Undergraduate students who take our Diploma in Public Policy expand their career possibilities by gaining policy-relevant skills and perspectives.  

The Diploma in Public Policy is an undergraduate program for current Memorial students who are not enroled as a Major or Minor in our Law and Public Policy BA degree, but interested in learning more about policy processes. Working professionals and practitioners may also take the Diploma, on either a part-time or full-time basis, to acquire additional skills and training to advance their careers.

The Diploma in Public Policy is not a professional or graduate-level certification and does not provide the same level of training, or carry the same academic weight, as a BA degree. The program is structured around introductory and advanced courses in Political Science and Law and Public Policy that promote understanding of the theoretical parameters policymaking, including the strategies, processes, and mechanisms that policymakers use to define and solve public problems, in a variety of local, national, and global settings.

Core courses in the Diploma provide a platform for students to pursue more specialized coursework in one of three policy streams of their choosing:

• an Economic Policy stream, dealing with the interrelationships between governments and markets;
• a Governance stream, focused on the day-to-day design, management, and implementation of policy interventions; and,
• an Urban and Regional Policy stream, concerned with issues of regionalism, municipal government, and urban planning.

The Diploma in Public Policy is overseen by the Department of Political Science, in partnership with the Departements of Geography and Economics. While some of the classes in the Dipoma can be completed online, most are only delivered in person. The program is not presently available to distance learners.

Admission

Current Memorial Students

Current or admitted Memorial students interested in a Diploma in Public Policy are encouraged to review the materials on this website to ensure that they understand the requirements of the program and their responsibilities. After reviewing, students wishing to enrol can declare a Diploma in Public Policy by completing a declaration form and submitting it to the Program Director for review and signature using their official @mun email. Approved applications are forwarded to Office of the University Registrar.

Current international students at Memorial who are looking to switch from a BA degree to the Diploma in Public Policy (rather than purusing both) should be aware that there may be visa implications. Please contact the Memorial Internationalization Office for more information. 

Future Memorial Students

Direct admission to this program is not available. Interested applicants who are not current Memorial University students should submit an undergraduate application for admission. In the application, select the Admission Category that matches your academic background (excluding Non-degree student, which does not lead to the awarding of a credential). Unless you wish to complete an additional program at Memorial, it is recommended that you select your Area of Interest as Unsure (Undergraduate) and Academic Program as Unsure Program – General Admission. General admission is subject to your meeting the general admission requirements for Memorial University, and does not guarantee admission to this program.

Program Requirements

Students who wish to earn a Diploma in Public Policy must complete 24 credit hours (8 courses) from a pre-approved list of options. Progress through the Diploma is self-directed. Admitted students take classes as they become available and are expected keep track of the courses they need. Not every class is guaranteed to be offered every semester, given the number of participating departments. So students should monitor upcoming courses and be sure to plan ahead.

Though some classes may have pre-requisites, the Diploma is generally flexible as to the order in which courses are completed. Most students begin by completing a sequence of foundation-level courses, including POSC 1000 (“Introduction to Politics and Government”) and LWPP 2600 (“Public Policy and Administration”). This provides the requisite background for more advanced coursework. Students must complete 12 credit hours (4 courses) from the preapproved list in their chosen policy stream—Economic Policy, Governance, or Urban and Regional Policy—and at least 6 additional credit hours (2 courses) from a pre-approved list of 3000 and 4000-level offerings in Law and Public Policy.

Students must ensure that they have enough time left in their university studies to complete the Diploma before entering the program. There is a general rule against waiving requirements or substituting courses for individual cases given the number of preapproved classes available.

The Director of the Diploma in Public Policy may deny admission to a student if it is determined that the student would not be able to complete the program in a timely fashion.

Students pursuing an Honours, Major, or Minor in Political Science or Law and Public Policy are permitted to enrol in the Diploma as part of their BA degrees. However, Political Science and Law and Public Policy students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours (4 courses) in the Diploma that are not counted towards the requirements of their Honours, Major, or Minor.