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100+ Graduate Programs. Endless Opportunities.

For balancing big ambitions with busy schedules—earn your advanced degree at boston’s only public research university..

UMass Boston offers more than 100 graduate programs known for their quality and value.

Whether you’re looking to advance your career or make the leap to a new one, our master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs can make your aspirations achievable. What motivates you?

• Affordability. A UMass Boston master's or graduate certificate costs roughly half the price of the equivalent from a private university if you live in Massachusetts. New England residents receive a tuition break of up to $12,000.
• Flexibility.  Many programs are designed for working professionals, with classes that meet as little as once a week in the evening. Many courses are offered in online and remote formats.
• Opportunity.  Access our connections with hundreds of companies and organizations based in the Boston Area. Expand your network and explore internships and career paths.
• Diversity.  Join a learning community among the most diverse in the U.S., with a large percentage of peers who identify as BIPOC, and an academic focus on equity.

44%+ of grad students identify as BIPOC—among the most in the U.S.

Up to 50% more affordable than grad programs at private universities

60%+ of UMass Boston grad students are women

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Advance your business career with an innovative degree or certificate from UMass Boston's AACSB-accredited business school.

• Accounting MS
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• Business Administration PhD
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• Business Analytics MS
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Education & Counseling

Ready to level-up your education career? We offer programs for people who want to work toward teaching licensure or school administration, counseling, psychology, and instructional design.

• Applied Behavior Analysis for Special Populations Certificate
• Autism Endorsement Certificate
• Counseling Psychology PhD
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• Critical & Creative Thinking MA
• Early Childhood Education & Care PhD
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• Early Education Research, Policy & Practice Certificate
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• Middle/Secondary Education MEd
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• School Psychology PhD
• Special Education Certificate
• Special Education MEd
• Teach Next Year MEd
• Urban Education, Leadership & Policy Studies EdD/PhD

Environment & Urban Planning

Be part of the next generation of urban planners and scientists working to create equitable communities and protect against climate change.

• Environmental Sciences MS
• Environmental Sciences PhD
• Environmental Sciences Professional PSM
• Marine Science & Technology MS
• Marine Science & Technology PhD
• Urban Planning & Community Development MS

Global Inclusion & Social Development

Improve human and collective well-being through interventions in social policy, public policy, service delivery, and nonprofit activity.

• Assistive Technology for Individuals with Visual Impairments Certificate
• Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment Certificate
• Global Inclusion & Social Development MA
• Global Inclusion & Social Development PhD
• Human Rights Certificate
• Orientation & Mobility Certificate
• Rehabilitation Counseling Certificate
• Rehabilitation Counseling MS
• Transition Leadership Certificate
• Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Certificate
• Vision Studies MEd

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Explore programs in the humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Learn how to analyze and interpret information effectively, and become a better communicator and creative problem solver.

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• Survey Research Certificate

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Further your nursing career with our programs focused on health equity, social justice, and population-based health.

• Exercise & Health Sciences MS
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Become part of the next generation of policymakers, decision makers, and leaders working to effect change in local and global communities.

• Conflict Resolution Certificate
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Be part of an exciting public research university that focuses on innovation and collaboration among students and faculty to perform experiments and research sponsored by organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and NASA.

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Associate Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs and PhD in Public Policy Program Director

Welcome! I am Associate Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs  and PhD in Public Policy Program Director at the University of Massachusetts Boston ‘ McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies .

The questions I am most passionate about are: Why do poverty and inequality concentrate in cities? What leads people to extreme and hostile living conditions found in slums? What kind of policies and interventions could improve living conditions in slums? I mainly study these questions in developing countries, through surveys, experiments, simulations, and large-scale datasets. Some of my recent work in this area is funded by the National Science Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank Group, and International Development Research Centre. If you hate to read  about my research,  come over for a coffee  (or tea if you are my colonial cousin).

I regularly  teach graduate level courses on Urban Politics and Policy, and Public Policy Theories, Statistics, and Research Methods.

My  educational background  is in Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Management, and Public Policy.

Before joining UMass Boston, I was a Post-doctoral Research Fellow and Instructor at George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, and Krasnow Institute. Before moving to the United States, I worked as a researcher at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad on an action research project aimed to improve access to healthcare for poor communities in India.

School of Public Policy

The School of Public Policy (SPP) is the hub of interdisciplinary public policy research, teaching, and engagement at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. SPP attracts high-caliber national and international students to its programs. Home to a growing number of research initiatives, SPP houses the National Center for Digital Government, Science & Technology in Society, and the Public Engagement Project.

In addition to a traditional master's program, the department offers an accelerated (4+1) master's option.

Visit the School of Public Policy Website > 

Explore our programs

Undergraduate, in the news, scharrer and shoub receive 2024 outstanding research award.

Erica Scharrer, communication, and Kelsey Shoub, public policy, have received this year's SBS Outstanding Research Award. 

Davis and Pachucki Receive 2024 Outstanding Mentor Award

Bridgette Davis, public policy, and Mark Pachucki, sociology, have received this year's SBS Outstanding Mentor Award. 

Dodson and Nussbaum Receive 2024 Nicola Mare Usher SBS Outstanding Advising Award

Leah Dodson, economics, and Faith Nussbaum, public policy, have been awarded the 2024 Nicola Mare Usher SBS Outstanding Advising Award. 

Jane Fountain

Jane Fountain's research is focused on institutions and digitalization, specifically on cross-boundary and emergent institutional arrangements.

Patrice Paré

School of Public Policy 608 Thompson Hall 413-577-0239

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GRAD > PPOL-G

Public Policy Courses

Ppol-g 602  political economy of class, race and gender +, ppol-g 603  community-based and participatory research +, ppol-g 604l  statistical methods in the analysis of social problems i +, ppol-g 605l  statistical methods in the analysis of social problems ii +, ppol-g 609l  qualitative methods and field research +, ppol-g 611  public policy processes: environments, power and outcomes +, ppol-g 612  approaches to policy analysis: epistemology, theory and institutions +, ppol-g 621  microeconomics for policy analysis +, ppol-g 622  public finance and budgeting +, ppol-g 630  research methods i for policy +, ppol-g 631  research methods ii for policy +, ppol-g 697  special topics +, ppol-g 711  multi-disciplinary topics in public policy +, ppol-g 716  public policy proseminar +, ppol-g 741  urban housing policy +, ppol-g 753l  epidemiological thinking and population health +, ppol-g 760  sociological perspectives on public policy and social justice +, ppol-g 795  independent study +, ppol-g 891  dissertation workshop for public policy +, ppol-g 898  internship in public policy +, ppol-g 899  dissertation +.

Our top-ranking cities for climate resiliency: 2024 study

People in this story.

Joan Fitzgerald

“Protecting the nation’s cities from [rising] sea-level will cost billions,” says Joan Fitzgerald. “Most cities do not have the resources to adapt to climate change, so they often rely on property owners to take resilience measures. Federal and state funding will be needed, but at some point, hard decisions will have to be made on which places to protect, when water can be accommodated and when to retreat.”

Read more at USA TODAY

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Graduate Degree Programs

The UMass Amherst School of Public Policy offers several graduate programs for full- and part-time students. The GRE is not required to apply.

• Master of Public Affairs (MPA) : A one-year program of online and in-person classes that allows you to move quickly and affordably toward pursuing your professional goals. One of the most affordable master’s degrees in public policy in the region.
• Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) : A two-year program that provides a strong analytical foundation that can be applied to a wide variety of policy fields.
• Dual Degrees : MPPA students can opt to pursue a dual degree in Business Administration, Public Health, Higher Education, or Regional Planning.
• Graduate Certificates : We offer graduate certificates that complement an MPPA with feminist studies or Latin American studies

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Addictions Counselor Education Program

Develop the skills to promote successful delivery of substance use disorders.

Program Type

Professional Development

Semester Start

Fall, Spring, Summer

Study Options

Online, Remote

Minimum Duration

UMass Boston’s Addictions Counselor Education Program Certificate focuses on helping you develop the professional skills to promote evidence-based treatment of Substance Use Disorders. It’s designed for treatment professionals—from direct care counselors to program directors—who want to hone their skills, add a certification to their résumé, and prepare for the licensure/certification exam. Explore the use of alcohol and other drugs in society, as well as the delivery of treatment and counseling services. Apply these skills to your work in counseling individuals with a substance use disorder. You also have the option to attend a two-day workshop on preparing for the licensure/certification exam.

Please note: After application submission

• All applicants to the Addiction Counseling Education Program must be interviewed by the Program Director or Student Advisor prior to acceptance.
• An Advisory Form will be given to the applicant upon acceptance so that they may monitor the courses they have completed towards the Certificate.

View Summer 2024 ACEP Courses  (Registration is open)

Affiliated with:

• This program consists of eight courses and a practicum course.
• Students earn CEUs upon successful completion of the program.
• The course fee is $600 each, except the practicum, which is $1,300.
• There is a review course for the LADC exam that is $150.
• These fees do not include the cost of books.
• Students may choose to complete the program entirely online, remote, or a combination of the two.
• Total estimated cost to complete this program is $5,700.
• Estimate is based on completing program by minimum duration. Request Info to connect with a program representative for further details.

Admission Requirements

• A high school diploma or the equivalent
• Completed application form
• Interview with an ACEP representative
• This program reserves the right to review past transcripts to be sure that previous course work aligns with current program standards and the LADC requirements

New Students - Take These Three Courses First:

• ACDTSP 001 - Use of Alcohol & Other Substances in Society
• ACDTSP 002 - The Role of the Professional Counselor Treating Substance Use Disorders 
• ACDTSP 003 - Counseling Clients With Substance Use Disorders 

How to Register for Individual Courses

Simply click the "Register" link below a course, then click the “Add to cart” button found to the right of each individual course listing or at the top of the course description page.

Required Courses:

• Use of Alcohol and Other Substances in Society (ACDTSP001) The main emphasis of this course is to provide an overview of the impact of drug use in our society. Discussions will review the pharmacological, cultural, social, and contextual factors. Readings and assignments will describe all phases of substance use and the biopsychosocial impact on the individual and the community at large. Evidence based research will be reviewed and primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in the treatment of SUDs will be analyzed. This course is designed for clinicians, case managers, recovery coaches, criminal justice specialists, reentry planners, reentry coaches, and peer support specialists.
• The Role of the Professional Counselor Treating Substance Use Disorders (ACDTSP002) This course will assist students to develop a skill set needed to treat clients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDS). Intense focus on will be on assessment, treatment planning and case management – considered to be fundamental knowledge for inpatient and outpatient settings. Ethical dilemmas will be discussed with a review of the theoretical knowledge needed to make appropriate clinical decisions when faced with challenging ethical situations.
• Counseling Clients with Substance Use Disorders (ACDTSP003) This course will review evidence-based techniques for the successful treatment of persons with substance use disorders. There will be a specific focus on cognitive-behavioral and motivational strategies.
• Neurochemistry and Psychopharmacology of Substances of Use (ACDTSP005) This course will provide an introduction to the Neurochemistry of the brain, basic anatomy and physiology and the pharmacological effects of Sedative-Hypnotics, Stimulants, Opiates, Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, Psychedelics and Cannabis. In addition, medications used to treat Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) will be reviewed.
• Family and Group Treatment of Substance Use Disorders (ACDTSP006) This course examines the changes that occur throughout the family unit when substance use is present in one of the members. Various family systems models will be reviewed with attention to the disruption of homeostasis, family rules, rituals, common characteristics, and family accommodations to disruptions. This course will also examine how groups form and the benefits of both family and group treatment. This course reviews various types of Group Therapy and the important role that it plays in recovery. Skills and techniques are practiced.
• Capstone Practicum (ACDTSP007) A weekly university remote course with a 300 hour on site requirement in a facility that provides treatment to individuals in variety of settings. You register for this course to take in conjunction with the 300 hour Capstone Practicum experience. It provides weekly course supervision from a University faculty member while you are on site in a supervised learning experience. The Practicum should be in a licensed treatment facility or agency that provides treatment to individuals with a Substance Use Disorder. In addition to University Faculty supervision, this course includes peer consultation, journal review, 12 Core Function review and discussion of best practice interventions.
• Criminal Justice and Substance Use Disorders (ACDTSP018) This course will identify the treatment needs for individuals in the Criminal Justice system and investigate the issues and barriers that affect treatment. It will explore how the counselor can incorporate and partner with the Criminal Justice system for effective treatment for the client. Court function and alternatives to incarceration models will be described. Assessment and Treatment Planning will also be discussed. The skill set of preparing and writing reports, assessments, and evaluations will be reviewed, emphasizing how valuable information assists in determining Criminal Justice sanctions. This course is designed for those working in the substance use field as clinicians, case managers, recovery coaches, criminal justice specialists, reentry planners, reentry coaches, and peer support specialists.
• Substance Use Disorders & Co-Occurring Mental Health Illnesses (ACDTSP044) This course will identify research-oriented strategies to effectively integrate the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health illnesses. We will examine the correlation of mental health and substance use disorders. A major focus will be to recognize signs and symptoms of both disorders and best practice in simultaneous treatment.

Donna McCarten White was the former Director of Addiction Services for the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, a Public Health Hospital for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is the former Chief Operating Officer and Nurse Executive at Worcester State Hospital. In addition, she was the Director of the DMH and Harvard University Commonwealth Research and Evaluation Unit. In the past she was the Director of Nursing and the Director of Chemical Dependency Services and the Dual Diagnosis Program at Pembroke Psychiatric Hospital.

She is a graduate of Boston City Hospital School of Nursing and earned a BSN from Curry College in 1985. In addition, she completed graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts/Boston, is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor with an additional certification in advanced Drug and Alcohol Counseling, is certified in Chemical Dependency and Addictions Nursing, and certified by the ANCC as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Public Health. She is a Board Certified Fellow in the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. In 2015, she was inducted as a Fellow in the International Nurses Society on Addictions.

Dr. White is the 2006 recipient of the Peer Assistance Award from IntNSA and in 2007 was the first recipient of the Fong-Bressler Award for Outstanding Preceptorship in the Graduate Program for the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. MNA awarded her the Addictions Nursing Award in 2009. In October, 2010, she was recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the award of Champion of Public Health . In May, 2011, she was awarded the Nancy Valentine Leadership Award from the New England Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and in 2013, she was voted Mentor of the Year by the International Nurses Society of Addiction Nurses. In 2014, she was given the Heart of Nursing Award from the University of Massachusetts/Boston Sigma Theta Tau Chapter. Donna is the author of an Addictions Competency Based Program in the Department of Public Health Hospital where she now consults. She has many publications to her credit and recently co-authored a chapter on Addictions in a Psychiatric textbook. In addition, she was part of a video production addressing suicide in adolescents in Massachusetts. In 2017, she was the recipient of the Fred French Award for Lifetime Excellence in the field of Addictions from C4 Foundation. She was also given the Educator of the Year Award by the InterNational Society of Addictions Nurses in October, 2018, and in November 2018, she was awarded the Labor Activist Award for advocating for people in recovery in the workplace. She received the Frances Slanger Award from the Boston City Hospital Alumni Association on October 5th, 2018 and the Mentor Award from the Massachusetts Nurses Association at their Convention on October 18, 2019. The University of Massachusetts Boston awarded her the Beacon of Courage Award in 2020 for her work in the field of Addiction and Substance Use Disorders. In January, 2022, the Massachusetts Association of Addiction Counselors awarded her the Educator of the Year Award . Currently, she is the Director of the Addictions Counselor Education Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Dr. White is the statewide Chairperson of the MNA Addictions Council, and oversees the Peer Assistant Program for Professionals seeking help in recovery.  She is certified by the Green Cross Foundation as an educator and therapist in Compassion Fatigue concerns and is a specialist in Addictive Disorders, Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Traumatization in Healthcare Professionals. In addition, she is a member of the International Trauma Specialists Dr. White is a Clinical Instructor for Boston Area Colleges…graduate NP programs as well as baccalaureate level for Community Health Clinical work and is a Visiting Scholar for local Colleges of Nursing and other Professional Programs of study. In addition, she previously provided oversight for the clinical practicums of counseling students and consulted to department chairs for all medical/professional clinical experience rotations at the Shattuck Hospital. She has lectured at many facilities and agencies nationwide and is a recognized leader in the field of Addictions, Impaired Practice and Peer Assistance, as well as Healthcare Professional Stress. She also volunteers on the Apache Reservation in Arizona to work with Tribal People in the education of Substance Use Disorders.

Michael Gamsby , LICSW, LADCI, CCFC, is the Program Director and a clinician at Modern Assistance. He is a mental health and substance abuse counselor and has worked in the behavioral health field for the past 8 years. Michael was previously a clinician at Pembroke Hospital. He brings unique experience to Modern Assistance having spent 16 years working in the high-tech field, primarily with start-ups in sales, marketing roles, and executive leadership roles.

Michael holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Simmons College and Bachelor of Science in Biology and Environmental Studies from Tufts University. He is a licensed independent social worker, licensed alcohol and drug counselor, and a certified clinical forensics counselor. Michael is an instructor for continuing education classes for the Addiction Counselor Education Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Kathleen M Bambrick , LICSW, has been an instructor in the ACEP program at the University of Massachusetts over 10 years. She has taught a variety of courses including Counseling, Use and Abuse, Psychopharmacology, Family Treatment, and the Practicum course. She is also the Director of Training and Staff Development at Aspire Health Alliance. She has years of both clinical and teaching experience in the field treating and training on behavioral health disorders. She specializes in trauma and substance use disorders. She is also Mental Health First Aid instructor and trains both in the community and in public safety and law enforcement.

John E. Christian , Ed.M., LMHC, LADC I, CADC, SAP, CCFC is currently President and CEO of the Modern Assistance Programs, Inc. Modern Assistance is an employee assistance provider for several trade unions and private businesses in the Greater Boston area and throughout New England. Mr. Christian was formerly the Director of Social Services for the Homeless Services bureau of the Boston Public Health Commission where he oversaw vocational rehabilitation programs, adult education, and prisoner reentry services at the Long Island Shelter. He has been in the human services field since 1993. Mr. Christian is a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts, a licensed and certified alcoholism and drug abuse counselor in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, a substance abuse professional for the Department of Transportation, and is a certified clinical forensics counselor. He is a member of the board of directors of Edwina Martin House, a recovery home for women. He is an instructor for continuing education classes for the Addiction Counselor Education Program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and a course coach at the Harvard Kennedy School. Mr. Christian holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Edward Cosgrove received his doctorate in Molecular Biology from The Ohio State University in 1971. And then rose to the rank of Full Professor at Boston State College/University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Cosgrove left teaching to work at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health where he ran the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and rose to the rank of Assistant Commissioner. He then moved to The Boston Children’s Hospital as a Research Administrator. He is now semi-retired but continues to consult at Boston Children’s in the research labs of the Departments of Cardiology and Neuroscience.

Dr. Cosgrove has continued his teaching career at Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts Boston. At UMass/Boston, Dr. Cosgrove has taught Psychopharmacology since 1978 at the undergraduate and graduate levels in both face-to-face and on-line formats. At Northeastern University he has taught Microbiology and Medical Microbiology since 1976 in The College of Professional Studies and in The School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Cosgrove has been an elected member of the Needham, Massachusetts Board of Health since 1996 and is presently serving as chair. The Needham Board of Health has been a leader in Community Drug and Alcohol Prevention and currently holds several grants including a Drug Free Communities grant from SAMHSA. Needham has also been a nationwide leader in Tobacco Control and Education. It is recognized as the first Board of Health in the Nation to raise the legal age for the purchase of tobacco and tobacco products to 21 years. Recently, Needham has been a statewide leader in the development of regulations regarding the production and sale of medicinal Cannabis and Cannabis containing products.

Dr. Cosgrove is a founding board member of the Public Health Museum in Tewksbury and served several years as President. He is also a member of the American Society for Microbiology and serves on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards and the National Association of Local Boards of Health. Dr Cosgrove served as a member of the Advisory Committee on Local and Regional Health appointed by The Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Kevin A Davis has worked in the substance use disorder treatment field for more than 20 years, with a focus in substance use disorder treatment counseling, workforce development, and management. Kevin has served Director of Operation with The Dimock Center in Roxbury, MA, where he oversaw the operations of men’s and women residential programs, a detoxification center, and financial billing for behavioral health programs. Kevin has also served as the Director of Operations for STRIVE, a community-based workforce development agency in the Codman Square area in Dorchester, MA. In addition, Kevin has served as the Executive Director of Span, Inc., located in downtown Boston, which provided reintegration support and services to men and women who had been incarcerated.

Kevin’s recent career focus has been in the substance use disorder treatment space of Section 35 Civil commitments. Kevin had been employed as the Program Director at High Point’s Men’s Addiction Treatment Center (MATC) in Brockton, MA. MATC provides court mandated substance use disorder detoxification and stabilization treatment services for men under Section 35 Civil Commitment orders. He is currently employed as the Program Director of the Recovery from Addictions Program (RAP) for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health in Taunton, MA. RAP provides court mandated substance use disorder detoxification and stabilization treatment services for men and women under Section 35 Civil Commitment orders.

Kevin holds a BS in Human Services, with a concentration in Addiction Studies, from Springfield College and a MS in Human Services, with a concentration in Management and Organizational Leadership, from Springfield College. Kevin is a licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC I) and a Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor (CCFC). He is currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program at Northcentral University. Upon the completion of the program, Kevin will receive his Ph.D. in Addiction Psychology. Kevin is also an adjunct Professor for Springfield College and an instructor in the UMass Boston Addiction Counseling Education Program.

