Practice, Practice, Practice

Abstract

In the early 1990s the NYU/Wagner School undertook an effort to reform the curriculum of one of the oldest and largest public administration programs in the nation to make its graduates more job ready and better prepared to be “reflective practitioners.” While the reform applied to all parts of the School, the design of the public policy analysis specialization at Wagner School embraces all the elements of the “Clinical Initiative.” The curriculum was revised to provide the three “Es”: Exploration, Exercise and Experience. The crowning feature of the reform brought by the Clinical Initiative is the year-long, team capstone project, which replaces the comprehensive examination and the master’s thesis in the MPA program. Instead of taking an examination in the specialization, students now enroll in a two-semester course organized around student-team policy projects involving either consulting for public and nonprofit organization clients, or policy research studies. The projects integrate the knowledge, understanding and skills covered in public policy courses, and test the ability of students to meet the challenges of working in teams. The presentation of the Wagner Clinical Initiative pays special attention to the international capstone course, taught by the author, that often involves fieldwork abroad and teams of Wagner students working with students in partner universities in developing countries. In addition to providing effective policy analysis training, Wagner capstones constitute a significant public service.

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