The curriculum offers students either a policy or administration focus. The policy track is designed for students who wish to pursue public service careers with a more analytical orientation. The administration track is designed for students pursuing careers with a management orientation.
Students also select at least two core electives in either policy and administration.
In addition to the core courses and core electives, students select courses related to their particular field of interest, chosen from the abundant offerings from the Program and throughout the University. Examples of specializations include Social Welfare, Environment and Natural Resources, Education, International Relations and Policy, Gender and Family, and Health. Recently, UMass-Amherst's Public Administration program changed to include a track in public policy. This included adding a full year of microeconomics and public finance, quantitative methods, and policy analysis. As a result, the Program has placed a greater emphasis during the admissions process on the quantitative and economic training its applicants have had in their undergraduate programs.