Public Policy Undergraduate Major (BS, HBS)
Also available via Ecampus.
The discipline of public policy is closely connected to the practice of policy and this program ensures that students interact with policy-makers as well as the knowledge-producers who support policy decisions. Graduates of the BSPP will have the skills necessary for understanding the political, economic, and social constraints faced by policy makers, assessing the performance of alternative approaches to policy implementation, evaluating the effectiveness of policies, and appreciating the sharp conflicts in fundamental human values that animate critical policy debates. The Public Policy Major will provide students with a set of research, analytical, and management skills that will be transferable across sectors and across issue areas. The undergraduate program will prepare graduates for a career not only in public service (federal, state, and local government), but also in not-for-profit and for-profit organizations, as well as admissions to competitive graduate programs in a wide range of programs through which they may further broaden their intellectual and practical experience and expertise.
The BSPP is designed with an emphasis on substantive interdisciplinary knowledge about important policy issues, analytic skills, and policy practice. Students will have the opportunity to pursue their individual interests and passion in specialization areas, each of which is supported by a wealth of experience and expertise in both the School of Public Policy and across the OSU campus.
Major Code: 801
- Apply social science methods and policy analysis to practical problems of government, communities, regions, and/or global issues.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply oral and written communication skills in public appearances, written reports and documents.
- Follow ethical principles for citing sources, using human subjects, serving the public, and working with colleagues.
- Develop critical thinking about public policy issues and the ability to conduct professional analyses of social, political, and economic structures and bureaucratic processes.
- Majors are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 across public policy major requirements
- Majors are required to take a minimum of five courses in their major specialization within the School of Public Policy (ECON, PPOL, PS, SOC)
- Majors must complete a minimum of 51 credits in major-required courses
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Core | ||
PPOL 201 | INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY | 4 |
PS 331 | *STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS | 4 |
PS 371/PPOL 371 | PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS | 4 |
PS 372/PPOL 372 | PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | 4 |
PPOL 413 | ETHICS IN PUBLIC POLICY | 4 |
PPOL 415 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR | 2 |
Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
PUBLIC ECONOMICS | ||
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | ||
*POPULATION TRENDS AND POLICY | ||
Methods | ||
PPOL 421 | INTRODUCTION TO POLICY RESEARCH | 4 |
PPOL 422 | ^POLICY ANALYSIS | 4 |
Specialization | ||
Select 18-24 credits from one of the following specialization areas: | 18-24 | |
Environmental Policy Specialization | ||
*ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, POLICY, AND ECONOMICS | ||
*NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
*GLOBAL POVERTY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT | ||
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW | ||
*HUMAN ECOLOGY | ||
*OCEANS IN PERIL | ||
*ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
^PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS | ||
ECONOMICS OF TRADITIONAL AND RENEWABLE ENERGY | ||
*CONSENSUS AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
^FOREST POLICY | ||
NATURAL RESOURCE POLICY AND LAW | ||
MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES OF PACIFIC SALMON IN THE NORTHWEST | ||
INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT | ||
*MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES IN NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
*FOOD FROM THE SEA | ||
*ENDANGERED SPECIES, SOCIETY AND SUSTAINABILITY | ||
FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE LAW AND POLICY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN LAW | ||
*ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | ||
*ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS | ||
INTERNSHIP/WORK EXPERIENCE | ||
*ENERGY, CLIMATE AND SOCIETY | ||
THE POLICY AND LAW OF U.S. COASTAL GOVERNANCE | ||
INTEGRATED POLICY: FOOD, ENERGY, WATER, CLIMATE | ||
MARINE POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
*SUSTAINABLE LIVING: PRACTICES AND POLICIES | ||
*THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE | ||
GLOBAL FOOD POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
US ENERGY POLICY | ||
ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
SCIENCE AND POLITICS | ||
RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY | ||
SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY | ||
*ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
*SOCIETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
*WOMEN AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
