The B.A. in Public Policy prepares students to take on their communities’ toughest problems and become leaders who help solve them. It trains students in the theories, values, and skills that shape the policymaking process: economics, statistics, ethics, political processes, and policy communication. Students apply these tools through case studies, applied exercises, and a capstone project. Students learn to analyze policy challenges using data, evaluate programs and outcomes, and communicate solutions to diverse audiences. Graduates go on to careers in government, nonprofit, and private-sector settings, where they contribute to evidence-based solutions. Graduates of the BA in Public Policy strengthen the state’s capacity to develop effective public policy and help meet the state’s and the nation’s need for trained policy analysts.
Course Requirements
| MATH 111 or ST 260 Introduction to Data Science/Statistical Data Analysis | 3 |
| EC 110 or 112 Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Political Context of Policymaking (Select One) – PSC 101 Intro to American Politics – PSC 211 State and Local Government – PSC 312 American Legislative Systems – PSC 361 Fiscal Policy and Budget – PSC 368 Interest Group Politics – PSC 370 American Public Policy | 3 |
| PPOL 320 Economics of Public Policy | 3 |
| PPOL 321 Values in Public Policy | 3 |
| PPOL 322 Communicating Public Policy (Satisfies Writing Core) | 3 |
| PPOL 420 Policy Analysis and Evaluation | 3 |
| PPOL 497 Capstone in Public Policy | 3 |
| Choose two electives from list of approved courses (See Electives List Below) | 6 |
| Total Credits for Major | 33 |
Electives
Students may petition the School of Leadership and Policy to substitute a course that is not on this list whose focus is on public policy.
| ANT 311 Pop., Health & Human Origins | 3 |
| ANT 402 Health Inequities | 3 |
| ANT 411 Culture, Health, and Healing | 3 |
| EC 410 Law And Economics | 3 |
| EC 413 Econ Forecasting & Analysis | 3 |
| EC 416 Monetary Theory & Policy | 3 |
| EC 423 Public Finance | 3 |
| EC 430 International Trade | 3 |
| EC 480 Econ of Environment | 3 |
| EC 483 Health Care Economics | 3 |
| FI 444 Life & Health Insurance | 3 |
| GY 105 World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GY 317 Natural Hazards | 3 |
| GY 339 Natural Resource Envirmn Plang | 3 |
| GY 358 Urban Geography | 3 |
| GY 377 Cultural Geography | 3 |
| GY 409 Forest Ecosystem Restoration | 4 |
| GY 418 Spatial and Geostats | 3 |
| GY 430 Intro Geographic Info Systems | 4 |
| GY 441 Land Use Regulations | 3 |
| GY 443 Location Science | 3 |
| GY 452 Environ Decision Making | 3 |
| GY 453 Environment & Society | 3 |
| GY 458 Urban Planning And Analysis | 3 |
| GY 461 Political Ecology | 3 |
| GY 462 Land Use Science | 4 |
| GY 466 Geography of Automobility | 3 |
| GY 473 Public Policy Water | 3 |
| GY 477 Water Resources Management | 3 |
| GY 478 Advanced Water Policy and Law | 3 |
| GY 480 Large River Basin Management | 3 |
| GY 481 Water Diplomacy | 3 |
| HY 474 Relation US Latin Amer | 3 |
| HY 482 War & Religion in the West | 3 |
| MS 433 Coastal Zone Management | 2 |
| POPH 423 Basic Epidemiology | 3 |
| PSC 365 Environmental Policy | 3 |
| PSC 375 Election Reform in America | 3 |
| PSC 413 Amer Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PSC 414 Foreign Policy Decisionmaking | 3 |
| PSC 434 Internatl Polit Econom | 3 |
| PSC 444 International Organizations | 3 |
| PSC 445 Humanitarianism | 3 |
| PSC 446 Political Economy of Security | 3 |
| PSC 464 The Politics of Health Policy | 3 |
| PSC 466 The Politics of Poverty | 3 |
| PSC 468 Politics of Education | 3 |
| RCH 400 Rural Envir/Occup Health | 3 |
| SW 200 Reform and Resistance | 3 |
| SW 205 Honors Reform and Resistance | 3 |
| SW 206 Growing Old In America | 3 |
| SW 208 Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| SW 210 Family & Child Welfare | 3 |
| SW 351 Anti-Oppression Social Justice | 3 |
| SW 401 Soc Wel Policy & Services | 3 |
| SW 405 Hon Soc Wel Pol & Serv | 3 |
| SW 419 International Social Work | 3 |