Does the GSPP program train generalists or specialists?
The School first aims to train generalists, in the sense of providing basic policy skills needed in a variety of policy positions and across a wide range of policy issues. Having learned and applied the basic skills in the School’s program, graduates are able to familiarize themselves rapidly with the details of a specific policy area relevant to their particular job. It would not be easy, however, for policy area specialists who lacked these technical skills to develop them once on the job. Feedback from alumni and employers confirms the soundness of providing an education for generalists. The variety of positions reflects the multidisciplinary skills possessed by MPP graduates and the different types of policy roles sought by individual graduates.