Katy McGarty Dirks , MEd, LMHC, CADC teaches Family and Alcoholism/Chemical Dependency Treatment in the Addiction Counselor Education Program. Katy is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor who works with individuals, couples, families and groups to help them reach their goals of recovery from mental health and/or substance use. Katy has worked in many environments including residential treatment, community mental health, drug court and integrative medical practices.

Katy is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and this is the foundation of her practice though she integrates components of Motivational Interviewing (MI), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Brief Therapy and other modalities during treatment. She believes firmly that we are innately programmed with the capacity to heal both physically and psychologically and that strengthening the mind-body connection is essential to the journey.

Katy received her ACEP certificate from UMass Boston and her Master in Education in Counseling Psychology degree from Cambridge College. She is currently in private practice at Holistic Healing Practitioners in Natick, Massachusetts.

William R Drinkwater , M.Ed, CADC-II, LADC-I, LLC Specialties: Working with substance abuse/co-occurring disordered clients. Educating their family and friends and disseminating information on the available resources. In addition, I present workshops & lectures on substance abuse & co-occurring disorders, and teach at UMASS-Boston & Cambridge College in their Addiction Counselor Education & Graduate Programs. (willydrinkwater.com).

Joe Kelleher has almost 30 years of experience in the Substance Addiction treatment field. His experience covers a wide range of expertise. His first full-time position in the field was at Hope House in Boston as Business Manager. Prior to that, he was working in the accounting department of Badger Engineers, a subsidiary of Raytheon. He worked as Business Manager until 2000.

After that, Joe went to work as Program Director of Sullivan House, a 24-bed recovery home for men which is part of Middlesex Human Service Agency. In 2004, Joe returned to Hope House as Clinical Director. During this time, Hope House transitioned from its longtime home in the South End to a new facility in lower Roxbury. Since 2011, he has also held a position as an instructor in the Alcohol Counselor Education Program at UMass Boston.

In 2011, Joe went to work at the Gavin Foundation in South Boston as Business Manager. When the Gavin Foundation took over Hamilton House in Dorchester in 2015, Joe was asked to take over as Program Director, and he stayed in that position until 2019, when he moved to Cushing House, the Gavin Foundation programs for adolescents as Clinical Director. He stayed there until the program was forced to shut down due to the decline in the number of clients. He is currently serving as Clinical Director at Granada House in Allston, a 22-bed coed recovery home.

Joe has also been involved in many substance abuse treatment related organizations in the community. He currently serves as president of the Massachusetts Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, and is also treasurer for the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery.

Elizabeth Souffront , PhD Dr. Souffront is a licensed psychologist with 40 years of clinical experience in the field. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings such as: community mental health clinics, federal correctional institutions, day shelter for homeless adults and private outpatient settings. In most of these settings, she has provided a combination of direct services, program development and staff clinical and administrative supervision. Dr. Souffront has extensive experience in addiction treatment. She designed and was responsible for outpatient substance abuse programming at FCI Fort Dix (Federal Correctional Institution). She also was the clinical director at St. Francis House, a day shelter for homeless adults that served a severe co-occurring population. She has been responsible for design, implementation and clinical supervision of programs and staff. Dr. Souffront is also part time faculty at Bridgewater School of Social Work (Bridgewater State University) and at the Addictions Certificate Program at University of Massachusetts, Boston. She teaches addiction treatment to undergraduate, graduate and counseling students. She also provides clinical consulting to several organizations. She currently maintains a private practice providing individual and couples therapy.

At the completion of your courses and practicum, you’ll be awarded a professional certificate in Addictions Counselor Education. The certificate will demonstrate your expertise in the field on your résumé, as well as in interviews and workplace evaluations. This certificate helps prepare you for the licensure/certification exam. You also have the option to attend a two-day workshop on preparing for the licensure/certification exam. 

Credentials & Licensure For any information about licensing or credentialing, please contact your licensing or credentialing boards.

Contact state substance abuse credentialing boards for work hour and CEU requirements, as well as current policies regarding acceptance of online educational hours.

Why UMass Boston Online?

Among the lowest online tuition rates of an accredited, public research university.

Flexibility

Study full-time to finish fast, or part-time to suit your schedule. Live sessions scheduled with the working professional in mind.

