Required Credit Hours: 33 (From Courses Below)

In addition to the 33 credits for the major, there are two implicit requirements:

• ECON 101 is a pre-requisite for several of the required major classes.
• ECON 102 is a pre-requisite for several of the major elective classes. It is possible to get a Public Policy major without taking ECON 102, but we recommend it to ensure the widest array of elective options.

Major Computing Requirement:

The Major Computing Requirement is fulfilled by completion of one course listed under “Statistics” and one course listed under “Second Methods Course” in the Core of the Public Policy major.

Major Writing Requirement:

The Major Writing Requirement is fulfilled either by:

• earning at least a C- in one of the courses listed under the “Capstone Experience” in the Core of the Public Policy major; or
• earning at least a C- in one course that fulfills the ECON writing requirement or GOVT writing requirement that has been approved by Public Policy.

Core:

A major in Public Policy shall consist of a minimum of 33 semester hours selected from the courses listed below. Students take seven common core courses as follows:

Electives:

Students may choose a minimum of any four courses (12 credits) to fulfill the electives portion of their major. The list of electives changes over time. For the most up-to-date list, check DegreeWorks. In addition, students may petition the Public Policy Program to have a course that is not listed be approved for major elective credit, which can include topics courses and independent study in ECON, GOVT, SOCL, and other fields. Information on how to submit a petition appears on the Public Policy website.

• BUAD 442 - The Psychology of Decision Making Credits: (3) (Cross listed with PSYC 442 )
• ECON 304 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory Credits: (3)
• ECON 308 - Econometrics Credits: (3) (if not taken for core)
• ECON 311 - Money and Banking Credits: (3)
• ECON 321 - Economics of the Public Sector Credits: (3) (if not taken for core)
• ECON 322 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Credits: (3) (if not taken for core)
• ECON 325 - Urban Economics Credits: (3)
• ECON 341 - American Economic History Credits: (3)
• ECON 362 - Regulation of Markets Credits: (3)
• ECON 382 - Comparative Economics Credits: (3)
• ECON 383 - Survey of Development Economics
• ECON 407 - Cross Section Econometrics Credits: (3)
• ECON 408 - Time-Series Econometrics Credits: (3)
• ECON 412 - Stabilization Policy
• ECON 420 - Economics of Information Credits: (3)
• ECON 422 - Applied Environmental Economics Credits: (3)
• ECON 451 - Labor Market Analysis Credits: (3)
• ECON 456 - Economics of Health and Health Care Credits: (3)
• ECON 460 - Economic Analysis of Law Credits: (3)
• ECON 461 - Industrial Organization: Theory, Evidence and Cases Credits: (3)
• ECON 475 - International Trade Theory and Policy Credits: (3)
• ECON 476 - International Finance and Open Economy Macroeconomics Credits: (3)
• EDUC 402 - Urban Education: Policy, Practice and Leadership Credits: (3)
• EDUC 417 Critical Race Theory & Education Credits: (3)
• GOVT 302 - Quantitative Methods Credits: (3)
• GOVT 307 - Political Polling and Survey Analysis Credits: (3)
• GOVT 324 - U.S. Foreign Policy Credits: (3)
• GOVT 328 - International Political Economy Credits: (3)
• GOVT 329 - International Security Credits: (3)
• GOVT 351 - Bureaucracy Credits: (3) (if not taken for Core)
• GOVT 353 - The Politics of States and Localities Credits: (3)
• GOVT 355 - Southern Politics Credits: (3)
• GOVT 360 - Building the American Welfare State Credits: (3)
• GOVT 370 - The Legislative Process Credits: (3)
• GOVT 371 - The Presidency Credits: (3)
• GOVT 372 - American Legal Process Credits: (3) (if not taken for Core)
• GOVT 373 - Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Credits: (3)
• GOVT 374 - Political Behavior Credits: (3)

• GOVT 391   Politics of Inequality Credits: (3)

• GOVT 404 - Seminar: International Politics Credits: (4)
• GOVT 435 - Seminar: Political Economy of the Newly Industrializing Countries Credits: (4)
• GOVT 454 - Seminar: The Politics of Metropolitan Areas Credits: (4)
• GOVT 455 - Seminar: Education Policy and Politics in the United States Credits: (4)
• GOVT 465 - Seminar: Public Opinion and Voting Behavior Credits: (4)
• GOVT 470 - Seminar: Congress and the President Credits: (4)
• MATH 323 - Operations Research: Deterministic Models Credits: (3)
• MATH 424 - Operations Research: Stochastic Models Credits: (3)
• PSYC 350 - Community Psychology and Prevention Credits: (3)
• PSYC 442 - Psychology of Decision Making Credits: (3)
• PSYC 450 - Psychology of Religion Credits: (3)
• PUBP 324 - Economics of US Health Policy Credits: (3)
• PUBP 390 - Topics in Public Policy Credits: (3) (as well as 300 and 400 level Topics courses in Economics, Government, History, Psychology and Sociology provided that the course has a strong public policy focus)
• PUBP 419 - Social Network Analysis Credits: (3)
• PUBP 490 - Independent Study Credits: (3)

• (as well as independent study in Economics, Government, History, Psychology and Sociology, provided that the project has a strong public policy focus)

• PUBP 491 - Advanced Topics in Public Policy Credits: (1-3)
• PUBP 495 - Honors Credits: (3)
• PUBP 496 - Honors Credits: (3)
• RELG 322 - Illness and the Religious Imagination Credits: (3)
• SOCL 302 - Criminology Credits: (3)
• SOCL 306 - Urban Sociology Credits: (3)
• SOCL 307 - Sociology of Education Credits: (3)
• SOCL 308 - Environmental Sociology Credits: (3)
• SOCL 311 - Birth, Sex, Death: Population and Society Credits: (3)
• SOCL 313 - Globalization and International Development Credits: (3)
• SOCL 337 - Immigration, Assimilation and Ethnicity Credits: (3)
• SOCL 340 - Sociology of Mental Health (3)
• SOCL 352 - Research Design Credits: (3)
• SOCL 362 - Medical Sociology Credits: (3)
• SOCL 405 - Sociology of Aging Credits: (3)
• SOCL 408 - Migration in a Global Context Credits: (3)
• SOCL 427 - Energy, Environment, and Development Credits: (3)
• SOCL 429 - Deviance and Social Control Credits: (3)
• SOCL 433 - Crime and Justice in America Credits: (3)

Capstone Experience:

At least 3 credits selected from:

• PUBP 419 - Social Network Analysis Credits: (3)
• PUBP 490 - Independent Study Credits: (3)
• PUBP 491 - Advanced Topics in Public Policy Credits: (1-3)
• PUBP 495 - Honors Credits: (3)
• PUBP 496 - Honors Credits: (3)
• Any GOVT or ECON 400-level class with the COLL 400 attribute.
• Other approved capstone courses with permission of the Public Policy Director. Information on how to petition for approval appears on the Public Policy website.

Accelerated Master of Public Policy

W&M undergraduate students are able to earn both a Bachelor’s degree in any undergraduate major and a Master of Public Policy in five years. Candidates interested in this accelerated degree path must apply to and gain acceptance in their junior year.  See the Graduate Catalog and the Public Policy website for more details.