Upon completion of an academic program, students will be awarded the Master in Public Policy degree.

Lectures, seminars, tutorials, flipped classrooms, blended learning, laboratory practicum, individual and team projects, independent study, field trips (including overseas), simulation, case studies, other methods.

Examinations, term papers, essays, presentations, final projects, case studies, reflective practice, portfolio, quizzes, debates, role play, audio/video production, peer and self-assessment, other methods.

Progression.To continue in the program, students must be in Good Academic Standing at the conclusion of each grading period as determined by:

1. minimum CGPA for Good Academic Standing is ≥ 2.67; and
2. timely completion of milestones for МРР 699 Policy Analysis Exercise with Overseas Component.

Completion. Satisfactory completion of the program requires that the student progresses through a number of distinct stages, each of which is characterized by a key evaluation point. The necessary stages are:

1. Successful completion of all core and elective modules in the program as outlined in the Curriculum;
2. Completion and successful defense of the МРР 699 Policy Analysis Exercise with Overseas Component.

The program structure includes the following key components:

1. Orientation Week. It is the first week in MPP program. The purpose is to prepare students for the program, and forge bonds among them as classmates. Before arriving for the Orientation Week, students must have submitted all required documents and have completed any pre-assigned work.

2. Core Courses – courses that all students are required to complete within the program.

3. Elective Courses – courses that MPP program students can select from among alternatives. Elective courses are subject to change as they are based on students’ interests/preferences, faculty availability and program design.

4. Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) with Overseas Component
The PAE, a capstone project, is a public policy study, normally completed for a client or target organization. It requires students to define and analyze an actual public policy issue so that the students develop confidence and competence in meeting the professional demands they will subsequently face. In completing the PAE, students must be prepared to define and structure the problem, organize data, define, and carry out analyses of the issue and conclude with specific action recommendations as part of a clear and persuasive written report.

Overseas Component (currently in Singapore) normally takes place at the end of the first academic year (Summer semester), where students learn about Singapore’s approaches in long-term urban planning and economic development through lectures and learning journeys, reflect on the lessons learnt, and whether/how they could be applied or adapted to the context of Kazakhstan. This can be particularly useful for students who are working on their PAE projects.

Admission to the MPP program is merit-based. Award of all types of scholarships is carried out based on the competition. NU offers the following funding options:
– Government funding: the Nazarbayev University educational grant (Government-funded scholarship) funded by the Government, covers full tuition fees and a monthly stipend. Government-funded scholarship is not offered to applicants who previously received the same degree under the state educational order or under the Bolashak international scholarship. This scholarship is also not available for the applicants who previously studied at Nazarbayev University and had been dismissed for disciplinary reasons. The number of grants is annually approved by the Governmental Decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
– “Abay Kunanbayev” scholarship: “Abay Kunanbayev” scholarship is named after Abay Kunanbayev (1845-1904) a Kazakh poet, a great thinker, composer, philosopher, the founder of the Kazakh written literature. This scholarship is specifically designed for foreign citizens and persons without citizenship and awarded on a competitive basis. This scholarship is funded by Nazarbayev University and covers tuition fees, a monthly stipend and basic medical insurance. The scholarship is provided for an entire period of the specified program. Number of scholarships is annually approved by Nazarbayev University.
– Fee-paying education and partial scholarships: admission to a fee-paying education is available to candidates who meet all admission requirements, are recommended for admission. Number of seats for a fee-paying education is approved annually by the Nazarbayev University depending on the capacity of the Schools.

Macroeconomic developments are a central theme of policy debate around the globe. This course provides a sound understanding of macroeconomics for students wishing to become proficient civil servants, policy experts, or analysts in the field of public policy. This is a core course in the MPP program and is a prerequisite for many of the other modules in the program. This module assumes that you are comfortable with basic mathematical skills. We begin by reviewing the microeconomics content of MPP601 and extend the discussion on selected topics to an advanced level. We devote the remainder of the module to explore the study of macroeconomic policy analysis. The microeconomics content helps us develop the theme micro-foundations of macroeconomics.

This course is for graduate students studying public policy. The course is designed for students to apply data analytics knowledge in their working places. Therefore, the main purpose of the course is to provide knowledge in data analysis that could be used in practical work including the evidence-based policy, main principles of the statistical causal analysis. Within the course special attention will be paid to the interpretation of the results and implementation of the models into real decision making and analytics. Additionally, students will start working with ‘Big Data’, from understanding the basic principles, advantages and limitations to making models based on them. During the semester students are expected to practise using mainly Stata and Python.

MPP 613 is a core module on the Masters in Public Policy Program and provides students with an early appreciation of the main elements of doing research in public policy. The module is delivered in three parts: Part 1 introduces what ‘research’ in Social Sciences is, what the main components of a research paper are, and how to write those components (abstract, introduction, literature review, and etc.); In Part 2, participants learn about the role of concepts and theories in doing social science research; Part 3 provides students with the basics of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches in conducting an empirical inquiry. At the end of the course, students come up with a research proposal that can be eventually used for their PAEs (Policy Analysis Exercises).

This core module aims to introduce MPP students to key theoretical concepts and practices of public management and leadership in a cross-institutional and cross-border manner. The effect of public management and leadership models and strategies on the performance on government institutions and implementation of public sector reforms all over the world is truly an important subject which the module addresses. The case studies draw from a wide range of public policy schools around the world and will help students to understand, identify and measure better the manifestations of these institutional effects. Developing policy briefs is also an essential element of the course. Upon completion of the module, students will be able to understand theoretical concepts and examine their applicability in real-world practices.

This core course introduces MPP students to relationship and interplay between public policy and politics. This course covers key topics such as the role of government; public and private sector relations and dynamics; political-administrative relations; collaboration and networks; performance management; stakeholder management; and ethics and anti-corruption strategies. Case studies and class discussions throughout the course will ensure that students are able to link research insights and conceptual frameworks to practice.

The PAE is a public policy or management study, completed for a client or a target organization (where possible). It is, in essence, the applied version of the traditionally theoretical Master thesis. It requires each student to define and analyze an actual policy issue. In doing this, students develop confidence and competence in meeting the professional demands they will subsequently face. In completing the PAE, students must be prepared to define and structure the problem, organize data, define and carry out analyses of the issue and conclude with specific action recommendations as part of a clear and persuasive written report.