Graduate Programs

As a student in the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management, you won’t have to wait to make a difference in shaping policies, organizations, communities, and environments. The curriculum is designed to give you hands-on learning experiences to gain valuable experiences while you are still in school. Our tailored professional development services prepare you in and out of the classroom to get employed upon graduation (our grads are getting placed at nearly 100% each year). PPPM students are learning in a living policy laboratory in Oregon and live in a welcoming and vibrant state with unmatched natural beauty.


A Hands-on Experience

Students share work at PPPM Awards

Our teaching, degree programs, and research are applied to society's real-world problems. Hand-on and community-engaged learning will be at the core of your curriculum. Your courses will focus on concepts and skills, and you'll explore how to implement them within communities, organizations, and governments. In the classroom, you will work on projects for real organizations that give you highly valued professional experience and provide connections for the job market.


Engaged Faculty

students in forest
student presents work to Gerardo Sandoval

You’ll learn from and work with faculty members who are internationally recognized scholars with a wide range of training and research interests.


Sense of Community

Our programs have a great sense of community. For graduate students, this begins in your first year with a retreat in the Cascade Mountains and continues with small classes and supportive faculty. Students in our graduate programs work closely together and are in direct contact with faculty members as well as with government officials, nonprofit professionals, and peers.


Graduate Degrees Offered


Graduate Certificates Offered


Our Community and Regional Planning master’s degree ranks in the top 25 of planning programs worldwide, providing students with a high-level planning education.

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Alumni Spotlight

Portrait of alumna Megan Patrignelli in a forest

All-American athlete Megan Patrignelli came to the UO with dreams of competing in the Olympics. The Master of Nonprofit Management alumna found a new dream at the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management—advocating for accessibility and equity.

“I’m passionate about this field because I see the way nonprofit programs fill the gaps in our community,” said Patrignelli, who is a volunteer trainer for the Special Olympics.

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Funding

Awarded annually, graduate employment opportunities provide significant financial support, as well as teaching and professional experience.


Take the Next Step

We encourage applicants to visit the facilities and meet the faculty members. We offer tours during most of the year.


Accreditation

Programs in the School of PPPM have been accredited by the:

  • Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC)
  • Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)
  • Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)

The University of Oregon is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of more than 60 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada.