Getting Started
College: SBS
How to Explore the Major
Suggested General Education Courses
All Undergraduates are required to satisfy the General Education Requirements. Guidelines for students are available at www.umass.edu/gened. Students should choose a wide variety of Gen Ed courses, providing breadth of experience.
Depending upon the student’s math placement score on the algebra section, math courses may be needed to prepare for SPP203 Economics for Public Policy and SPP204 Statistical Models for Public Policy. Common pathways are below, but additional options can be found in the description of each course in SPIRE:
- Math placement 0 - 10: Algebra prep course in summer or winter, MATH 101, MATH 102
- Math placement 11 - 15: MATH 101, MATH 102
- Math placement 16 - 19: STATISTICS 111
- Math placement 20+: R1 exemption exam
Suggested Major and Pre-requisite Courses
Suggested for First Year Students
Any one of the following courses:
- SPP181 Controversies in Public Policy (SB, DU)
- SPP111 Policy in an Age of Precarity (SB, DU)
- EC105 Introduction to Political Economy (SB, DU)
- SPP190A Water, Oil, and Blood: The Middle East in Global Policy (SB, DG)
All of the following courses:
- SPP203 Economics for Public Policy (SB) [ECON103 or RES-ECON102 may substitute]
- SPP280 Public Policy (SB)
- SPP200-level elective
Suggested for Second Year Students
- Any of the above courses that are not yet complete
- SPP204 Statistical Methods in Public Policy (R2) [STATISTC240, RES-ECON212, PSYCH240, ANTHRO281, PUBHLTH 223 may substitute]
- SPP200+ electives
How to Declare/ Change into the Major
For current and admitted students: This major is unrestricted, which means any student may declare the major. To declare the major or to learn more about it, make an appointment on Navigate at this link. For Advising Care Unit, choose “Explore How to Declare or Change Majors” and then select “Explore Public Policy Major” as the Service.
Transfer Students:
Transfer students may transfer up to 20 credits with a maximum of 12 upper division credits inclusive of study abroad credits into the Public Policy major if approved by the Undergraduate Program Director. All transfer students should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Advising once they arrive on campus.
Summary of Requirements for Major
See the Major Page located in the left menu bar to learn more about the Public Policy major.
The Public Policy is a 44-credit major that works well as a double major with other social sciences, the humanities, and natural sciences. As a public policy major, you will explore the big problems facing our world and learn how to take actions to solve them. You will learn about problems from multiple perspectives and how the policy process shapes and reshapes policy solutions and their implementation. At the core of this major is a focus on your ability to be a change agent to actively work on solutions to complex public problems. If you are interested in management, we offer an array of courses on public, nonprofit, and social enterprise management.
Is there a minor?
There is no minor but the School of Public Policy offers a Certificate in Public Policy. It is a flexible program that requires three courses (microeconomics, statistics, and public policy or management) and a five-course student-designed area of specialization. See the School of Public Policy Undergraduate Programs webpage https://www.umass.edu/spp/academics/undergraduate-certificate/requirements.
For further information, contact:
Faith Nussbaum, Director of Undergraduate Advising
publicpolicyba@umass.edu