Policy and Values
Policy and Values
College of Arts and Sciences
Policy and Values is not your paint-by-numbers public policy program. ÑÇÖÞporn's program provides students with two equally important competencies: a knowledge of how American policy systems work, and an ability to think critically about the values, value structures and world views of the actors within those systems.
This innovative approach immersed in the liberal arts — a staple across ÑÇÖÞporn programs — has several advantages for students:
- they're prepared for law school and/or a career in policymaking in the private and public sectors, or other paths that demand creative problem-solving and thoughtful leadership
- they're exposed to multiple perspectives academically, politically, culturally and religiously
- they're challenged to empathize and listen, essential skills that serve as a foundation to impact the world around them
The curriculum for this major consists of two elements.
1. Students take a multidisciplinary core of classes that teach political systems, skills for navigating them and the value-context in which they reside.
2. Students choose a policy specialization of health care, legal affairs or environmental policy to increase their policy-specific knowledge.
A Policy and Values minor provides a scaled-down version of the core curriculum and doesn't require a policy specialization. Either a major or minor in this program would pair well with other courses of study, including sociology, history, economics, natural resources and environmental sciences and English.
Career Paths
Law school/attorney
Congressional staffer
Elected official
Campaign consultant
Government work (administration)
Compliance officer
Regulatory official
Journalist
Nonprofit work (advocacy)
Nonprofit work (administration)
Policy analyst
Lobbyist
Divinity school/clergy
Faculty and Staff
Emphasis Areas
Health Care Policy
Legal Affairs
Environmental Policy
Other Program Information
Major Requirements
(Policy and Values minor also available)
POV 101 Introduction to Policy and Values*
PSI 101 (American Politics) OR 234 (Legislative and Executive Behavior)*
PRE 111 (Ethics)*
PRE 115 (Comparative Religions) OR ANT/SOC 308 (Cultural Anthropology)*
ECO 203 (Macroeconomics and Literacy)*
CMS 301 (Strategic Writing) OR CMS 330 (Public Relations)*
PSI 330 (Religion in Politics)
PSI 216 (Public Opinion and Citizen Action) OR PSI 313 (Political Parties and Interest Groups)*
ECO/PSI 308 (Public Finance)
BUS 315 (Organizational Behavior)
POV 49X (Capstone Experience)
Core: 33 credits
Majors will also choose a concentration, either from the choices below or self-designed:
Healthcare Policy
SOC 318 (The Sociology of Health and Health Care)
And choose two of:
EVS 205 (Principles of Environmental Public Health)
ECO 329 (Health Care Economics)
PSY/SOC 230 (Social Problems)
Environmental Policy
EVS 392 (Environmental Policy and Sustainability)
And choose two of:
ECO 309 (Environmental Economics)
EVS 105 (Introduction to Natural Resources)
EVS 201 (Environmental Science)
EVS 205 (Principles of Environmental Public Health)
EVS 320 (Introduction to Geographic Information Systems)
EVS 330 (Earth, Climate, and Energy)
HIS 320 (American Environmental History)
Legal Affairs
PSI 328 (Constitutional Law)
And choose two of:
BUS 250 (Legal Environment of Business)
CMM 445 (Legal and Ethical Issues)
PSI 332 (Current Legal Issues)
SOC 310 (Corrections)
SOC 314 (Criminal Law and Procedure)
Self-Designed: At least nine credits in a single area of substance, designed in collaboration with program faculty, and subject to their approval
Total: 42 credits
*Required for Policy and Values minor
Jaden Hilkemann '23
