Our Story

The School of Public Policy is your school, built on your ideas and based on your needs.

The School began in 2009 through consultations with more than 1,400 Canadian students, senior leaders in government and industry. You told us what you wanted in a school of public policy, and we made it happen.

Our mission is to get public policy right in this country. This means providing a practical, global and focused approach to public policy research and education that builds policy capacity in government; enhances policy discourse outside of government; and brings a global perspective to bear on Canadian policy theory and practice.

Under the direction of Jackie Sieppert, PhD, we achieve our mission through customized strategic assessment programs, a cutting-edge Master’s degree and empirical research programs.

In 2011, The School launched its Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree. Unlike traditional, theory-based graduate programs, the MPP is designed to train students to solve a broad range of real-world policy problems. This practical, hands-on and intensive program is unlike any other policy program in Canada.

Founded in 1996, the Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development (SEDV) is an interdisciplinary graduate program established though a multi-faculty collaboration. With its home in the School of Public Policy, students benefit from the teaching and expertise of faculty members from the Haskayne School of Business, Schulich School of Engineering, School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape, Faculty of Science, and Faculty of Law to provide a more wholistic approach to sustainable energy.