Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
Cultivating and elevating future global leaders to address pressing societal challenges
Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
Cultivating and elevating future global leaders to address pressing societal challenges
The Ivy League’s only one-year residential master’s program in public affairs, the MPA prepares students to be public policy leaders, analysts and advocates in government, politics, and the nonprofit, and private sectors, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Through our rigorous one-year program that runs from early June to May, students will sharpen their analytical, communication, and strategic leadership skills needed to address pressing societal challenges as future global leaders.
Graduate Admissions
A comprehensive check-list of items needed for your MPA application
The Brown Master of Public Affairs Program considers admitted students for a variety of scholarship opportunities, and all admitted MPA students receive some level of merit-based financial aid.
Learn about the Brown MPA by registering for one of our upcoming Informaton Sessions! Information sessions are 45 minutes long, including Q+A in the final 15 minutes.
100,000 +
Brown University alumni network across 152 countries
100 +
Employers hired our 2021-2023 graduates
30 +
Professional development events
Every day I have to effectively boil down complex policy topics into something brief and digestible...We spent a lot of time at Brown learning how to write impactful policy papers in as few pages as possible, and I have definitely carried that skill into my work.
MPA ’22
Curriculum
The Master of Public Affairs is a rigorous, one-year program that provides the analytical foundation and management tools to tackle the policy problems of today.
Learn More About the Curriculum
Careers
Our program offers an array of services, workshops, and resources tailored to the career needs of public affairs students.
Find Out More About Our Career Support
Living in Providence
With its low cost of living, historic architecture, and nationally renowned dining scene, the capital city is a vibrant place to live and work.
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MPA Student Experience
News from Watson
Alumni Spotlight: Grant Cohen ’24 MPA
Grant Cohen, who earned his Master of Public Affairs degree from Brown in 2024 while working a full-time consulting job, used the experience to sharpen the skills he needed to advance his career in the public service sector.
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News from Watson
Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Delgado ’24 MPA
Ashley Delgado, who earned her MPA from the Watson Institute at Brown University in 2024, practices many of the skills she learned at Watson — tact, patience, program management skills and effective use of limited resources — in her current position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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News from Watson
Student Spotlight: Marcos Montoya Andrade ’25
Senior International and Public Affairs concentrator Marcos Montoya Andrade's summer internship project at The League of United Latin American Citizens has earned national media attention.
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