UCR School of Public Policy

What UCR School of Public Policy does

The UCR School of Public Policy is an academic school within the University of California, Riverside, established in 2015 and headquartered on the UCR campus at 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA. It is one of only four public policy schools in the ten-campus University of California system and operates the only Master of Public Policy (MPP) program offered by a major research university in inland Southern California, as well as the only undergraduate public policy program in the UC system. The school delivers a portfolio of academic credentials: a BA in Public Policy, a five-year BA/MPP combined degree, an MPP, an MD/MPP combined degree with the medical school, a Designated Emphasis in Public Policy for graduate students, a Graduate Preparation Program in Public Policy and Leadership (GPP-PPL) for international candidates, and undergraduate minors in Public Policy and Geospatial Analysis. Research is organized through three affiliated centers—the Center for Community Solutions, the Presley Center of Crime & Justice Studies, and the Center for Geospatial Sciences—plus a Science to Policy initiative.

The school is led by Dean Mark C. Long (since January 2023), who succeeded founding dean Anil Deolalikar. Outreach and public engagement are anchored by Policy Chats, a student-produced podcast launched in March 2020 that delivers biweekly 45-minute episodes across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and other platforms, ranked #4 on MillionPodcasts and #4 on Feedspot among more than 1,000 policy podcasts. The Dean's Ambassador Program, Robert Heath Global Policy Scholars Program, and Peer Academic Advisor Program support student recruitment and success. As part of the publicly governed UC system, the school is funded through state appropriations, tuition, research grants, and philanthropic giving rather than independent commercial revenue, and operates without disclosed revenue, funding rounds, or ownership events.

Name

UCR School of Public Policy

Legal name

Regents of the University of California

Website

https://spp.ucr.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The UCR School of Public Policy is an academic school within the University of California system offering BA, MPP, and combined degrees in public policy to undergraduate, graduate, medical, and international students, supported by research centers and the Policy Chats podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Higher Education

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (92311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAAAI

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities

SECONDARYMPABADAD

University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Public/Nonprofit Broadcasting (PBS/NPR-style)

Keywords

• Public policy education
• Graduate public affairs
• Policy research centers
• Public administration
• Urban policy studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The UCR School of Public Policy offers undergraduate and graduate academic programs in public policy, including a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, a Master of Public Policy (MPP), combined BA/MPP and MD/MPP degrees, and a minor in Public Policy. It also conducts applied policy research and community engagement through three research centers (the Center for Community Solutions, the Presley Center for Rocky Mountains/West, and the Center for Geospatial Sciences) and disseminates policy commentary through its Policy Chats podcast.

Product overview

The UCR School of Public Policy is one of four public policy schools in the UC system, offering a portfolio of academic programs centered around its core Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree—the only MPP at a major research university in inland Southern California. The academic portfolio includes undergraduate programs (BA in Public Policy, the only such program in the UC system; plus minors in Public Policy and Geospatial Analysis), accelerated/combined degrees (BA/MPP in five years, MD/MPP), and specialized graduate offerings (Designated Emphasis in Public Policy, Graduate Preparation Program). Research is supported through affiliated centers including the Center for Community Solutions, Presley Center of Crime & Justice Studies, and Center for Geospatial Sciences. Public engagement is facilitated via Policy Chats, a top-rated student-produced podcast (launched March 2020) distributed across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other platforms, featuring policy professionals and students in biweekly conversations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Policy Chats: Official student-produced podcast launched in March 2020, ranked #4 on MillionPodcasts and #4 on Feedspot out of 1000+ podcasts.
• Center for Community Solutions
• Presley Center of Crime & Justice Studies
• Center for Geospatial Sciences
• Science to Policy
• Dean's Ambassador Program
• Robert Heath Global Policy Scholars Program

Products and services

• Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Undergraduate degree program in public policy offered to students at UC Riverside.
• Master of Public Policy (MPP) Graduate professional degree in public policy for students pursuing careers in government, nonprofits, and policy analysis.
• BA/MPP Combined Degree Combined undergraduate/graduate pathway allowing students to earn both the BA in Public Policy and the MPP in an accelerated sequence.
• MD/MPP Combined Degree Combined degree offered jointly with the UCR School of Medicine, training physicians in policy analysis alongside clinical training.
• Minor in Public Policy Undergraduate minor in public policy for UC Riverside students majoring in other fields.

Quantifiable outcome

• Policy Chats podcast ranked #4 on MillionPodcasts and #4 on Feedspot out of 1000+ podcasts

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• USC Sol Price School of Public Policy: USC's public policy school offers MPP and related graduate programs in Los Angeles. A direct regional competitor in Southern California for both MPP applicants and policy faculty.
• UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy: UC San Diego's policy school offering master's programs in policy and international affairs. Another UC-system policy school directly comparable in mission and degree structure.
• UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy: Another public policy school within the University of California system offering MPP and related graduate degrees. Directly comparable as a UC-system peer competing for similar applicants and faculty.
• UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs: UCLA's public affairs school offers MPP, public policy, and social welfare degrees within the UC system. A direct UC-system competitor for graduate applicants interested in California-based policy programs.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Kennedy School: The most established and highest-profile public policy school in the U.S., offering MPP and MPA programs. Sets the benchmark for faculty, alumni network, and brand that newer schools like UCR SPP must compete against.
• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs: Princeton's public policy school offering MPA and related graduate degrees. A top-tier incumbent with strong brand and alumni network competing for the same national applicant pool.
• University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy: Michigan's public policy school offering MPP and related graduate programs. A large, established public research university policy school directly comparable in mission and program mix.
• Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy: Georgetown's public policy school offers MPP and policy analytics programs with strong Washington, D.C. positioning. A leading incumbent in the same graduate policy education category.

Regional players

• Pepperdine School of Public Policy: A Southern California-based public policy school offering MPP and related degrees. Operates in the same regional market and competes for similar California applicants, though private rather than public.

Others

• RAND Corporation Pardee RAND Graduate School: A policy-focused graduate school offering doctoral and master's degrees in policy analysis, based in Santa Monica. Comparable in policy research orientation and Southern California presence, though operating as a graduate school within a think tank.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ucrspp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCf0eN3HM1cYDsIB-IywBNFw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucr.spp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ucr-spp
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucr_spp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UCR School of Public Policy