The UMass Amherst School of Public Policy will launch a new undergraduate major in the fall of 2022.
The bachelor’s in public policy is a liberal arts degree based in the social sciences that will provide students a multidisciplinary lens through which to understand, analyze, and craft solutions to public problems.
“We are excited to welcome incoming and rising sophomore students to the new undergraduate public policy major,” said Brenda Bushouse, undergraduate program director. “If you are passionate about social change, come explore our major to learn how to understand, analyze, and craft solutions to public problems. We are a major built on hope for the future!”
Public policy majors will develop a deep appreciation for complexity in policy-making contexts, in the US and internationally, and the analytical skills to tackle those problems. They will also receive mentorship to become leaders and change agents in local, national, or international arenas.
The public policy major builds a foundation for careers in government, mission-driven nonprofit and social enterprises, or the private sector. Public policy majors also often go on to law school or graduate studies in public policy, education, public health, business, and other fields of study. Public policy majors must complete a total of 120 credit hours of instruction, including 44 credits for the major, and complete all General Education requirements. Read more about the major requirements.
The public policy major will begin in the fall 2022 semester and will be open to incoming first-year students and rising sophomores only. The major will be open to all students in the 2023-24 academic year.
Interested students are invited to contact Bushouse at publicpolicyba@umass.edu.
About the School of Public Policy: Established in 2016, the UMass Amherst School of Public Policy prepares students for leadership in public service. The program’s focuses include social change and public policy related to science and technology.
Contact: Maureen Turner, associate director for marketing and communications, School of Public Policy
