Minor in Public Policy

 

Minor in Public Policy

 
Link to Minor in Public Policy Planning Guide in PDF Format
 
WHAT IS PUBLIC POLICY?
 
Public Policy is how communities address their complex challenges in such areas as health, education, housing, energy, poverty, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Public Policy is the product of choices made by governments that drive public investments, create rules and sanctions, establish services and security, guide and regulate markets and businesses, or allocate benefits and costs to citizens. Public Policy changes the world.
 
AREAS OF EMPHASIS
 
Public Policy minors learn how to formulate, evaluate, and promote policy options that can make a difference in their cities, nation, and the world. The Public Policy minor draws from many disciplines, including law, economics, political science, sociology, history, urban studies, geography, and environmental studies.   Students learn about the public policy process and also develop substantive knowledge in policy areas such as health, education, and the environment.
 
WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT THE PROGRAM?
 
The Public Policy minor is in the School of Public Policy and Administration which has offered nationally ranked and internationally recognized graduate programs for 40 years. Now those learning opportunities are available to UD undergraduates. The distinctive Delaware model of public policy education integrates academic excellence with professional experience by enabling students to work side-by-side with faculty and professionals to apply learning from their classrooms to the actual policy challenges of communities and organizations. 
 
Our faculty includes accomplished interdisciplinary scholars and teachers who also have extensive experience working with government, nonprofit community organizations and the commercial sector. Each year, these faculty carry out hundreds of projects on practical policy issues, creating and applying useable knowledge to inform decision-making, improve leadership and management, and positively impact the quality of life in communities across the globe.   Public Policy students work with the faculty and learn from them at every step, helping to design policy research, develop training programs, gather and analyze data, organize conferences and write and present policy reports.
 
The learning experience of Public Policy minors thus extends far beyond the classroom. Students engage in problem-solving and service learning and they participate in substantive analysis and research on critical issues. Our communities are our learning laboratories and our students learn how to translate ideas into public policies and community programs. 
 
The minor in Public Policy requires 18 credit hours, distributed as follows:
 

Three PUBLIC POLICY courses listed below (9 credits),   All courses included in the minor must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

 

UAPP 110

Changing the World: The Role of Public Policy

UAPP 225

Crafting Public Policy

UAPP 325

Public Policy Analysis

 

Three additional courses in one of the following public policy concentrations:
 

Policy Studies

Policy Analysis

Public and Nonprofit Administration

Urban Policy, Planning, and Historic Preservation.  

 

Courses for the four concentrations are listed on the reverse side and at the School’s website.