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Home > Academics > Undergraduate >
Public Policy
Degree Requirements
Public Policy Major  |  Public Policy Minor
Public Policy 4+1

Public Policy Major
(14.25 semester course credits)

Required:

Seven core courses and the Senior Seminar (recommended in the following order, when possible):

GOVT 121 The Public Policy-Making Process (1)

ECON 050 Introduction to Economics (1) and
PPOL 050 Economic Policy Analysis (.25)

One Ethics course from the following three options:

PHIL 125 Philosophy of Law (1) or
WMST 094 Feminist Social Ethics (1) or
GOVT 139 Ethical Reasoning in Politics and Public Policy (1)

SOSC 093 Law and Society (1)

ECON 081 Introduction to Statistics (1)

ECON 134 Public Sector Economics (1)

PPOL 100 Methods of Policy Analysis (1)

PPOL 191 Senior Seminar (1)

Four context courses:

In collaboration with the major advisor, students select one from each of the four context areas shown below.

Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Class, and International Issues (select one):

ANTH 161 Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Women (1)

ECON 117 Women and the Economy (1)

ETHS 112 Race, Gender, and the Environment (1)

ETHS 126 Theories of Race and Ethnicity (1)

GOVT 127 Comparative Foreign Policy (1)

GOVT 141 Politics of Developing Nations (1)

HIST 118 The Civil Rights Movement in America, 1941 to the Present (1)

HIST 135 Workers in American Life, 1877 to the Present (1)

HIST 160 History of Women in America (1)

PPOL 025 Gender and Public Policy (1)

SOC 103 Women and Work (1)

SOC 110 Poverty and Public Policy (1)

SOC 129 Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S. (1)

SOC 145 Sociology of Education (1)

SOSC 120 Women and the Law (1)

Organizations (select one):

GOVT 101 Organizational Theory (1)

GOVT 102 Administrative Behavior (1)

Domestic History/Policy(select one):

HIST 135 Worker in American Life, 1877 to the Present (1)

HIST 138 The United States since WWII (1)

HIST 142 The Supreme Court (1)

SOC 129 Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S. (1)

SOC 134 Social Inequality (1)

Comparative Politics/International Relations (select one):

GOVT 016 Comparative Politics (1)

GOVT 017 International Relations (1)

GOVT 131 Transitions to Democracy (1)

GOVT 141 Politics of Developing Nations (1)


Lastly, majors select a minimum of two additional courses in a policy concentration area, in collaboration with the student's major advisor and the public policy director. Sample concentrations and possible courses are as follows:

Environmental Policy:

ECON 153 Environmental Economics (1)

ENVS 022 Introduction to Environmental Science (1)

GOVT 118 Science, Technology, and Public Policy (1)

SOSC 122 Legal Aspects of Business (1)

PHIL 063 Environmental Ethics (1)


Urban Policy:

ECON 139 Urban Economics (1)

HIST 116 History of the American City (1)

SOC 108 Urban Sociology (1)

SOC 113 Sociology of Capitalism (1)


Health Policy:

ECON 134 Public Sector Economics: The Economics of Government (1)

ECON 140 Health Economics (1)

ANTH 172 Alternative Medicine (1)

GOVT 118 Science, Technology, and Public Policy (1)

SOC 142 Medical Sociology (1)

SOC 147 Social Aspects of Cancer (1)


International Policy:

ECON 159 Economic Development (1)

ECON 155 International Trade (1)

GOVT 127 Comparative Foreign Policy (1)

GOVT 141 Politics of Developing Nations (1)

HIST 140 Diplomatic History of the U.S. since 1898 (1)

SOC 132 Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations (1)


Institutions and Public Policy:

ECON 142 Industrial Organization and Public Policy (1)

GOVT 115 The American Presidency (1)

GOVT 116 Court Systems of the San Francisco Metropolitan Area (1)

HIST 118 The Civil Rights Movement in America, 1941 to the Present (1)

SOSC 122 Legal Aspects of Business (1)

SOSC 138 Mass Communication Law (1)


Ethnicity, Race, and Public Policy:

ETHS 052 African American Women's History (1)

ETHS 158 Latino Immigration (1)

ETHS 159 Latinas/os in the U.S. (1)

ETHS 166 Women of Color in Social Movements (1)

HIST 118 The Civil Rights Movement in America, 1941 to the Present (1)

SOC 104 Sociology of the Chicana/o and Mexican American (1)

SOC 129 Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S. (1)


Science, Technology, and Public Policy:

ANTH 172 Alternative Medicine (1)

GOVT 118 Science, Technology, and Public Policy (1)

BIO 033 Genetics: Human Aspects (1)

SOC 142 Medical Sociology (1)


Education and Public Policy:

ECON 134 Public Sector Economics: The Economics of Government (1)

ECON 139 Urban Economics (1)

EDUC 101 Social Foundations of Education (1)

EDUC 103 Public Policy: Children, Youth, and Family Issues (1)

SOC 108 Urban Sociology (1)


Journalism and Public Policy:

ENG 072 (172) Journalism I (1)

ENG 073 (173) Journalism II (1)

SOSC 111 Intro to Public Radio Reporting (1)

SOSC 112 Intermediate Public Radio Reporting (1)

Institute for Civic Leadership:

Program consists of multiple courses and has a separate application process.


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Public Policy Minor
(6.25 semester course credits)

Required:

Five core courses (recommended in the following order, when possible):

GOVT 121 The Public Policy-Making Process (1)

ECON 050 Introduction to Economics (1) and
PPOL 050 Economic Policy Analysis (.25)

One ethics course from the following:

PHIL 125 Philosophy of Law (1) or
WMST 094 Feminist Social Ethics (1) or
GOVT 139 Ethical Reasoning in Politics and Public Policy (1)

And then:

SOSC 093 Law and Society (1)

PPOL 100 Methods of Policy Analysis (1)

Senior requirement:

PPOL 191 Senior Seminar (1)

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4+1 BA/MPP Program

The Mills College 4+1 BA/MPP Program allows majors in public policy and other fields to earn both a BA and an MPP in a total of five years. All requirements for the BA degree are completed during the first four years, and during this time, students take a set of foundation courses that prepare them for the one-year master's in Public Policy Program.

Four-year public policy majors should meet with the program director to declare their intention to pursue the BA/MPP Program in their junior year. Transfers and majors in other fields should declare their intention two years before graduation to ensure that they have time to complete the following foundation courses:

GOVT 121 The Public Policy-Making Process (1)

ECON 050 Introduction to Economics (1) and
PPOL 050 Economic Policy Analysis (.25)

Ethics (one course from the following selection):

PHIL 125 Philosophy of Law (1) or

WMST 094 Feminist Social Ethics (1) or

GOVT 139 Ethical Reasoning in Politics and Public Policy (1)

SOSC 093 Law and Society (1)

ECON 081 Introduction to Statistics (1)

ECON 134 Public Sector Economics: The Economics of Government (1)

PPOL 100 Methods of Policy Analysis (1)

One course dealing with the dynamics of race, ethnicity, gender, or class (for a list of courses meeting this requirement, see above under major requirements, "Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Class, and International Issues"). 

These foundation courses provide the necessary work and academic experience for the fifth-year MPP classes. Undergraduates will not be eligible to take graduate courses in this program for credit toward their BA degrees.

For more information about the MPP Program, see the Mills Graduate Catalog.

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Program Information
Overview

Faculty and Staff

» Requirements

Courses
Full Course List

Public Policy Course List

PPOL 025 - PPOL 191

Schedule of Courses for
the Current Semester


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What is Public Policy?

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