Public Policy

The Public Policy Program is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major, minor, and graduate program of study. The degree programs share a common educational mission: providing students with rigorous, evidence-based training in public policy research and policy analysis.

Through our curriculum, students develop advanced analytic skills, gain a deep appreciation for the organizational complexities of implementing public programs, and learn to navigate the sharp conflicts in ethical and value commitments that pervade modern public policy issues.

Academic Programs and Policy Analysis

The Public Policy Program offers comprehensive undergraduate, coterminal, and graduate pathways designed to prepare students to solve complex societal challenges. Our core educational objectives ensure that students:

• Understand Cooperation: Analyze the systemic advantages of and barriers to effective human social and political cooperation.

• Evaluate Normative Objectives: Acquire a structured framework for formulating and evaluating policy goals defined in terms of human well-being, justice, and fairness.

• Master Analytical Tools: Develop quantitative and qualitative tools to evaluate public policies and programs in terms of their absolute and comparative efficacy in achieving social objectives.

• Apply Practical Decision-Making: Bring these analytical principles and tools into practical application for decision-making in the real world, from the perspectives of both political leaders and active citizens.

Interdisciplinary Integration and Methodological Foundations

To effectively analyze and address public issues, policy analysis requires a broader understanding than that provided by any single discipline. The Public Policy curriculum synthesizes key insights from across the academic spectrum:

• Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy: Public policy integrates political science (the study of political decision-making processes), economics (the study of efficient resource allocation), and moral and political philosophy (the rational relationship between fundamental values and actions).

• Quantitative and Data Sciences: Relying on mathematics, statistics, and econometrics to identify, collect, and test data in order to understand and measure the actual effects of policies and programs.

• Behavioral and Neurosciences: Drawing on psychology and related neurosciences to analyze individual and collective human behavior, much of which is founded on emotion and instinct.

• Humanities and Communication: Enriching analysis with the humanities, the scientific method, and the experiences of diverse cultures. The program places an essential emphasis on communication skills, ensuring analysts can translate complex findings clearly and effectively to decision-makers and lay audiences.