With UBC’s Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA), enhance your career or transition into policy roles in institutions, companies, non-governmental organizations, and various levels of government in all parts of the world.
As future policymakers and world leaders, MPPGA graduates are prepared with multidisciplinary skill sets in policy analysis and expertise in development, sustainability, global governance, and/or Asia.
Faculty Expertise
Our faculty members are a diverse range of academics and policy practitioners. Benefit from their deep knowledge, global connections, and interdisciplinary approach to teaching. Areas of faculty expertise include climate change action; Asia Pacific policy; Indigenous rights; governance around resources and energy; global health, and democracy.
Experiential Learning
Expect a mix of case studies, field visits, workshops, case competitions, and other hands-on activities throughout the program to help shape you as a leading global change maker, while applying knowledge and developing practical skills through real-world professional experience.
A key component of the MPPGA program is the Global Policy Project, an intensive capstone course where student teams directly engage with a client organization on a pressing policy challenge. The outcome of the Global Policy Project is rich experiential learning, collaboration, and the application of creative thinking and analytical skills.
Additionally, students will benefit from paid Work Term opportunities, including the Co-op program, personalized support for career planning, as well as professional skills training.
Studying at UBC
The School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA) at the University of British Columbia is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. As a school, we are committed to the goals of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan.
UBC has consistently ranked as the number one university in the world for taking urgent action to combat climate change, while SPPGA is renowned for its research strengths and policy influence in sustainability and the Asia Pacific. As an MPPGA student, you will study in a beautiful campus alongside leading academics and students from across the globe at one of the top research universities in the world. Join a university that’s known for its ability to translate ideas into action.
Situated in Vancouver, British Columbia, you are located at the dynamic gateway to the Asia Pacific region and is considered one of the greenest and most livable cities in the world.
New Skills
Our innovative program equips you with the analytical and technical skills you need to lead policy change in a rapidly transforming, globalized world.
MPPGA graduates are able to:
- Apply multidisciplinary policy analysis and creative design skills to create, implement and evaluate public policy
- Use an evidence-based approach for real and lasting solutions
- Articulate ethical guidelines in conducting policy analysis
- Conduct public policy through an equity and inclusion lens
- Assess alternatives and evaluate options in complex policy problems
- Develop effective communications at all levels of an organization
- Prioritize and rationalize resource allocation for innovative policy initiatives
- Lead teams in implementing multi-layered solutions to real-world issues
New knowledge
Our faculty members and policy practitioners are experts in their respective fields. Expect rigorous knowledge acquisition in the classroom, through work experience and exchange among fellow students.
Options in our stream areas from which MPPGA students may choose to specialize include:
- Policy challenges and solutions as they relate to sustainability, resources, and energy
- A broad perspective of global development and social change
- Proficiency in global governance and security issues
- Current topics affecting policy in Asia
New Career Possibilities
The leadership skills you cultivate in the MPPGA program will help you succeed as a change maker in your organization and open up new career opportunities. Explore the careers of our alumni and the areas of work and roles to expect upon graduation.
