The Major

Requirements

Public policy majors must complete a total of 44 credits for the major, and complete all General Education requirements. Students may take up to 20 credits with a maximum of 12 upper division credits outside of the School of Public Policy. These 20 credits done outside of the School of Public Policy, when relevant, is inclusive of transfer credits, study abroad credits, and non-SPP courses taken at UMass Amherst. Courses that are cross-listed with SPP count as SPP courses.

Required Introductory Courses

One 100-level Gateway Course. This must be completed by the end of the second semester in the major.

Options:

SPP181: Controversies in Public Policy
SPP111: Policy in an Age of Precarity
SPP105: Introduction to Political Economy
SPP151: Water, Oil, and Blood: The Middle East in Global Policy
Another SPP 100-level course

Three 200-level courses. It’s recommended that these be completed by the end of the fourth semester in the major.

Required:

SPP203: Economics for Public Policy (ECON103 or RESECON102 may substitute)
SPP204: Statistical Models for Public Policy (STATISTC240, RES-ECON212, PSYCH240, ANTHRO281, PUBHLTH223 may substitute)
SPP280: Public Policy (POLISCI280 may substitute)

Students must achieve a cumulative average of 2.0 across the four introductory courses described above.

Upper-level Requirements

Students must also complete:

SPP301: Junior Writing Seminar: Communicating Public Policy (3 credits)
SPP302: SPP Practicum: Contemplating Your Career (1 credit)
SPP494D: Capstone for Public Policy Majors (Students may substitute SPP499D, SPP499T, or SPP499P, which fulfill honors requirements; or SPP496DI, independent study capstone) (4 credits)

Electives

In addition to the required courses, students will select elective courses that allow them to explore different interests, acquire additional skills and proficiencies, and develop a policy focus.

At least 5 elective courses are required, for a minimum of 20 credits. At least 12 of those credits must be from 300-level or above courses. A maximum of 4 credits earned through hands-on practicum units–SPP398R Undergraduate Research Experience Program and/or SPP398PI Public Policy Internship–may be applied toward the required 20 elective credits.

Eligible elective courses include all School of Public Policy courses as well as courses taught by SPP faculty in other departments. Students also may choose elective courses from departments across the Five Colleges, with approval. Electives include:

SPP208 Defending Democracy in a Digital World
SPP 228 Weighing the Evidence: Reasoning Under Uncertainty for Policy and Law
SPP230 The Politician and the Journalist
SPP309 Natural Resource Policy & Administration
SPP310 Environmental Economics
SPP312 Making a Difference: Policies and Strategies for Social Change
SPP320 Public Administration
SPP341 Social Welfare
SPP364 Gender and Race in U.S. Social Policy
SPP376 Catalyzing Change: Creating & Running a Nonprofit
SPP394PI Politics & Policy in the American Police State
SPP394LI Leadership for Social Impact
SPP398PI Public Policy Internship
SPP398R Undergraduate Research Experience Program
SPP525 Governing the Commons
SPP540 Internet Governance and Information Policy
SPP585 Introduction to GIS

Honors Program

The Public Policy Major welcomes all Commonwealth Honors College students. For detailed information on the diploma and transcript recognitions, and for criteria required to graduate with Latin honors, see the “University Graduate Requirements” section of the Guide. Enrollment preference in Honors courses is given to Commonwealth College and Public Policy students. Contact the Undergraduate Program Director for more information at publicpolicyba@umass.edu.

Education Abroad and Exchanges

Numerous opportunities are available for study at other institutions. Students can take classes at Smith, Amherst, Holyoke, and Hampshire college is part of the five College Consortium. Our domestic Exchange program allows individuals to choose from over 170 institutions in the US and continue UMass degree programs while on another campus. Our study abroad program provides the opportunity to attend a variety of foreign universities.

Up to 12 public policy credits may be taken to fulfill major requirements. Students must consult with a School of Public Policy advisor on course selection before starting the exchange.

Internships

The School of Public Policy assists students to connect with internships. Internships allow students to gain professional experience and make valuable connections while pursuing their individual interests. School of Public Policy students intern in a wide range of places – government offices, nonprofits, think tanks, private organizations – where they expand on what they have learned in the classroom, develop new skills for their future careers, and begin building a professional network.

Undergraduate Research

The School of Public Policy requires a senior Capstone Lab course that offers a variety of opportunities for our majors to engage in research. We also offer several additional opportunities for undergraduates to become involved in research through the Undergraduate Research Engagement Program, which brings our majors into faculty research project teams. Students may learn how to create, code and analyze data; develop new skills by participating in writing manuscripts for publication or grant applications; experience working in teams with faculty and graduate students; and/or present research at conferences and other public venues. Students may also pursue their own interests through independent study courses with the structured guidance of a faculty member. Commonwealth Honors College students have ample opportunities to conduct and write original research through honor theses and capstone projects.

Master's Programs

At the graduate level, we offer a one-year Master’s in Public Policy, including a 4+1 option open to outstanding Five College students; a two-year Master’s in Public Policy and Administration; and dual degrees in Business Administration, Higher Education, Public Health, and Regional Planning. Social justice in teaching and research is integrated into all SPP degree programs, to facilitate a deeper understanding of the role that public policy plays in the lives of each member of society and to prepare graduates for careers at the forefront of social change.