public Policy/Juris Doctor

On-campus dual-degree program

Our Master in Public Policy degree program complements the Juris Doctor (offered at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law) with a broad grounding in the world of public policy. The two degrees are generally awarded after three-and-a-half years, offering substantial savings in both time and expense.

Additional Carsey Academic Programs and Program Elements

Accelerated students in a classroom

Accelerated Master's Degrees

Available for the MPP and MPA Degrees

Are you a UNH undergraduate who wants to earn a master's degree? Qualified UNH seniors (students with 90+ credits) can start earning graduate credits (up to 12) for select undergraduate courses and complete their master's degree in just 12 months while saving on the cost of tuition (up to $10,380). Make the most of your time at UNH and leave fully prepared to excel in your new career!

Woman sitting at a desk taking the Community Development Finance class online.

Continuing Education

Online classes

The Carsey School of Public Policy expanded its graduate programming to make selected courses available to anyone who wants to advance their learning. Study alongside practitioners, community changemakers, and graduate students learning the skills and tools needed to make a bigger impact in their communities.

A photo of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

The Washington, D.C., Colloquium

Advance your skills in D.C.

The annual Washington, D.C., colloquium gives Master in Public Policy (MPP) students front-row access to meetings with public policy institutions. Students learn about career paths across multiple sectors (e.g., government, non-profit organizations, think-tanks, research institutes, organizations that do international work), discuss the current policy landscape, and connect with working professionals for networking and career-building opportunities.

An MCD graduate (center) with local residents

MCD capstone projects

Discover past MCD Capstones

Students in the Master in Community Development (MCD) program complete a yearlong capstone project as the culmination of their classroom training and any internships they have completed. While conducting their capstone, students complete courses in designing, implementing, managing, and monitoring/evaluating their community projects, offering them the ideal training for effecting change within their communities.

Students presenting their MPA capstones

MPA capstone projects

Discover past MPA Capstones

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) Capstone project provides students with the opportunity to combine academic insight and practical experience. The capstones are designed to offer students the chance to implement learned knowledge and skills – gained from the classroom and from internships – in real-world situations.

MPP students studying together in a lounge

Education Awards

Financial aid available!

The Carsey School of Public Policy maintains partnerships with multiple nonprofit and public institutions in order to provide students with tuition funding and other opportunities. Learn about these organizations and the advantages they can offer you.

Photo of an instructor teaching a class while standing in front of a white bard with symbols written on it.

UNH Graduate Certificates

Earn a Master's Degree and a Graduate Certificate in the same amount of time!

The University of New Hampshire Graduate School offers a number of certificate programs with courses that also meet the requirements for Carsey's three master's degrees. On our Graduate Certificate webpage, we identify some of the certificate programs that pair best with our degrees, allowing you to make your tuition stretch further while simultaneously advancing your skill sets and becoming more marketable.

Semester in the City students walking through downtown Boston

The Changemaker Collaborative

A Carsey School/UNH partner program

The Changemaker Collaborative brings together students, faculty, staff, businesses, non-profits and government agencies committed to advancing positive change for the good of all. The Collaborative supports the next generation of skilled, courageous and confident leaders, through real-world experiences and the tools of public policy and business, while helping community partners advance their sustainability initiatives.

If you have questions about which Carsey graduate degree program is right for you, please contact our Academic team.

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