“For those who want to immerse in learning and researching, FSPPM has the right environment for you. Here, you meet the like-minded peers and world-class faculty – those with diverse backgrounds, expertise and teaching methods. This community of learners will benefit and support you throughout your learning journey. Besides the lectures in class, we have the opportunity to learn about the current policy issues or the developing trends around the world through many policy discussions with top international experts held at FSPPM.”

— Nguyen Thi Xuan Huong, Class of MPP – Policy Analysis 2020; Co-Founder TUVA Communication

“For those who want to immerse in learning and researching, FSPPM has the right environment for you. Here, you meet the like-minded peers and world-class faculty – those with diverse backgrounds, expertise and teaching methods. This community of learners will benefit and support you throughout your learning journey. Besides the lectures in class, we have the opportunity to learn about the current policy issues or the developing trends around the world through many policy discussions with top international experts held at FSPPM.”

About the Program

The Master in Public Policy (MPP) program is the first and the only full-time program in Vietnam that offers a distinctive American-standard approach to learning about public policy, and leadership and management. The MPP program was initially inspired by the program offered by the Harvard Kennedy School, later incorporated the most updated methods in public policy education, and finally adjusted to accommodate the complex Vietnamese context. 

It is a transformative opportunity for current and future leaders with a commitment to public service. Taught by outstanding academics as well as expert practitioners, students of the MPP program with a concentration in Policy Analysis (MPP-PA) will be uniquely positioned to develop academic knowledge and professional skills to analyze, design, implement and evaluate even the most complex public policy challenges. After completing this part-time, 18-month program, students will receive a master’s degree in Public Policy, with a concentration in Policy Analysis, awarded by the Provost of Fulbright University Vietnam. 

Curriculum

The MPP-PA begins with carefully planned core courses which provide an introduction into policy making and advice on how to derive the greatest benefit from the MPP-PA experience. The curriculum for the rest of the program is delivered through a series of electives for students to personalize their learning journey.

The MPP-PA is a 63-credit degree program, divided into core courses (27 credits), a philosophy course (4 credits), elective courses (18 credits), experiential study course (2 credits), and a master's thesis (12 credits).

PA Students will learn Introduction to Public Policy, Philosophy and elective courses together with LM Students.

Elective courses are categorized into three Policy Specializations:

  • Financial and Investment Analysis
  • Socio-Economics Development
  • Business and Government Policy

Upon the successful completion of certain elective courses, policy specialization will be added to the student's transcript.

See more details of the MPP-PA program:

Graduation Requirements

  • Complete 63 credits as required by the program.
  • Successfully defend the master’s thesis. 
  • Become proficient in English as required by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Degree roadmap:

Learning Outcomes

The MPP-PA prepares students to become a change-maker. The skills they acquire on the program will enable them to become more successful in their career whether in government, non-governmental organizations, education or the private sector.  Students will learn to lead and collaborate, use evidence effectively, communicate effectively, make key decisions, and most importantly, they will learn to never stop learning. 

Knowledge

  • An understanding of how to apply academic theories, methods and policy analysis to practical problems of government, communities, regions, and/or global issues.
  • An understanding and analysis of the factors that influence Vietnamese government’s change in direction to a market economy and global integration.
  • An understanding of the various procedures that influence how policy is made, including designing, analyzing, constructing, implementing and evaluating policies.

Skills

  • Critical thinking: Develop critical thinking about public policy issues and the ability to conduct professional analyses based on evidence, different perspectives and events in an independent, transparent, and coherent way before making decisions.
  • Analytical and synthetic skills: Develop analytical and synthetic skills by learning to ask the right questions, and cautiously collect and analyze evidence before making decisions. Develop the ability to design, implement, analyze and present their research and analysis in a convincing way. 
  • Problem solving skill: Develop the ability to seek, discover and devise innovative and practical solutions. 
  • Effective communication: Develop the ability to present and communicate effectively to the public in various settings, such as at seminars, public hearings and conferences. Develop the ability to draft professional documents such as policy briefs, decision memos, research abstracts, policy analysis reports and legislation. 

Mindset

  • Committed: Display and practice public service values 
  • Competent: Develop analytical and management capacity to handle change and challenges, seek innovative and sustainable solutions. 
  • Connected: Stay connected with the public policy community and the Fulbright network. Be supportive, cooperative and respectful. 
  • Confident: Be confident both in professional and personal life. 
  • Competitive: Have a competitive edge in the global labor workforce.

Experiential Learning

The learning experience at FSPPM expands beyond the classroom. With the mission to train the future change-makers with a commitment to public service, FSPPM strives to integrate insights and approaches from a diverse range of real policy issues in Vietnam into our program. Part of the curriculum is delivered via a series of case studies and field trips to different regions to provide our students with a holistic look on the policy ecosystem, governance strategy and economic development in Vietnam.  

MPP students can also participate in executive education program abroad as part of the collaboration commitment between FSPPM and other international universities, which is held at the a university partnered with us, for example: Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia University, or Oxford University. The course is built as part of the collaboration effort between FSPPM and our prestigious partners, and taught by faculty of these institutions. 

The course examines the success and failure of different enterprises, including SOEs, private companies and FDIs, against the background of industry clusters and supply chain ecology. From a macro perspective, the course investigates the impact of enterprises on growth and economic development. From a policy perspective, the course emphasizes the importance of good business environments, the role of the government, trade, financial sector and institutions in creating competitive enterprises. At the end of the course, the students will receive a certificate issued by FSPPM. 

Prospective Students

  • Officials from public sectors; lectures, officials from public universities and research institutes. 
  • Managers and executives from enterprises (including SOEs); NGOs/NPOs; social organizations; press and news agencies; lecturers and officials from private or international universities and institutes;
  • And fresh graduates.

 

How to apply

For more information on the admissions process, please click here. 

Online application can be submitted via this link.

Testimonials

The learning environment at Fulbright always encourages students to ask questions and engage in debates during the learning process, which has helped me to develop and strengthen my critical thinking skills. At the same time, this environment also emphasizes teamwork skills and interaction among classmates, allowing me to gain fresh and diverse perspectives when solving problems in each subject as well as in my current work.

Alumnus Le Hong Phong
  • MPP2025 - Policy Analysis
  • Vice Principal, Le Quy Don High School – Tuy Duc, Lam Dong Province

For me, Fulbright is not only a place to learn knowledge about public policy analysis, but also an environment that encourages me to freely express my opinions and respect differences. That experience has helped me broaden my thinking, strengthen my analytical skills, and build a solid foundation to confidently move forward on my personal and professional development path.

Alumnus Đỗ Anh Duy
  • MPP2024 – Policy Analysis
  • Lecturer, University of Economics and Law