Coursework
The STPP certificate requires 12 credit hours of coursework, including two core courses (6 credits) and 6 elective credits of the student's choice. These courses can be taken in any order.
Required STPP core courses
Introduction to Science and Technology Policy Analysis (Winter Term)
Political Environment of Policymaking (Fall and Winter Terms)
Electives
Students can choose six elective credits from among a variety of courses offered across the university. A current list of approved electives can be found here.
STPP seminar series
Students are also strongly encouraged to attend the STPP Lecture Series and other co-curricular opportunities. There is typically one lecture each semester, commonly held on Mondays at 4 p.m.
Double-count credits
In some cases, students may want to "double-count" courses that they are already taking as part of their graduate coursework requirements. According to Rackham, not more than one-sixth of the credits required for a master’s degree may be double-counted with a certificate. For most master's students, this equates to 6 of the 12 credits required for the certificate. Please note: the rules for double counting are more restrictive for students enrolled in dual master's programs.
Master's students
Completing the STPP certificate as a master's student requires a little extra planning, but it is easy to do this successfully. Given the Rackham graduate school’s rules, we encourage students to apply for the certificate in the winter term of their first year of study and work with STPP Program Staff to ensure that they can complete all requirements.
Gerald R. Ford School Science Policy Community
MPP students who are interested in science and technology policy, but who are unable to complete the STPP Rackham Certificate requirements due to the double-counting rule, can still join the STPP community and reap its benefits, including internship help, meetings with speakers, STPP social events, and faculty mentoring.
Any currently enrolled master's student in one of the Ford School's programs is eligible to elect a Policy Concentration in Science, Technology, and Public Policy. STPP policy concentrators are required to complete PubPol 650 Introduction to Science & Technology Policy Analysis, plus 6 additional credits from the list of approved courses.
*Registration for PubPol510 begins in late April/ early May. All current STPP students will receive an email outlining the process. Students will be asked to fill out a survey, ranking their preferred 510 sections, and then will be assigned to a section. If you have further questions please contact Jordan Long ([email protected]).