“In my views, practicality is the most invaluable feature of the MPP – Leadership & Management program, thanks to our world-class faculty. Being both academic experts and policy practitioners, our faculty integrate their real working experience into their teaching by using practical case studies. This helps make our learning experience more modern and relatable in both space and time.”

— Vo Thanh Trung, Class of MPP – Leadership and Management 2020, CEO of Lune Production Ltd.

About the Program

The Master in Public Policy (MPP) program is the first and the only full-time program in Vietnam that offers a distinctive American-standard approach to learning about public policy, and leadership and management. The MPP program was initially inspired by the program offered by the Harvard Kennedy School, later incorporated the most updated methods in public policy education, and finally adjusted to accommodate the complex Vietnamese context. 

It is a transformative opportunity for middle and senior managers who want to achieve the next level in their careers. Taught by outstanding academics as well as expert practitioners, students of the MPP program with a concentration in Leadership and Management (MPP-LM) will be positioned to develop academic knowledge and professional skills to hone their leadership and management potential. 

After completing this part-time, 18-month program, students will receive a master’s degree in Public Policy, with a concentration in Leadership and Management, awarded by the Provost of Fulbright University Vietnam. 

Curriculum

The MPP-LM begins with carefully planned core courses which provides an introduction to policy, leadership and management, and advice on how to derive the greatest benefit from the MPP-LM experience. The curriculum for the rest of the program is delivered through a series of electives for students to personalize their learning journey.

The MPP-LM is a 60-credit degree program, divided into core courses (36 credits), a philosophy course (4 credits), elective courses (12 credits), experiential study course, and a master's thesis (8 credits).

LM Students will learn Introduction to Public Policy, Philosophy and elective courses together with PA Students.

Elective courses are categorized into three Policy Specializations:

  • Financial and Investment Analysis
  • Socio-Economics Development
  • Business and Government Policy

Upon the successful completion of certain elective courses, policy specialization will be added to the student's transcript.

See the detailed curriculum of the MPP-LM program here

Graduation Requirements

  • Complete 60 credits as required by the program.
  • Successfully defend the master’s thesis. 
  • Become proficient in English as required by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Degree roadmap:

Learning Outcomes

The MPP-LM prepares students to become a change-maker. The skills they acquire on the program will enable them to become more successful in their career whether in government, non-governmental organizations, education or the private sector.  Students will learn to lead and collaborate, use evidence effectively, communicate effectively, make key decisions, and most importantly, they will learn to never stop learning. 

Knowledge

  • An understanding of how to apply academic theories, methods and policy analysis to practical problems of government, communities, regions, and/or global issues.
  • An understanding of the various innovative leadership procedures, from result-orientation, operation, to organizational structure. 
  • An understanding of best management practices and leadership theories to achieve optimal results.

Skills

  • Critical thinking: Develop critical thinking skill and the ability to conduct professional analyses based on evidence, different perspectives and events in an independent, transparent, and coherent way before making decisions.
  • Strategic mindset: Develop strong strategic mindset and the ability to plan, design and implement growth strategies.
  • Problem solving skill: Develop the ability to seek, discover and devise innovative and practical solutions. 
  • Leadership and management skills: Develop the ability to manage a project, work in team and across teams, improve management practices and build an organizational culture based on professionalism and ethics. 
  • Effective communication: Develop the ability to present and communicate effectively to the public in various settings, such as in meetings, at an event, hearings or conferences. Develop the ability to collect insights and effectively advocate for a cause or a policy change. 

Mindset

  • Committed: Display and practice public service values 
  • Competent: Develop analytical and management capacity to handle change and challenges, and seek innovative and sustainable solutions. 
  • Connected: Stay connected with the public policy community and the Fulbright network. Be supportive, cooperative and respectful. 
  • Confident: Be confident both in professional and personal life. 
  • Competitive: Have a competitive edge in the global labor workforce. 

Experiential Learning

The learning experience at FSPPM expands beyond the classroom. With the mission to train the future change-makers with a commitment to public service, FSPPM strives to integrate insights and approaches from a diverse range of real issues in Vietnam into our program. Part of the curriculum is delivered via interaction and close connection with policy makers, experts and leaders at many companies, organizations, corporations and government entities across Vietnam. 

The uniqueness of this MPP-LM program is the Firms, Markets and Economic Development in East Asia course, which is held at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), Harvard University. The course is built as part of the collaboration effort between FSPPM and HKS and taught by faculty of both institutions. 

The course examines the success and failure of different enterprises, including SOEs, private companies and FDIs, against the background of industry clusters and supply chain ecology. From a macro perspective, the course investigates the impact of enterprises on growth and economic development. From a policy perspective, the course emphasizes the importance of good business environments, the role of the government, trade, financial sector and institutions in creating competitive enterprises. At the end of the course, the students will receive a certificate issued by HKS and FSPPM. 

Whom We Look for

We are looking for candidates who are middle and senior managers in public, private, and non-profit and non-governmental organizations.

Candidates with a bachelor’s degree and at least five (05) years of working experience can apply to the program. For candidates who did not graduate with an economics or management major, it is required that these candidates complete the foundational courses as required by the Ministry of Education and Training. 

How to apply

For more information on the admissions process, please click here

Online application can be submitted via this link.