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| UMass Boston McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies |
| Parent | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Established | 1970s |
| Type | Public graduate school |
| City | Boston |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Country | United States |
UMass Boston McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies
The McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies is a public graduate institution located in Boston, Massachusetts, offering professional degrees and interdisciplinary training in public policy, public affairs, global studies, and public administration. The school emphasizes applied research, experiential learning, and partnerships with municipal, state, federal, and international institutions to address urban challenges and transnational issues. It serves graduate students, mid‑career practitioners, and policy researchers engaged with governance, diplomacy, public service, and regional development.
The school traces its roots to initiatives in the 1970s associated with the John F. Kennedy School of Government‑style civic education and the expansion of public affairs programs in the United States. Its namesake, a former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and a prominent Boston public servant, donated resources that catalyzed the school's early development amid broader higher education growth in Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Over subsequent decades the school expanded curricula in response to policy shifts following events such as the post‑Cold War realignment, the North American Free Trade Agreement debates, the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, and the global financial crisis, forging links with municipal agencies like the City of Boston and state bodies like the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Institutional milestones included accreditation alignments, the launch of joint degree pathways with institutions such as the Boston University and the integration of faculty formerly affiliated with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and regional think tanks.
Programs span professional master's and doctoral offerings modeled on competency frameworks used by the American Association for Public Administration, with specializations reflecting contemporary policy arenas. Degree pathways include an executive Master of Public Affairs, a Master of Public Policy, a Master of Global Affairs, and doctoral studies aligned with research centers such as those focused on urban policy or diplomacy. Course sequences frequently reference case studies from the United Nations, European Union, World Bank, and municipal practice in cities like New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Joint and dual degrees leverage collaborations with schools such as the Suffolk University Law School, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Professional concentrations address budgeting and finance with methods drawn from the Government Accountability Office standards, emergency management approaches informed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and international development frameworks consistent with the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals.
Research is organized around interdisciplinary centers that convene scholars, practitioners, and external partners. Signature centers have tackled homelessness policy in cooperation with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, climate resilience projects linked to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and public health interventions coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other initiatives have produced applied work on immigration and refugee policy relevant to the Department of Homeland Security and on maritime logistics tied to the Port of Boston. Research outputs have informed commissions and legislative bodies including the Massachusetts State Legislature and advisory councils associated with the White House. Grants and partnerships have involved funders such as the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Faculty members combine academic credentials from institutions like Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Oxford University with practical experience from appointments at entities such as the U.S. Department of State, the World Health Organization, and the International Monetary Fund. Administrative leadership has included deans and associate deans with prior roles in municipal cabinets, state government, and international organizations, and governance structures coordinate with the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees. Visiting scholars and adjuncts often come from think tanks like the Brookings Institution, the Urban Institute, and the Aspen Institute.
The student population comprises domestic and international graduate students, mid‑career professionals, and veterans, drawn from municipalities across the United States and countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Admissions criteria align with national standards used by peer schools such as the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and the Goldman School of Public Policy, emphasizing prior professional experience, academic records, and statements of purpose. Financial support includes assistantships, fellowships, and externally funded internships in partnership with organizations like the Peace Corps, the United Nations Development Programme, and local agencies including the Boston Public Schools.
Located on the waterfront campus of the parent university, facilities include specialized policy labs, simulation suites for crisis and negotiation exercises modeled on those used at the Harvard Kennedy School, and seminar spaces for practicum workshops involving municipal partners such as the Boston Planning & Development Agency. Library holdings connect to consortia including the Boston Library Consortium and specialist archival collections documenting regional governance with materials from the Massachusetts Historical Society. The campus environment provides proximity to institutions like the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and transportation hubs serving Logan International Airport.
Community engagement prioritizes applied projects with local and regional partners such as the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and neighborhood organizations across Boston. International collaboration has involved memorandum of understandings with universities in Ireland, China, and Brazil, and project-based work with agencies like the International Rescue Committee and UNICEF country offices. Public events, policy forums, and continuing education programs bring together speakers from entities like the U.S. Department of Justice, the Organization of American States, and the European Commission to inform practice and scholarship.