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 Cliff Zukin, Director We think we’re lucky to be able to teach you; we also think you’re lucky to be here to learn—not just from us, but from your fellow students. These are beyond interesting times, they are vital and hold the possibility of fundamental shifts in national policy. We will have a change of administrations in Washington in January of 2009. No matter whether the Democrats or Republicans win the presidency, we will have change. It will be a time of new ideas, new people and new policies. We want to contribute to that process—not in ideology, but in expertise. We are agnostic about where you come from—politically, geographically, or otherwise. Politics is the arena where value conflicts play out—where “who gets what” is decided. And, we don’t think there is a “right” or “wrong” answer to questions of values. And while we fully appreciate that politics plays a central role in the policy process, we also believe that better trained practitioners will lead to better public policy.
Our goal is to train you in the processes of policy formation, implementation and evaluation. Our mission is to prepare you for careers in government and politics, whether in the public, private or non-profit sectors. Every student who graduates from the Bloustein School’s public policy program has a firm grounding in the policy process, politics and institutions, and research methods. We firmly believe that students are best prepared for a career in public policy and politics through a program that balances theoretical and methodological approaches from a variety of disciplines combined with directed field experience in government or public service agencies.
Our Masters degree programs in Public Policy (MPP) and in Public Affairs and Politics (MPAP) are defined by the characteristics of intimacy and intensity. Graduate class sizes range from 10 to 20. Our educational environment promotes individually tailored programs of study within the context of a core set of skills delivered in the required courses. We believe in experientially-based classroom learning and promote professional development. We treat you like adults, and want to get you prepared for meaningful careers. Ours is an extraordinarily gifted faculty, comprised of nationally recognized scholars who are anchored in real-world experience and passionate about the craft of teaching.
We look for students who also have a passion—to make a difference, to make a contribution, to be participants rather than spectators. I welcome any questions you might have, and I welcome you to join us. My email address is zukin@rci.rutgers.edu
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