Pathways in Public Policy

In fall 2005, the Institute began offering Pathways in Public Policy – clusters of courses, research opportunities, and internships - designed to better integrate required courses and electives, encourage focus on particular substantive policy areas, and promote undergraduate research opportunities.  Relevant courses from disciplines outside the department are included to complement Public Policy offerings.  While majors are not required to select a pathway, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to develop a coherent plan for your undergraduate public policy career. Two things to keep in mind are 1) classes listed may not be offered every year and 2) courses listed outside the public policy department do not count toward the PPS electives requirement (unless they are cross-listed in PPS).

You can select from five pathways in Global Policy, Social Policy, Economic Policy, Health Policy, and Policy Journalism.  Within these pathways, you will find opportunities to narrow your focus even further.  For example, the Social Policy pathway includes four streams: Poverty, Race, and Social Exclusion; Child and Family Policy; Leadership and Ethics; and Environmental Policy.

New majors may want to request an advisor whose research and classes are related to their pathway interests.  The following is a list of PPS faculty advisors by pathway:

Global Policy: Bruce Jentleson, Judith Kelley, Anirudh Krishna, Corinne Krupp, Bruce Kuniholm

Social Policy: Alma Blount, Anthony Brown, Allen Buchanan, Evan Charney, Charles Clotfelter, Philip Cook, Kenneth Dodge, Elizabeth Frankenberg, Anna Gassman-Pines, Christina Gibson, Kristin Goss, Robert Korstad, Helen Ladd, Gunther Peck, Jacob Vigdor

Economic Policy:  Elizabeth Ananat, Marc Bellmare, Charles Clotfelter, Robert Conrad, Philip Cook, James Hamilton, Corinne Krupp, Helen Ladd, Alex Pfaff, Jacob Vigdor

Health Policy:  Philip Cook, Sherman James, Donald Taylor, Elizabeth Vigdor, Kathryn Whetten

Policy Journalism:  James Hamilton, Ellen Mickiewicz, Susan Tifft

Please contact the Undergraduate Office with questions.