Master of Arts in Global Public Policy



Full-Time


Part-Time


30 Credits

Dive into the intricacies of international relations at Suffolk. Our program bridges theory with practical application, providing students with the academic foundation, tactical skillset, and real-world experience needed to drive policy change and innovation at the international level. You’ll graduate ready to make a real difference at world-renowned institutions like the United Nations, the Peace Corps, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, Oxfam, Amnesty International, and other global development and human rights organizations.

As a student in Suffolk’s Master of Arts in Global Public Policy program, you will:

  • Strengthen your international relations experience and expand your network through a required internship in the United States or abroad
  • Build a strong foundation in political, economic, and international relations theory
  • Gather and critically evaluate quantitative and qualitative social science research to write compelling, informed policy
  • Learn from a distinguished, passionate faculty of academics and practitioners
  • Tap into a robust network of Suffolk alumni working at major humanitarian, NGO, and nonprofit institutions across the globe

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Success after Suffolk

Here's a sampling of recent graduates’ current job titles and employers.

Campaign Manager
Angie Camacho, Boston City Council, District 7
Program Assistant, Affirmative Marketing Program
City of Boston
Campaigns and Fellowship Manager
Environmental League of Massachusetts
Innovation Scout
Equal Innovation
Corporate Paralegal
Fresenius Medical Care North America
Treasurer and Fundraising Coordinator
Greater Boston Young Democrats
Youth Engagement Specialist
LifeScene Family & Children’s Service
Charitable Gaming Investigator
Massachusetts State Lottery Commission
Massachusetts State Representative
Sister Cities International
Public Affairs Officer
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Legal Assistant Intern
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

MAGPP Program Overview

Our experience-based program is designed to help students become effective leaders and practitioners in international affairs. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of international relations—institutions, regulation, diplomacy, and governance—across cultural and geographic borders, mastering the nuances of the international political economy, transnational organizations, human rights, and regional politics. A required internship will further strengthen your skills and provide networking contacts to advance your career.

View the MAGPP curriculum

Requirements

Core Requirements 15 Credits (5 Courses)
Graduate Internship 3 Credits (1 Course)
Electives 12 Credits (4 Courses)
Total 30 Credits (10 Courses)

Internship Requirement

The internship requirement is your opportunity to explore divergent career paths. We’ll work closely with you to design an individual internship experience that helps you advance your career while working around your existing professional and personal obligations. To fulfill the requirement, you must complete at least 200 hours at an internship site (remote or in-person), write a report on your experience, and present the report before a faculty panel.



Advising & Other Resources

Our Graduate Student Services team is here to support you every step of the way. From application advising to financial aid counseling and international student resources, we provide a wide range of services to help you get the most out of your education. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in professional development workshops throughout the year, as well as lifelong access to all of the tools and resources offered by our Center for Career Equity, Development & Success.


Strategic Partnerships

Download the video transcript [PDF]

Since 1978, Suffolk University has partnered with The Washington Center to offer students unique and powerful career-building experiences in our nation’s capital.

Go straight to the epicenter of American politics, advocacy, law, media, and more: Washington, D.C. Engage face-to-face with leaders in government, news outlets, embassies, and think tanks, and network with D.C.-area Suffolk alumni. Our students participate in a range of programs, including:

  • Inside Washington Seminar: Participants have met and spoken with leaders like US Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Joe Kennedy; former RNC Chairman Michael Steele; and former Secretary of State John Kerry.
  • Campaign & Inauguration Seminars during presidential election years
  • National Security Seminar with national security experts
  • Semester- and summer-long internships at advocacy groups, nonprofit organizations, law and public relations firms, and government departments such as the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Trade Commission, the House Parliamentarian Office, and the offices of several members of Congress.

Student working at a computer

Go behind the scenes with leading pollster David Paleologos as you learn how to ask the right questions and analyze data that drives the political conversation. Not only will you craft and field a real poll on a topic the class chooses, but you’ll also have the opportunity to contribute questions to national polls conducted by the Center. It’s a unique resume-building experience that’s helped launch alumni directly into careers in the industry.

Established in 2002, the Suffolk University Political Research Center (SUPRC) conducts statewide and national surveys as well as bellwether polls. It examines political races and analyzes voters' opinions on key issues. Suffolk’s presidential polls have predicted outcomes in key battleground states, and its innovative Cityview polls provide valuable insight into major urban areas across the country. Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight.com ranked the SUPRC at the top of its list of “The Most and Least Accurate Pollsters of 2021-22" for its polling of the 2021-22 Senate, House and gubernatorial races.

Students sitting across each other at a table and smiling

Suffolk is consistently ranked among the best colleges for student voting—and your involvement doesn’t have to end there. Suffolk Votes is a non-partisan, university-wide effort to get students registered, educated, and out to vote in local, state, and national elections. Our students organize voter walks to help others find their polling places and staff the polls themselves to keep democracy functioning.

In the fall leading up to the 2022 midterm elections, Suffolk Votes Ambassadors visited more than 50 classrooms, helping to reach over 1,000 students. It’s youth involvement like this, says former Center for Community Engagement director Adam Westbrook, that has helped increase the number of 18-24 year-old registered voters in Massachusetts by 33% from the last midterm election in 2018.

Audience member asking a question at a public forum

When leaders speak, don’t just listen—join the conversation. In partnership with the GBH Forum Network, Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, and The Washington Center, our “open classroom” event series brings leading voices in policy, law, media, academia, and other fields to campus to discuss the most pressing issues we face today.

Panelists have explored Politics in the Time of Global Pandemic, and the challenges facing the Biden administration in its first one hundred days and heading into the 2022 midterm election. The latest series, Our Issues. Our Voices. Our Votes., examined complex topics such as gun violence and the proliferation of misinformation.

Suffolk students ask questions of every panelist—including current and former members of Congress, leaders from organizations such as The Brookings Institution, The ACLU, The NAACP, Atlantic Council, and the Rand Corporation, and journalists from Vox, Politico, ProPublica, The Boston Globe, C-SPAN, The New York Times and The Washington Post—and appeared alongside distinguished experts during a series on youth voter engagement.

Applying to Suffolk’s MAGPP Program

Full-time students often complete this degree program in three academic semesters. Please contact the Graduate Program Director for additional information about program timelines.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester: June 15 (International Applicants), August 15 (Domestic Applicants), then rolling
  • Spring Semester: December 1 (International Applicants), January 4 (Domestic Applicants), then rolling

Learn more about the advantages of priority applications.

Application Materials

  • Completed application
  • $50 Application Fee (waived for students who visit campus)
  • Resume
  • Goal Statement (essay)
  • Two letters of recommendation (learn more)
  • Unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary work. Admitted students enrolling in the program will need to have official transcripts, including proof of degree conferral, on file prior to their first class
  • Official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE-Academic Scores (international students only)

View details about application materials required.

Cost of Graduate Study at Suffolk

View current tuition and fees for this program

Financial Aid for Graduate Study

Suffolk University is pleased to offer merit-based financial aid to graduate students—these awards can be up to $14,750 per academic year. Merit-based aid is awarded based on the applicant's academic credentials presented on the admission application. No separate application is required for merit consideration.

View estimated cost of attendance


Global Public Policy Information Request

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