Master of Science in Public Policy and Data

The M.S. in Public Policy and Data is a primarily online program offered in both part-time and full-time formats. Coursework is asynchronous, with approximately one hour of synchronous engagement each week, supplemented by brief in-person experiences for orientation at the beginning of the program and the culminating capstone. Full-time students complete the degree in 12 months and may begin in either the fall or spring semester. Students must complete 31 credits, comprising the following courses:

22 Core Credits:

• Four Quantitative Courses:
  • Data-Driven Analysis for Public Policy I
  • Data-Driven Analysis for Public Policy II
  • Data-Driven Analysis for Public Policy III
  • Economics for Public Policy Analysis
• Two Public Good Courses
  • Ethics and Accountability for Data-Driven Policy
  • Data-Driven Leadership: Communicating Insights for Impact
• One Experiential Course
  • Capstone

Nine Elective Credits: 

• Electives may be taken at UVA Batten and across the University, pending approval from Batten’s Director of Academic Programs.

The capstone of the program will match students with faculty mentors to apply the Eightfold Path of policy analysis, using its structured framework to define a policy challenge, analyze relevant data, evaluate alternatives and trade-offs, and communicate actionable, evidence-based recommendations to policy leaders.

In order to apply to the MSPP&D, you will be required to submit the following materials by 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of the official deadline:

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (as either a Word Document or a PDF)
  • We encourage you to highlight work, research or other professional experiences in which you applied quantitative, analytical, or data-related skills — for example, working with datasets, conducting analyses, building models, producing data visualizations, or using findings to inform decisions. If these experiences are not captured in your standard resume format, feel free to add a brief annotation or a short supplemental section describing them.

• Coding/Technical Familiarity Statement
  • Briefly describe your familiarity with one or more programming languages commonly used for data analysis (e.g., Stata, R, Python, SQL, MATLAB, SAS, SPSS). For each language, indicate the course(s) or work experience(s) through which you gained this experience and how you applied it. (Please limit your answer to 100 words.)

• One Recommendation Letter
  • Please ask one person who can speak to your quantitative, analytical, or data-related abilities and experiences to submit a letter on your behalf. This could be a current or former supervisor, professor, research mentor, or colleague who has directly observed your analytic work.

• Unofficial Transcripts
  • Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded directly to your online application. Should you gain acceptance to the MSPP&D program, a required official transcript will be requested at that time.

• Professional Writing Sample (Optional)
  • If you have a writing sample from a course or professional setting that demonstrates your ability to communicate analytic or policy-relevant findings to a broad audience, we welcome you to submit it (2-5 pages). Please indicate the context in which it was produced, including the course name or professional role and approximately when it was written. This is optional, and there is no penalty for not submitting a writing sample.

• Test Scores (Optional)
  • The Batten School does not require submission of standardized tests. if you have already taken the GRE (or another standardized test designed for graduate education), you are welcome to submit your scores if you believe they provide another useful data point for your application. Please direct your unofficial scores to BattenAdmissions@virginia.edu, and we will attach them to your application.

• Application Addendum (Optional)
  • There is no penalty for not submitting an application addendum. However, some applicants may wish to provide additional information to the admissions committee. Feel free to amplify the positive dimensions of your background that are not covered in other parts of this application. Similarly, you may wish to put some seemingly negative information in your application into context. Please format this application addendum as a letter to the admissions committee, not to exceed one page.

Your application may be completed online and submitted electronically once you have answered all the required questions. You do not have to complete the online application in one sitting – you may access your application and change your answers as many times as you like.