Are you ready to confront today’s most urgent policy challenges and develop the strategic thinking and analytical skills needed to shape effective and equitable public solutions?
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The Master of Public Management (MPM) program is designed for mid-level managers or public leaders with practical experience in the public sector.It aims to cultivate practical leadership skills needed to strategically manage organizations and effectively implement policies. Through required courses, students learn about how public organizations are structured and managed, how people behave and are motivated in the workplace, and useful tools and methods for managing organizations. Electives provide further understanding of public administration environments, such as international politics, private sectors, and civil society. Required courses include Public Organizations and Management (POM) and Quantitative Methods (QM). Specializations include Public Administration and Leadership(PA), Strategic Management (SM), and Global Governance and Political Economy(GP).
Starting from the 2026 incoming class, all programs require students to complete at least 36 credits. KDI School operates on a trimester system, allowing full-time students to graduate in approximately 1.5 years and part-time students in about 2 years. Each program is designed, operated, and evaluated based on the five core competencies set by NASPAA(Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration), as well as program-specific Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Curricula are regularly updated by reflecting the feedback from current students, alumni, and partner institutions to maintain a demand-oriented structure. Students interested in pursuing doctoral study may be allowed to take some Ph.D.-level courses under the guidance of their advisor.
Program Specific Concentrations
Public Administration and Leadership
This concentration focuses on building essential leadership and management skills to improve the performance of Public Sector Organizations (PSOs). Students will learn to design and implement policies within complex political and organizational settings, strengthening evidence-based decision-making capabilities through data analysis, budgeting, and evaluation tools. Key topics include organizational design, human resource management, public finance, ethics, and accountability. It is designed for current leaders facing managerial challenges as well as students preparing for advanced academic degrees in public administration.
- Comparative Politics: Global Perspectives on Political Institutions and Behavior
- Budgeting and public financial management
- Change Management
- Comparative Politics: Global Perspectives on Political Institutions and Behavior
- Cost-Benefit Analysis for Policy Decision Making
- Digital Government and Governance
- Dispute Resolution and Negotiation
- Government Communication Service
- ICT for SDGs
- Institutional Reform in Developing Countries
- Managing and Implementing Sustainable Development
- Participatory Governance in Public Decision Making
- Participatory Governance in Public Decision Making
- Performance Management and Measurement in the Public Sector
- Policy Process Analysis
- Public Investment Management
- Public Management for International Development
- Public Management Innovation and Reform
- Regulation Reforms and Practices
- Tax Policy and Administration
Strategic Management
This concentration is designed to enhance strategic thinking and problem-solving skills for public and private sector decision-makers. It explores the dynamic interactions between markets and governments, emphasizing the role of strategy in fostering growth, innovation, and competitiveness. Through case studies and comparative analysis of entrepreneurship policies, students acquire practical knowledge in strategic management. This track is ideal for managers interested in the intersection of market forces and public policy, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs.
- Central Banking: Monetary Policy Strategy
- Change Management
- Customer Relationship Management: Adoption of Technology and Customer behavior
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- FDI Marketing & Promotion
- Financial Accounting
- Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation
- Grand Strategy and Statecraft
- Introduction to Financial Analysis
- Managerial Accounting
- Marketing in the Public Sector
- Strategic Management
Global Governance and Political Economy
This concentration strengthens analytical skills required to navigate the complex landscape of global politics and economics. Adopting a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates political science, economics, and public management, it examines how political and economic forces mutually shape global risks and development strategies. The program cultivates leadership capacity for effective action in global governance, making it suitable for mid-career professionals and aspiring public servants aiming to contribute to policy design in international settings.
- Comparative Politics: Global Perspectives on Political Institutions and Behavior
- Democracy, Political Mobilization and Economic Development: Korea’s Experience
- Grand Strategy and Statecraft
- International Political Economy
- International Relations and Economic Globalization in 21st Century
- Social Security and Welfare Policy
- State Fragility and Development Policy
- The United Nations and Global Affairs
- The United Nations and Sustainable Development
- Topics in North Korean Economy
- Topics in Political Economy of Development
Course List & Schedule
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2025 Spring Course List and Schedule
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2025 Pre-Spring Course List and Schedule
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2025 Summer Course List and Schedule
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2025 Fall Course List and Schedule
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Graduation Requirements
| Category | MPM |
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| Core Courses | Requirement: 6 credits (2 courses) |
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| 1st Concentration | Requirement: at least 9 credits (3 courses) from 1 concentration (Mandatory) |
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| 2nd Concentration | Elective: up to 9 credits (3 courses) from 1 concentration (Optional) |
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| Research Project | Optional |
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| Language | Requirement |
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※ Total : Minimum 36 credits
- KOICA, NIIED GKS Global Network Scholarship, G20 Scholarship, and K-water follow their own graduation requirements.
- The above graduation requirements will apply starting from the 2026 incoming class. Students admitted before 2025 should refer to the student handbook for their respective year/semester.
Graduation Date
Spring
End of May
Summer
End of August
Fall
Commencement or
January 31st
※ If you take any courses during the fall semester, you will graduate on January 31st (not in December)
Ceremony
Completion Ceremony
- Requirements: Enrolled students in a Masters degree, meet minimum credits requirements inclusive of the courses being taken currently.
- Date: August, December (Refer to the academic calendar of each year)
- Certificate of Coursework Completion will be awarded at the Completion Ceremony.
* Certificate of Coursework Completion is different from Certificate of Completion (Certificate of Completion is issued to students who have completed the minimum required semesters but have not yet graduated)
- Students will be invited to the completion ceremony only once
Commencement
- Requirements: Enrolled and Completed students in Ph.D. and Masters degree having met all graduation requirements
- Date: December (Refer to the academic calendar of each year)
- The diploma will be awarded only once at the Commencement. (Graduates in January will receive it after the graduation date.)