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The same courses taught by the same academic departments as on campus. No third-party providers.

Get the inside scoop on the program and connect with the people who run it.

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Jean Winsor Receives 2024 Policy Award from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Winsor will be honored at a ceremony at the 148th AAIDD Annual Meeting in June for her outstanding contributions to the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Jean Winsor, a senior research associate and project manager at UMass Boston's Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) is the winner of the 2024 Policy Award by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD).

She began working at ICI in 2002 as a graduate assistant while completing her PhD in public policy. She rapidly emerged as a leader in research and advocacy for employment policy and systems change and has since extended this work into state consultation and evaluation.

Winsor co-developed the Higher Performing States Framework, an evidence-based model first published in 2007. This model has provided a foundation for employment policy and strategy in over 35 states and is used to guide the work of the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN), ICI’s membership supported state IDD agency community of practice committed to improving employment outcomes.

Currently, Winsor is the principal investigator on three ICI research projects: Access to Integrated Employment , ICI’s longitudinal data project on employment and day services for people with IDD; The Impact of State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Agency Employment Contracting Methods and Service Payment Rates on Employment for Individuals with IDD , a field-initiated research project on funding for employment services; and Florida’s Arts to Competitive Integrated Employment (ArtCIE) model demonstration project evaluation, a Rehabilitation Services Administration Disability Innovation Fund project.

Winsor is strongly invested in supporting the voices of individuals with IDD by involving people with lived experience in informed and meaningful roles in her research and policy work.

Read the full press release from AAIDD about Winsor’s award.

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• Public Administration - MPA

Prepare to be a skilled, effective, and ethical manager of public programs.

UMass Boston's MPA program imparts the skills and insight you need to effectively lead and manage public programs. We teach the essentials in budgeting and finance, economics, ethics, organizational behavior, politics, and statistics. Graduates go on to become leaders in government, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

U.S. News & World Report ranks our MPA program as #69 in the nation. We maintain strict NASPAA accreditation, and we also offer a specialized Gender, Leadership, & Public Policy Track of the MPA program.

MPA Student Outcome Data - Employment and Completion Rate

Gain Analytical, Technical, & Leadership Skills for Effective Public Management

Learn career-enhancing public management skills in:

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Launch or Advance Your Career in Public Administration

Our graduates are prepared for careers in:

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. . . and many others

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Statement of Purpose Write a 300 word essay on your reasons for considering this UMass Boston MPA program in relation to your academic background, professional work experience, and career goals and a 1,200 word essay describing your personal qualities and development and how they have influenced your career choice.

Official Transcripts Submit official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all colleges attended.

GRE Scores (Optional). Send your official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. Previous scores less than five years old will be accepted.

*If you would like to waive the GRE exam , click on 'I am not taking any standardized tests' within the examination section of the application portal.

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• Institutional code: 3924

Letters of Recommendation Please include three letters of recommendation. We prefer that one letter be from a former professor or individual who can address your intellectual aptitude for graduate study; others can be from a supervisor or other professional reference.

Résumé or CV Add a current résumé or CV noting your previous educational (a bachelor's degree is required) and working experience.

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The MPA program is now welcoming applications for Fall 2024 admission!

Deadlines: April 15, 2024 (priority) and July 1, 2024 (final)

Application Fee:   The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Cost:   For additional information regarding tuition and fees, please visit the   Bursar’s Office   or send an email to   [email protected] . Please refer to   Graduate Student Financial Aid   for more information on financial aid.

Curriculum: General Track

• PUBADM 602   New England Economic Environment
• PUBADM 610   Public Management
• PUBADM 65X   Policy Workshop (weekend seminar, 1 credit, topics rotate)
• PUBADM 601   New England Political Environment
• PUBADM 620   Analytical Skills I
• PUBADM 625   Public Budgeting & Financial Management
• Elective   Public Administration electives are offered on a rotating basis.
• PUBADM 621   Analytical Skills II
• PUBADM 614   Human Resources Management
• PUBADM 691   Capstone: Case Study Seminar (6 credits)

Curriculum: Gender, Leadership, & Public Policy Track

• PUBADM 619 WPPP: Contemporary American Public Policy Issues  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 623 WPPP: Women in American Politics and Policy Making  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 624 WPPP: Spring Internship 3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 628 Research Methods for Policy Analysis  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 629 Leadership and Organizations: Gender, Power and Authority  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 610 Public Management: Theories and Principles  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 614 Human Resources Management  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 620 Analytic Skills I: Skills for Policy Analysis  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 621 Analytic Skills II: Research Methods  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 625 Public Budgeting and Financial Management  3   Credit(s)
• PUBADM 691 Capstone /Case Study Seminar  6   Credit(s)

Graduation Criteria

Program requirements: general track.

