The undergraduate program in public policy offers a major and minor in public policy as well as a 4+1 BA/MPP track. Students pursuing the 4+1 track take a set of foundation courses as undergraduates that prepare them to complete a one-year master's in public policy (MPP) at Mills. Students who major in public policy automatically fulfill these foundation requirements, but students in other majors may do so as well (and become eligible for the one-year MPP program). Visit the requirements page for more detail on the major, minor, and MPP foundation curricula.   

At Mills, public policy students acquire:

• the quantitative and qualitative methods, perspectives, and approaches needed to assess and better address policy issues in the United States and beyond;
• familiarity with all phases of policy development, implementation, and evaluation; and 
• opportunities to secure employment in government, the private sector, and the nonprofit sector, or to gain admission to graduate programs in public policy, management, law, and business.

Because policy problems and solutions cannot be understood by relying on the frameworks of any single academic discipline, the field of policy studies is necessarily interdisciplinary. Our core curriculum draws from government, economics, moral philosophy, law, and policy analysis. Context courses draw on history, sociology, anthropology, women's studies, and ethnic studies.  

The aim of the Public Policy Program is to involve many more women in the public domain as decision makers, policy analysts, and advocates. In addition, the Public Policy Program at Mills often serves as the campus portal for involvement in the wider Oakland community and policy-related lectures and events.