The Minor

Requirements

To complete the minor in Public Policy, students must complete five courses.

All students must take SPP 280 Public Policy.
Students should take four additional SPP courses of which:

One must be at the 100-level or higher;
One must be at the 200-level or higher; and
Two must be at the 300-level or higher.

All coursework must carry at least 3 credits and be taken for a letter grade. The overall GPA for the minor must be at least 2.0. At least three of the five courses must be taken within (or be cross listed with) the UMass Amherst School of Public Policy, with at most two courses being transferred from another program, such as a previous institution or through a study abroad institution. Per University policy, at most two courses for the minor may overlap with another major, minor, or certificate. Finally, neither practica, independent studies, undergraduate research experiences through the UREP program (i.e., SPP 398R), nor SPP 301 (i.e., JYW) count towards the minor.

For the 100-level public policy course, students several options. Each of these classes give students an overview of major public problems that policy makers face and an introduction to central approaches that address those problems and/or actors involved, serving as a gateway into studying public policy. Alternatively, students may choose to take a higher numbered course to fulfill this requirement. The current courses at the 100-level include:

SPP 105 Introduction to Political Economy (SB, DU) (cross-listed with ECON 105)
SPP 111 Policy in an Age of Precarity (SB, DU)
SPP 181 Controversies in Public Policy (SB, DU) (cross-listed with POLISCI 181)
SPP 151 Blood, Oil, and Water: The Middle East in Global Policy (SB, DG) (cross-listed with MES 151)

Students will be required to take SPP 280 Public Policy, which is the core course providing an overview of the policy process and theories of policy making and implementation. The course focuses on how public policies are made in the U.S., including the role of citizens, interest groups, and government institutions. It emphasizes the processes by which policies are made in and across various institutions, including the Presidency, Congress, bureaucracy, and courts. Moreover, as it provides examples, the course touches on multiple policy areas, such as campaign finance, criminal justice, and the environment.

At the 200-level, students currently have a number of options, which is growing each year. 200-level courses allow students to look at policy from a particular perspective, while also focusing on building a common vocabulary and understanding. Alternatively, students may choose to take a higher numbered course to fulfill this requirement. Their current options at the 200-level are:

SPP 203 Economics for Public Policy (SB)
SPP 204 Statistical Models for Public Policy (R2)
SPP 208 Defending Democracy in a Digital World (SB) (cross-listed with COMM 208 and CICS 208)
SPP 228 Weighing the Evidence: Reasoning under Uncertainty for Policy and Law (R2)

Finally, students must take two 300-level or above courses. With this requirement, students may explore a particular policy area or grow a certain skill set, such as leadership or nonprofit management, that relates to their interests. Currently, their options at the 300-level include the following, but this list is continuing to grow:

SPP 309 Natural Resource Policy Administration (cross-listed with NRC 309)
SPP 310 Environmental and Resource Economics (cross-listed with ECON 310)
SPP 312 Making a Difference: Policies and Strategies for Social Change
SPP 320 Public Administration (cross-listed with POLISCI 320)
SPP 364 Gender and Race in U.S. Social Policy (cross-listed with POLISCI 364 and HIST 364)
SPP 376 Catalyzing Change: Creating and Running a Nonprofit
SPP 394L Leading for Social Impact (IE)
SPP 394PI Politics and Policy in the American Police State (IE) (cross-listed with Legal Studies LEGAL 394PI)

Students may choose to take a higher numbered course to fulfill the minor requirements. Currently, courses at the 400- and 500-levels that students may take are listed here, but this list is continuing to grow with courses currently proposed and making their way through the system noted in italics:

SPP 494D Capstone Lab Seminar (IE)
SPP 499C/D Tackling Today's Big Problems through Policy, Policy Methods/Lab (IE)
SPP 540 Internet Governance and Information Policy (cross-listed with COMM 540)
SPP 585 Introduction to GIS (cross-listed with Geography GEOGRAPH 585, NRC 585 and DACSS 585)
SPP 590HR Human Rights and Public Administration
SPP 597GC Governing the Commons (cross-listed with ECO)

Beyond this, students may petition to take a master’s level course to fulfill the minor requirements. If that course is offered through SPP, it would count towards the requirement that at least three courses be taken within the UMass School of Public Policy.