Questions of public policy are an increasingly
important element of any modern education. The Minor in Public Policy seeks to
provide undergraduates with a systematic overview of public policy
questions. The minor will deal with
these questions in theoretical and conceptual ways and will expose students to
practical issues of public policy through the examination of specific policy
issues and real world policy questions.
The minor is structured around three key
elements: (1) two core courses that
examine the principles and practice of public policy; (2) a sequence of three
courses, or a “cluster,” devoted to specific policy questions; and (3) a seminar
that will build on and synthesize the student’s previous work. Students will also be required to take at
least one elective chosen from the undergraduate course offerings of the School
of Public Policy and Social Research.
Five clusters are offered – Social Welfare, Urban
Policy and Planning, Policy Studies, Gender and Multiculturalism, and Labor and
Work. As resources and enrollments
permit, additional clusters will be offered.
With faculty approval, students may also design their own clusters.
Prerequisites
and Admission
There are no prerequisites for admission to the
minor, but students are strongly encouraged to take a lower division course in
Statistics. Students may enroll in the
Minor in Public Policy on completion of Policy Studies 10A with a grade of C or
better. Enrollment in the Minor
requires submission of a blue petition to the Director of Undergraduate
Studies, 3357 Public Policy Building.
During the quarter in which the student expects to receive his/her
degree, a copy of the Program Worksheet must be- submitted to the same office
for verification that the requirements for the minor have been met. If all requirements have been met, the minor
will be reflected on the final transcript and on the diploma.
Core
Courses
All students must take two core courses:
Policy Studies 10A:
Introduction to Public Policy This course is designed to introduce students to
themes, concepts, and actual examples of policy analysis. As an introductory overview, it covers the
principle topics of contemporary policy analysis, developing their applications
with examples from the instructor’s own research, from visitors, from small
student projects, and even from field trips.
The guiding idea of the course is to link the abstractions with
applications, and to help students take these abstractions to easily identified
real world examples.
Policy Studies 10B:
Applied Policy Analysis
This course will present applications of public
policy analysis to actual policy interventions and issues along various
dimensions: local, national,
international, and historical. Examples
include crime, congestion, transition of defense-related industries in the post-Cold War era, fiscal issues,
immigration, international trade agreements, zoning, rent controls, education,
and regulation or promotion of particular industries. Students will conduct
research in selected areas of public policy.
This course is offered in Winter quarter.
In lieu of 10B, one of two other courses may be
used, Honors Collegium 82 , Community and Labor Development from the Ground Up
(Fall) or Policy Studies 116, Nuclear Weapons: Critical Decisions (also may be
taken as HC M 119) (Spring).
Cluster Courses
The
cluster consists of three courses selected from one of the groups listed below:
Social Welfare Cluster –
The required course (SW 100A) builds
upon the core courses by applying the concepts and framework for understanding
policy formulation and implementation of social policy and social welfare
programs. Students may then select any
two additional upper division social welfare courses to focus their preparation
in public policy more specifically.
Urban Policy and Planning Cluster – This cluster gives students
an overview of the evolution of city planning and policy making, urban theories,
current urban planning and policy debates, and an in-depth look at a specific
sub-area of urban planning and policy.
Students select three upper division urban planning courses.
Labor and Work Cluster – The Labor and Work Cluster provides students with a basis for
understanding the connections between labor issues and public policy. Public policies extend deeply into the
contemporary workplace, with important consequences for business, labor,
employees, and the public. Students
will learn from several leading scholars in labor and employment related fields
and will gain insight into practical applications for policy research and
analysis.
Policy Studies 141: Employment and Labor Policy: A Survey
Policy Studies 142: Labor Markets and Public Policy
Policy Studies 144: Comparative Industrial Relations
Policy Studies 145: Labor Policies in the United States: Historical Perspectives
Policy Studies 148: Business and Public Policy
Policy Studies Cluster - Any three policy
studies upper division courses.
Gender
and Multiculturalism – Three courses from the following: --Policy Studies M120, Social
Welfare 101, 104A, 104B, M104C, 104F, M108, Urban Planning M194, 197
Elective
All students must take one upper division course
from undergraduate courses offered by the School of Public Policy and Social
Research not used to meet the cluster requirements and from a department
different from the cluster.
Capstone
Undergraduates
who wish to complete the minor must take a) PS 197, Research Seminar in Policy
Studies or b) one upper division or graduate course and one 199 course
requiring a comprehensive policy paper to be taken concurrently with the same
instructor in the School of Public Policy and Social Research, (c) Political
Science M197W, or (d) one 199 course taken in conjunction with a policy,
planning, or social work internship, and a comprehensive policy paper written
under the guidance of a School of Public Policy and Social Research faculty
member.
Course Credit and Minimum
Scholarship
The
Minor in Public Policy requires seven courses for a total of 28 units. Students must earn at least the University
minimum requirement of a C (2.0) average in courses taken for the minor.
During
the quarter prior to graduation, students must fill out and submit a Degree
Worksheet available in PP 335.
For
more information, contact:
Director of Undergraduate Studies
3357M Public Policy Building
(310) 206-4613