1.MPP和MPA的介绍
The Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)(39 credit hours ) program provides students with a blend of analytical， contextual， ethical， and substantive skills and knowledge to advance the quality of advice given to policy makers in a variety of institutional settings in the United States and abroad. Areas include: social policy; science， technology， and environmental policy; crime， public law， and policy; public financial management; public management; nonprofit policy， management， and leadership; international development; applied politics， including campaign management and women and politics; comparative public policy; and advanced policy analysis.
The Master of Public Affairs program is designed to prepare leaders with the skills and knowledge to effect meaningful change in government agencies， businesses， and nonprofit organizations. The School’s mission is to develop leaders and ideas that will help our state， the nation and the international community address critical public policy challenges in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world.
虽然MPP和MPA 都是为公共事务领域培养都需要具有一定的政策分析能力，解决问题能力和领导能力的人才，但是MPP更倾向于培养学生的分析问题能力，提出解决方案，而MPA更注重学生在执行具体方案过程中的处理问题，领导和规划能力。两者有着台前和幕后的分工。
2.背景要求
MPP Academic Prerequisite：Bachelor's degree. Some knowledge of college-level economics， statistics， and calculus is preferred.
MPA：We are looking for people who are dynamic and driven， representing diverse perspectives， backgrounds， and life experiences， particularly those who wish to develop the tools and skills necessary to change our world for the better.
MPP的项目要求学生需具备统计和经济学的基本知识，学生如果在本科期间修读过经济学、统计学和高数的知识还是比较适合申请的。虽然MPA的项目也偏爱具备这样背景的学生，但是背景要求多样化，更注重的是学生有公益心，社会责任感，要有lasting commitment to public service。从工作经验上，两个专业都喜欢有工作背景的学生，但是具体情况需要具体分析，要因校而议，具体情况还要根据学生的背景而定，Georgetown大学以往录取的学生中就有部分学生是没有工作经验的。以下是具体数据：
CMU大学(Heinz)
3 - 5 years work experience 19%
1 - 3 years work experience 34%
Less than 1 year work experience 32%
(Work experience is full-time and does not include internships)
Georgetown大学 8.4% 学生没有工作经验
