PUBLIC POLICY
Catalog pages 497-502
Subject abbreviation: PBPL School of Public Policy
School of Public Policy Kurt Schwabe, Ph.D., Chair & Associate Dean Anil Deolalikar, Ph.D., Dean
Program Office, INTS 4146 anil.deolalikar@ucr.edu
- (951) 827-5663; spp.ucr.edu
Major
Public policy analysis is the use of decision-mak- ing theory and evidence-based methods to the study of substantive public policy problems. The objective of public policy analysis is to improve the quality of public policy-making by critically examining the design and relevance of public policies, their implementation and execution, and their impact on households, communities, and the society at large. By its very nature, policy analysis is multidisciplinary. For instance, policies to address health problems in society must draw on developments in philosophy, economics, political science, medicine, and ethics (among other disciplines).
Career Opportunities
A degree in public policy equips students to go into a range of different careers. Examples include working as a policy analyst for local, regional, state, or national government agencies; a governmental or public relations officer for a private sector firm; an employee of a public advocacy group; or as a leader of a communi- ty-based, non-profit organization.
University Requirements
See Undergraduate Studies section.
College Requirements
See College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Colleges and Programs section.
Major Requirements
The major requirements for the B.A. degree in Public Policy are as follows:
Students will not be admitted into the major until they have completed PBPL 001 with a “C-“grade or better.
- 1. Lower-division requirements (five courses [at
least 20 units])
- a) PBPL 001
- b) PBPL 002
- c) ECON 003
- d) PBPL 004
- 2. Upper-division requirements (12 courses [at
least 48 units])
- b) PBPL 101
- c) 10 courses chosen from two tracks, with no
more than seven courses from one track. Track 1: Health and Population Policy ANTH 147/GSST 140, ANTH 160, ECON 129, ECON 156, ECON 183, ENSC 141/MCBL 141/ SWSC 141, ETST 116/ HISA 147, GSST 140/ ANTH 147, POSC 180, PSYC 178, PSYC 179, SOC 137
Track 2: Social, Cultural, and Family Policy ANTH 109/GSST 109, ANTH 148/GSST 150, ECON 122E, ECON 155/GSST 155, ECON 159, EDUC 114, EDUC 132/POSC 132, ETST 126, ETST 139, ETST 146/EDUC 146, ETST 156, GSST 109/ANTH 109, GSST 150/ANTH 148, MCS 133/SOC 138 MCS 139/SOC 139, MCS 171/SPN 171, PHIL 168/GSST 141, PHIL 108/ GSST 108, POSC 146, PSYC 167/ETST 167, PSYC 168/ETST 168, SOC 120, SOC 122, SOC 130, SOC 138/MCS 133, SOC 139/MCS 139, SOC 143/URST 143, SOC 144, SOC 160, SOC 161, SOC 183 (E-Z)
Track 3: Economic Policy ECON 132, ECON 135, ECON 117/PHIL 119, ECON 118, ECON 152, ECON 153/BUS 153, ECON 160/BUS 160, ETST 109F, PHIL 116, POSC 164, POSC 182, POSC 186
Track 4: Urban/Environmental Policy ECON 121F, ECON 143A/ENSC 143A, ECON 143B/ENSC 143B, ECON 146/URST 146, ENSC 101, ENSC 141/MCBL 141/SWSC 141, ENSC 143C/ECON 143C, LWSO 175 (E-Z), PHIL 117, POSC 127, POSC 172/URST 172, SOC 182/URST 182, SOC 184
Track 5: Policy Institutions and Processes ANTH 104, ECON 116, ECON 119, HIST 111, HISA 120B, LWSO 100, LWSO 193, PHIL 165, POSC 101, POSC 146, POSC 150, POSC 167, POSC 168, POSC 170, POSC 173, POSC 186, PSYC 175, RLST 174, RLST 175, SOC 150, SOC 151, SOC 159
Track 6: International and Foreign Policy ECON 187/LNST 187, POSC 120, POSC 125, POSC 126, POSC 127, POSC 129, POSC 154, POSC 158/LNST 148, POSC 159, POSC 160, POSC 162/LNST 142, POSC 169, RLST 173/ POSC 109, SOC 135, SOC 181
- 3. Public Policy Seminar/Colloquia
During the junior and senior years, students must enroll in PBPL 191 (Seminar in Public Poli- cy), which includes attendance at public lectures to the campus community given by outside speakers — typically policy makers, administra- tors and researchers — on timely and important policy issues facing the Inland Empire, the state, the nation, and the world.
- 4. Domestic or International Policy Practicum
In the third or fourth year of the program (or during the summer between the third and fourth years), students must undertake a policy practicum (PBPL 198-I), which consists of an internship (paid or voluntary) on a policy issue or problem with a local, state or federal govern- ment agency, nonprofit or for-profit organization, a trade association, a labor/trade union, or a public-affairs firm. The Public Policy Program Committee helps students locate internship opportunities. The internship provides students with an opportunity to gain real-world experience and apply the analytical skills learned in the classroom. Students enrolled in the UC Riverside Washington Academic Program, the UC Center at Sacramento program or the Education Abroad Program can apply that experience toward the policy practicum requirement, and do not need to undertake a separate internship.
- 5. Senior Thesis (for Honors candidates only)
Students who have an outstanding academic record in their course work during the first three years of the program can become candidates for Honors in Public Policy during the spring quarter of their junior year. All honors candidates must enroll in a two-quarter senior thesis seminar (PBPL 195H) that will culminate in a written thesis covering a real policy problem of the student’s choice. The thesis project could grow out of the practicum experience.
Minor
- 1. Lower-division requirements
(four courses [at least 16 units])
- a) PBPL 001
SOC 005, STAT 040, STAT 048, HIST 017B, HIST 020
- 2. Upper-division requirements (six
courses [at least 24 units] chosen from two tracks:
Track 1: Health and Population Policy ANTH 147/GSST 140, ANTH 160, ECON 129, ECON 156, ECON 183, ENSC 141/ MCBL 141/SWSC 141, ETST 116/ HISA 147, GSST 140/ANTH 147, POSC 180, PSYC 178, PSYC 179, SOC 137,
Track 2: Social, Cultural, and Family Policy ANTH 109/GSST 109, ANTH 148/ GSST 150, ECON 122E, ECON 155/ GSST 155, ECON 159, EDUC 114, EDUC 132/POSC 132, ETST 126, ETST 139, ETST 146/ EDUC 146, ETST 156, GSST 109/ANTH 109, GSST 150/ANTH 148, GSST 155/ ECON 155, GSST 164/ANTH 164/LNST 164, MCS 139/SOC 139, MCS 171/SPN 171, PHIL 108/GSST 108, PHIL 168/GSST 141, POSC 146, PSYC 167/ETST 167, PSYC 168/ETST 168, SOC 120, SOC 122, SOC 130, SOC 138/MCS 133, SOC 139/ MCS 139, SOC 143/URST 143, SOC 144, SOC 160, SOC 161, SOC 183 (E-Z)
Track 3: Economic Policy ECON 132, ECON 135, ECON 117/ PHIL 119, ECON 118, ECON 152, ECON 153/ BUS 153, ECON 160/BUS 160, ETST 109F, PHIL 116, HIST 184, POSC 164, POSC 186
Track 4. Urban/Environmental Policy ECON 121F, ECON 143A/ENSC 143A, ECON 143B/ENSC 143B, ECON 146/ URST 146, ENSC 101, ENSC 141/MCBL 141/SWSC 141, ENSC 143C/ECON 143C, LWSO 175 (E-Z), PHIL 117, POSC 127, POSC 172/URST 172, SOC 184
Track 5: Policy Institutions and Processes ECON 116, ECON 119, ANTH 104, HIST 111, HISA 120B, LWSO 100, LWSO 193, PHIL 165, POSC 101, POSC 146, POSC 150, POSC 166, POSC 167, POSC 168, POSC 170, POSC 173, POSC 186, PSYC 175, RLST 174, RLST 175, SOC 150, SOC 159
Track 6: International and Foreign Policy ECON 187/LNST 187, POSC 120, POSC 125, POSC 126, POSC 127, POSC 129, POSC 154, POSC 155, POSC 158/LNST 148, POSC 159, POSC 160, POSC 169, RLST 173/POSC 109, SOC 135, SOC 181
- 3. Public Policy Seminar/Colloquia
During the junior and senior years, students must enroll in PBPL 191 (Seminar in Public Policy), which includes attendance at public lectures to the campus community by outside speakers — typically policy makers, administrators and researchers — on timely and important policy issues facing the Inland Empire, the state, the nation, and the world.
Graduate Program
The School of Public Policy offers the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program leading to a Mas- ter’s degree in public policy.
Admissions Requirements Applications for the MPP program, which is housed within the UCR School of Public Policy, are accepted for fall entry. Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree or an approved equivalent from an accredited institution, and must have successfully taken courses in microeconomics, statistics, and an introduction to politics and government, or their equivalent during their undergraduate study. All applicants must also submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam, General Test (GRE). Applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit acceptable scores from the TEST of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Additionally, each applicant must submit three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be academic references. All other application requirements are specified in the graduate application.
Program of Study The MPP program consists of 72 units of graduate courses. The curriculum consists of 10 required core courses, a required capstone research project spanning two quarters (which substitutes for a final examination), and a total of six elective courses.
Students entering the MPP program from the Graduate Preparatory Program in Public Policy (GPP-PP) from University Extension will complete 36 units. Of the 36 units, 24 units are required:
- • PBPL 202
- • PBPL 216
- • PBPL 220
The balance of the 12 units will include courses from the elective areas.
- 1. Core Courses:
- a) The Policy Process (3 courses):
- b) Policy Methods (4 courses): PBPL 210, PBPL 212, PBPL 214, PBPL 216
- c) Institutional Context (2 courses):
- d) Internship: PBPL 298I
- 2. Elective Courses
Students are required to complete 6 courses from the selection below. The elective courses can be chosen from the list of courses in sections A – G.
- a) Environmental and Resource Policy:
PBPL 233, PBPL 240, PBPL 241, PBPL 242, PBPL 244, PBPL 245
- e) Inequality and Poverty: PBPL 231,
- f) Race and Immigration Policy: PBPL 270E,
- g) Additional Elective Courses: PBPL 204,
- 3. Capstone Research Project
Students must complete a capstone research project in the second year of the program.
Normative Time to Degree Two years
Courses
- PBPL 001: Introduction to Public Policy Analysis (4 units)
- PBPL 002: Politics and Public Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 004: Ethics, Professionalism, and Public Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 010: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 units)
- PBPL 090: Special Studies (1 to 3 units)
- PBPL 101: Case Studies in Public Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 102: Borderline Immigration Policies and Community Change Process (4 units)
- PBPL 103: Economic Development Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 129: Understanding Sustainability (4 units)
- PBPL 130: Management of International Water (4 units)
- PBPL 155: Women’s Labor and the Economy (4 units)
- PBPL 157: Labor in the Public Sector (4 units)
- PBPL 170: Technology, Policy, and Ethics (4 units)
- PBPL 171: Globalization (4 units)
- PBPL 190: Special Studies (1 to 5 units)
- PBPL 191: Seminar in Public Policy (2 units)
- PBPL 195H: Senior Honors Thesis (1 to 4 units)
- PBPL 197: Research For Undergraduates (1 units)
- PBPL 198I: Individual Internship in Public Policy (1 to 12 units)
- PBPL 200: Introduction to Policy Analysis (4 units)
- PBPL 202: Policy Institutions and Processes (4 units)
- PBPL 204: Regional Policy-Making Across Administrative Jurisdictions (4 units)
- PBPL 210: Quantitative Methods For Public Policy Analysis (4 units)
- PBPL 212: Qualitative Social Science Methods (4 units)
- PBPL 214: Applied Microeconomics For Public Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 216: Public Leadership and Management (4 units)
- PBPL 220: Policy Evaluation (4 units)
- PBPL 222: Ethics, Professionalism, and the Normative Bases of Public Policies (4 units)
- PBPL 224: Global-Local Policy Connections: Case Studies in Poverty, Water, and Sustainable Development (4 units)
- PBPL 230 (E-Z): Topics in Health Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 230E: Health Economics (4 units)
- PBPL 230F: Public Policy and Health (4 units)
- PBPL 231: Labor Economics and Labor Policies (4 units)
- PBPL 232: Sustainability Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 233: Environmental Economics and Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 234: Poverty in Global Perspective (4 units)
- PBPL 235: Economic Development in United States Cities (4 units)
- PBPL 236 (E-Z): Urban and Spatial Analyses (4 units)
- PBPL 236E: U.S. Census Data and Policy Studies (4 units)
- PBPL 240: Global Environmental Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 241: Climate Change Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 242: Applied Environmental History (4 units)
- PBPL 244: Water Resource Economics (4 units)
- PBPL 245: Comparative Global Water Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 246: Agricultural and Food Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 260: Education Policy Analysis (4 units)
- PBPL 261: Higher Education Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 262: Economics in Higher Education (4 units)
- PBPL 270 (E-Z): Topics in Immigration Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 270E: General Perspectives On Immigration Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 270F: Borderland Policies and Community Processes (4 units)
- PBPL 271: Racial Inequality in Politics and Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 272: Policy and Politics in California (4 units)
- PBPL 273: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) For Public Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 280: Special Topics in Public Policy (4 units)
- PBPL 289A: Capstone Research Project (4 units)
- PBPL 289B: Capstone Research Project (4 units)
- PBPL 290: Directed Studies (1 to 6 units)
- PBPL 291: Individual Study in Coordinated Areas (1 to 12 units)
- PBPL 297: Directed Research (1 to 6 units)
- PBPL 298I: Individual Internship (1 to 12 units)