My Studies in the US

Pepperdine Campus from Drescher Graduate Apartments

Pepperdine Campus from Drescher Graduate Apartments

During August, 2006 – April, 2008, I earned my Master of Public Policy Degree from Pepperdine University School of Public Policy in Malibu, California, United States. At the end of the Program, I double-concentrated in Economics and Regional & Local Policy. This has been by far the greatest experience of my life, with many professional and personal rewards. In this section, I want to share both my academic and extracurricular experiences that have shaped my personality.

  • The first semester kicked off with a workshop in Santa Barbara, where I had the chance to know my colleagues a little better and to work with them on certain policy cases. I had only core classes that were perfectly chosen to lay the foundations of the policy making process:
    • Applied Economic Analysis of Public Policy I,
    • Ethical Dimensions of Public Policy: Great Books and Great Ideas,
    • Applied Research Methods in Public Policy,
    • The Roots of American Order: What is Public Policy?
  • In the second semester, I had two core classes and two electives towards my specializations:
    • The Political, Organizational and Strategic Aspects of Public Policy Analysis,
    • Seminar in International Relations: Islam and Politics,
    • Managing Politics in Local Government,
    • Macroeconomics.
  • Once the second semester was over, I had my summer internship at the City of Los Angeles, Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
  • In the third semester, I had only electives and I chose the following classes:
    • Deliberative Democracy,
    • The Financing of Local and Regional Government,
    • Seminar in Political Issues – Health Policy in America,
    • Islamic Economics Seminar.
  • The fourth semester was the bussiest and the hardest one for me. On one hand, I chose two classes in the field of Economics, on the other hand, I had to prepare my Capstone seminar. I was also commuting off campus to my part-time job at Burr Consulting. The title of my Capstone paper was “The United States National Security Strategy Regarding Syria.” The fourth classes that I chose were:
    • Business-Government Relations,
    • Econometrics,
    • The Economics and Policy of Science and Innovation,
    • Capstone Policy Seminar.
  • April 11, 2008В  was one of the most memorable days: The graduation ceremony in Alumni Park!