Complete 36 credits from 15 courses including seven required courses, one elective, six policy workshops, and one case study capstone.

Capstone:   Completion of a written paper and oral presentation.

Statute of limitations:   Four years.

Program Requirements:  Gender, Leadership, & Public Policy Track

Complete 36 credits from eleven courses including five gender, leadership, and public policy courses; five public administration courses, and one case study capstone course.

Mission Statement & Learning Outcomes

The mission of the Master of Public Administration Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston is to foster highly competent, active, and ethical public administrators with:

• a holistic understanding of the political, social, technological, and economic factors that influence the development and implementation of public policies;
• a firm knowledge of the range of methodologies appropriate to policy analysis and program evaluation; and
• a solid grounding in the skills required for planning, implementing, and monitoring public sector programs.

Graduates will:

• contribute to society as leaders, public administrators, policy analysts, and program evaluators in the governmental and nonprofit sectors to advance an efficient and effective public sector; and serve the public good and promote the public value, social justice, and equality in the Greater Boston area, Massachusetts, the United States, and in the global community.

Graduate Program Director Michael Johnson Graduate Program Administrator, Outreach and Recruitment Jack Li [email protected] (617) 287-6905

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MIT’s Master of Applied Science in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy program adds a public policy track

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MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and Department of Economics have announced an expansion of their jointly administered Master of Applied Science in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) program . This expansion adds a new public policy track to complement the existing international development track, opening up new avenues for student learning and research. 

Designed to tackle poverty alleviation and other pressing policy challenges in the United States and other high-income countries, the curriculum of the new track spans a diverse set of issues, from domestic concerns like minimum wage and consumer welfare to global matters including trade, climate change, and immigration. Applications for the public policy track will open this fall, with the inaugural cohort set to arrive on MIT’s campus in spring 2026.

The DEDP program, led by MIT professors and Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, along with professors Sara Fisher Ellison and Benjamin Olken, was established with the mission of equipping diverse cohorts of talented professionals with the knowledge and skills to tackle poverty using evidence-based approaches. The new master’s degree track will support this mission while also underscoring the program’s commitment to addressing a broad array of critical challenges in the fight against poverty worldwide.

"The DEDP program has proven successful on many dimensions, and we are enthusiastic about leveraging its successes to address a broader set of social challenges,” says Ellison, a faculty lead for the program. “The public policy track will enable us to apply evidence-based methodology to poverty alleviation and other related issues in the context of high-income countries, as well. Given increasing levels of wealth and income inequality in these countries, we feel that the timing is opportune and the need is great."

The DEDP program distinguishes itself with an innovative admissions model that prioritizes demonstrated ability and motivation over traditional credentials, such as standardized tests and recommendation letters. To be eligible to apply to the master’s program, candidates must have earned a DEDP MicroMasters credential by passing five of the DEDP online courses. The courses are completely free to audit. Those who wish to earn a course certificate can pay a fee, which varies by the learner’s ability to pay, to take the proctored exam. While applications are reviewed holistically, performance in these classes is the primary factor in admissions decisions.

This approach democratizes access to higher education, enabling students from typically underrepresented backgrounds to demonstrate their potential for success. Notably, the program has welcomed many students from nontraditional backgrounds, such as a student who enrolled directly from high school (and who is now a second-year PhD student in economics at MIT), reflecting the ambition of its faculty directors to make higher education more accessible.

Sofia Martinez, a graduate of the class of 2023 and now co-founder of Learning Alliance , says, "Without the MicroMasters paving the way, applying to MIT or any similar institution would have been unthinkable for us. Initially, my aim in taking the online courses wasn't to pursue the residential program; it was only after witnessing my own progress that I realized the possibility wasn't so distant after all. This sentiment resonates with many in our cohort, which is truly humbling.”

Since its launch in 2020, the DEDP master’s program has conferred degrees to 87 students from 44 countries, showcasing its global reach and the success of its admissions model. Upon arriving on campus, students embark on an accelerated master's program. They complete a full course load in the spring, followed by a capstone project in the summer, applying the theoretical knowledge and practical skills gained through the program at research and policy organizations.

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