Graduate Programs in School of Arts, Communication, and Global Studies

Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) Degree Program
Master of Entertainment Marketing and Production Degree Program

Graduate Programs

MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION (MPPA) DEGREE PROGRAM

Program Mission

The mission of the Master of Public Policy and Administration Program at York College of Pennsylvania is to advance the public’s wellbeing through the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective public policies. This is accomplished by:

Providing a public service education and training to individuals seeking or already working in government, nonprofit, or advocacy related careers;
Preparing students for leadership and problem solving roles in their organizations and communities;
Educating students on the methods, techniques, strategies, and experiences that they can use to understand challenging policy and administrative problems and develop appropriate and applicable solutions in response;
Promoting and supporting a culture of research excellence with the goal of improving the state and local the policy process; and
Engaging policymakers to recruit graduates, partner with the Program, and utilize research opportunities to inform decision-making.

Learning Outcomes

Students earning the Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) degree from York College will be able to do the following:

Articulate and apply a public service perspective.
Understand, explain, participate in, and contribute to the policy process.
Lead and manage in public governance and administration.
Emulate the thought processes, professional work habits, ethical practices, and decision making approaches exhibited by career professionals during experiential learning opportunities.
Use critical thinking capacity to systematically analyze and evaluate questions, ideas, issues, policies, programs, and their implications; and make subsequent decisions based on ethical and informed selection and interpretation of supporting information, research, evidence, data, and findings.
Express knowledge, findings, interpretations, and prescriptions through written, oral, and visual communication skills accepted as standard conventions in the public service profession when communicating with peers, political leaders, and a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.
Execute the practical application of theories and concepts related to public policy, public administration/public management, policy analysis, and quantitative/qualitative research methods to better inform the policymaking process.

Suggested Course Sequencing

Undergraduate Early Entrance 4+1 Option

Any undergraduate student in any major at York College may pursue the Early Entrance 4+1 MPPA degree option, assuming they have met the requirements for Early Entrance. Majors in the Department of History and Political Science may count some of their MPPA requirements toward their four-year BA and the MPPA simultaneously, though it depends on the particular major and the approval of the Director of the MPPA Program and the Chair of the Department of History and Political Science. Any undergraduate student in any major at York College may take any of the MPPA courses offered during a given semester.

York College students who take 12 credits of MPPA courses during the last two years of their undergraduate career can complete the MPPA degree with one extra year of study beyond graduating with their four-year bachelor’s degree. Up to 12 credits may count toward both the bachelor’s degree and MPPA degree.

Students wishing to pursue the Early Entrance 4+1 option must declare their intent by the end of their sophomore year to ensure that all bachelor’s degree requirements can be satisfied. Other than Political Science majors, students should complete all general education requirements (except for 6 constellation credits) and all major and undergraduate elective requirements (except for 12 credits of any combination thereof) by the end of their junior year. (Up to 12 credits can potentially be acquired during summer sessions, though there is no guarantee regarding summer course offerings. There will most likely be at least one MPPA course offered every summer.)

After completing their four-year bachelor’s degree, students pursuing the Early Entrance 4+1 option can complete the remaining MPPA requirements over the course of the ensuing semesters, including the summer immediately after graduation and the summer at the end of the fifth year. The standard full-time load for graduate students is 9 credits per semester, though a 12 credit semester (while not recommended) may be possible if students have no other responsibilities, such as a part-time job, and can devote all their attention to the coursework. A 12 credit semester must be approved by the Director of the MPPA Program and the Chair of the Department of History and Political Science. No graduate student in the MPPA Program will be permitted to take more than 12 credits in a single semester. Below is the suggested course sequence of graduate courses for the Early Entrance 4+1 program.

Application Procedures

Application for admission to the Master of Public Policy and Administration Program may be made for fall, spring, or summer sessions. To be considered for admission, applicants should submit their applications and all required supporting materials to the York College Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants are admitted on a rolling basis.

Grades and Degree Progress

Students are required to complete all core Master of Public Policy and Administration courses (MPA course prefix) with a minimum grade of 3.0. Students who do not meet this requirement may repeat a course once in order to continue in the program. To do so, the student must obtain prior approval from the MPPA Director.

Students enrolled in the Master of Public Policy and Administration program must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to remain in good standing and to be eligible to graduate. If a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0, the student has one semester to bring their grade point average above the 3.0 mark.

Students may have no more than six credits of MPA Electives with a grade of 2.0.

Failed courses (courses in which a student earned a grade of 0) must be retaken in the earliest semester that the course is offered. A particular course may be retaken one time. A student may repeat no more than two courses total. For any repeated course, both grades will appear on the transcript but only the highest grade will be used in calculating the GPA.

MASTER OF ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING AND PRODUCTION DEGREE PROGRAM

Program Mission

The mission of the Master of Entertainment Marketing and Production (MEMP) Program at York College of Pennsylvania is to offer students coursework designed to deepen their knowledge and distinguish themselves in a competitive entertainment industry by:

Educating students on the methods, techniques, strategies, and experiences that they can use to understand different approaches to entertainment marketing and management of cultural products; and
Promoting and supporting a culture of research excellence with the goal of improving the the way music and other forms of entertainment are produced and consumed ; and
Preparing students for leadership and problem solving roles in their organizations and communities; and
Providing education and training to individuals seeking or already working in music production, talent management, event promotions, venue management, music product manufacturing, content licensing, or related careers; and
Engaging companies to recruit graduates, partner with the Program, and utilize research opportunities to inform decision-making

Learning Outcomes

Students earning the Master of Entertainment Marketing and Production (MEMP) degree from York College will be able to do the following.

Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the music industry, functions and organizational structures of component sectors and relationships between these sectors.
Demonstrate a contextual understanding of organizational structures, practices and issues associated within music organizations.
Use critical thinking capacity to systematically analyze and evaluate questions, ideas, issues, policies, programs, and their implications; and make subsequent decisions based on ethical and informed selection and interpretation of supporting information, research, evidence, data, and findings.
Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the music industry, functions and organizational structures of component sectors and relationships between these sectors.
Apply advanced knowledge of fundamental principles, issues and systems associated with intellectual property, i.e. copyright, publishing, contracts, licensing, patents, trademarks.
Demonstrate an understanding of how technology influences the business environment, e-commerce, marketing, social media, and decisions within the music industry.
Use progressive knowledge of major information and data sources that support or influence decision making in the music industry and business more generally.
Demonstrate applied use of graduate-level research methodologies.

Suggested Course Sequencing

Undergraduate Early Entrance 4+1 Option

Any undergraduate student in any major at York College may pursue the Early Entrance 4+1 MEMP degree option, assuming they have met the requirements for Early Entrance. Early Entrance (4+1) students may count some of their MEMP requirements toward their four-year BS and the MEMP simultaneously, at the approval of the Director of the MEMP Program, their primary academic advisor, and the Chair of their Major’s Department. Any undergraduate student in any major at York College may take any of the MEMP courses offered during a given semester.

After completing their four-year bachelor’s degree, students pursuing the Early Entrance 4+1 option can complete the remaining MEMP requirements over the course of the ensuing semesters, including the summer immediately after graduation and the summer at the end of the fifth year. The standard full-time load for graduate students is 9 credits per semester, though a 12 credit semester (while not recommended) may be possible if students have no other responsibilities, such as a part-time job, and can devote all their attention to the coursework. A 12 credit semester must be approved by the Director of the MEMP Program and the Chair of the Department of Arts & Humanities. No graduate student in the MEMP Program will be permitted to take more than 12 credits in a single semester. Note: If the applicant’s undergraduate transcript does not indicate sufficient coursework to prepare them for advanced music production, they must either register for the following undergraduate courses before taking MUS 530 (may be done alongside the other graduate-level courses) or work with their advisor to identify alternative courses.

MUS 187 Introduction to Music Technology
MUS 346 Music Production I
MUS 446 Music Production II

Below is the suggested course sequence of graduate courses for the Early Entrance 4+1 program

Fall Semester (4th year)

MUS 520 Music Industry Culture & Development (students may choose to wait until the 5th year)

Spring Semester (4th year)

MUS 530 Advanced Music Production (or alternate course)
MUS 540 Publishing, Licensing, & Copyright

Fall Semester (5th year)

MUS 520 Music Industry Culture & Development (if not taken in the 4th year)
MUS 515 Music Industry Research Methods
MBA 514 Public Policy & Business
MBA 588 Digital Marketing Strategy

Spring Semester (5th year)

MBA 531 Strategic Marketing
MBA 568 Promotional Strategy Management or MBA 577 Project Management
MUS 541 Graduate Project or MUS 551 Graduate Thesis (students may opt to take this during the summer)

Summer Semester (5th year)

MUS 541 Graduate Project or MUS 551 Graduate Thesis (students may opt to take this during the spring)

Graduate Student Entrance

Fall Semester

MUS 520 Music Industry Culture & Development
MUS 515 Music Industry Research Methods
MBA 514 Public Policy & Business
MBA 588 Digital Marketing Strategy

Spring Semester

MUS 540 Publishing, Licensing, & Copyright
MBA 531 Strategic Marketing
MBA 568 Promotional Strategy Management or MBA 577 Project Management
MUS 541 Graduate Project or MUS 551 Graduate Thesis (students may opt to take this during the summer)

Summer Semester

MUS 541 Graduate Project or MUS 551 Graduate Thesis (students may opt to take this during the spring)

Students whose undergraduate degree does not meet the requirements for Advanced Music Production may, under the advisor’s direction, choose an alternate course.

Application Procedures

Application for admission to the Master of Entertainment Marketing and Production program may be made for fall, spring, or summer sessions. To be considered for admission, applicants should submit their applications and all required supporting materials to the York College Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants are admitted on a rolling basis.

Grades and Degree Progress

Students are required to complete all core Master of Entertainment Marketing and Production courses (MUS and MBA course prefix) with a minimum grade of 3.0. Students who do not meet this requirement may repeat a course once in order to continue in the program. To do so, the student must obtain prior approval from the MEMP Director.

Students enrolled in the Master of Entertainment Marketing and Production program must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to remain in good standing and to be eligible to graduate. If a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0, the student has one semester to bring their grade point average above the 3.0 mark.

Students may have no more than six credits of MEMP Electives with a grade of 2.0.