Public Policy Major

School of Public Policy
1118 Taliaferro Hall
301-405-2370
plcyundergrad@umd.edu
http://publicpolicy.umd.edu/

The interdisciplinary Public Policy major focuses on using analytical decision-making to study an array of subjects ranging from the processes of making, implementing and evaluating government policies to the ethical evaluation of contemporary social problems, both domestic and international. The major has two distinctive components:

1. core foundational skills critical for the understanding and analysis of problems and proposed solutions; and
2. the application of these skills and competencies to address challenges in the real world by engaging with the policy process at local, state and national levels through real-time projects. 

The major in Public Policy at the University of Maryland equips students with competence in leadership and analytical skills, supported by theory and data, to prepare them for careers in public service, policymaking, and the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Courses offered by this department may be found under the following acronym: PLCY.

Program Objectives

The major aims of the program are to produce:

1. Individuals who better understand themselves and the world they live in through a focused, coordinated study of the major policy-related disciplines.
2. Citizens who are adept at promoting better public outcomes both by understanding public policy problems from an inter-disciplinary, multi-sector, multi-constituency perspective and by leading institutional and policy change.
3. Graduates who can easily find meaningful employment, and are well-prepared to enter numerous graduate and professional programs, due to their strong multi-sector, interdisciplinary, analytical, problem-solving, and leadership abilities.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students completing a Public Policy major will:

1. Possess a foundational understanding of the fields of public policy and leadership, including its key processes, methodologies, and actors, both present and historic.
2. Possess a foundational understanding of the key policy related precepts and methodologies of many disciplines, including history, economics, political science, international relations, sociology, data analysis, information science, ethics and justice.
3. Be adept at acquiring and maintaining a critical understanding of key policy related developments in the world.
4. Be adept at finding, understanding, organizing, and synthesizing data and the findings of other analysts/leaders, to produce an enhanced, multi-faceted, multi-perspective, objective understanding of public issues.
5. Be adept at seeing public issues from the perspectives of various constituencies and those with different backgrounds, especially those whose perspectives are under-represented in public forums and processes.
6. Be creative and systematic problem-solvers, able to relate and apply intellectual skills and theoretical knowledge to real world problems.
7. Be able to communicate – orally, on paper, and through media – analysis and findings, especially to people who do not share their analytical, professional, or cultural background.
8. Be able to intelligently work with and lead others who are working on, or are affected by, public issues, including those from different analytical, professional, or cultural backgrounds.

C- or better is required in all major courses and the cumulative average of these courses must be a 2.0.   

Click here for roadmaps for four-year plans in the School of Public Policy.

Additional information on developing a four-year academic plan can be found on the following pages:

• 4yearplans.umd.edu
• the Student Academic Success-Degree Completion Policy section of this catalog