Rural Policy Specialization | ||
AGRICULTURAL LAW | ||
ECONOMICS OF RURAL POVERTY AND THE U.S. SOCIAL SAFETY NET | ||
RURAL DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
*RURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
*NATURAL RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY VALUES | ||
*ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | ||
*CONSENSUS AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
INTERNSHIP/WORK EXPERIENCE | ||
INTEGRATED POLICY: FOOD, ENERGY, WATER, CLIMATE | ||
GLOBAL FOOD POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY | ||
RURAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
*ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
*SOCIETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
Social Policy Specialization | ||
APPROACHES TO SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
*WEALTH AND POVERTY | ||
*THE ECONOMICS OF DISCRIMINATION | ||
BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS | ||
^PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS | ||
ECONOMICS OF GLOBALIZATION | ||
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | ||
LABOR ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL POLICY | ||
ECONOMICS OF INEQUALITY | ||
*FAMILIES AND POVERTY | ||
FAMILY POLICY | ||
*WHEN SCIENCE ESCAPES THE LAB: SCIENCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
INTERNSHIP/WORK EXPERIENCE | ||
*ENERGY, CLIMATE AND SOCIETY | ||
GENDER AND POLITICS | ||
*POLITICS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS | ||
*GENDER AND RACE IN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
*THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND POLICIES | ||
GLOBAL FOOD POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
*SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY | ||
HEALTH, ILLNESS AND SOCIETY | ||
DEATH AND DYING | ||
*SOCIAL INEQUALITY | ||
GENDER AND SOCIETY | ||
RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS | ||
US IMMIGRATION ISSUES IN THE 21ST CENTURY | ||
WELFARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES | ||
SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION | ||
LEISURE AND CULTURE | ||
THE SOCIOLOGY OF GLOBALIZATION | ||
COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR | ||
*SOCIAL MOVEMENTS | ||
Additional Requirements | ||
Remaining Bacc Core, CLA Core, BS Requirements and Electives | 122-128 | |
Total Credits | 180 |
- *
Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)
- ^
Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
Major Code: 801
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
WR 121 | *ENGLISH COMPOSITION | 4 |
PPOL 201 | INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY | 4 |
Bacc Core: Biological Science | 4 | |
Bacc Core: Speech | 3 | |
Bacc Core: PAC | 1 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Winter | ||
HHS 231 | *LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH | 2 |
Bacc Core: Physical Science | 4 | |
Bacc Core: Western Culture | 3 | |
CLA Core: Fine Arts | 3 | |
BS Computer Science | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Spring | ||
Bacc Core: Third Lab Science | 4 | |
Bacc Core: Literature and The Arts | 4 | |
CLA Core: Non Western Culture | 3 | |
Additional CLA Core Course | 3 | |
Credits | 14 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
CLA Core: Social Science | 3 | |
CLA Core: Humanities | 3 | |
Bacc Core: WR II | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
General Elective | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Winter | ||
MTH 111 | *COLLEGE ALGEBRA | 4 |
Bacc Core: Cultural Diversity | 3 | |
BS Science Course | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Spring | ||
PS 371 | PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS | 4 |
ST 351 or MTH 245 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS or *MATHEMATICS FOR MANAGEMENT, LIFE, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES | 4 |
Bacc Core: Difference, Power and Discrimination | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
Credits | 14 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
PS 372 | PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | 4 |
Specialization Course | 4 | |
General Elective | 4 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Winter | ||
PPOL 421 | INTRODUCTION TO POLICY RESEARCH | 4 |
Specialization Course | 4 | |
Bacc Core: Synthesis | 3 | |
General Elective | 4 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring | ||
PPOL 422 | ^POLICY ANALYSIS | 4 |
PS 331 | *STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS | 4 |
PPOL 413 | ETHICS IN PUBLIC POLICY | 4 |
General Elective | 3 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
ECON 435 | PUBLIC ECONOMICS or INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY or *POPULATION TRENDS AND POLICY | 4 |
Specialization Course | 4 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
Credits | 14 | |
Winter | ||
PPOL 415 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR | 2 |
Specialization Course | 3 | |
Specialization Course | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
General Elective | 4 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring | ||
Specialization Course | 4 | |
Bacc Core: Synthesis | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
General Elective | 4 | |
Credits | 14 | |
Total Credits | 180 |