Public Policy & Political Economy
The interdisciplinary program in Public Policy and Political Economy studies substantive and theoretical ways in which economics and political science combine to shape public policies in various countries.
A Diverse Degree
The public policy major offers students a unique opportunity to combine multiple disciplines in the liberal arts while simultaneously providing important skills desired by graduate and professional programs or employers.
Program Overview
Students in the major will become familiar with the theoretical approaches that political science and economics use to study and solve problems that can then be employed to frame and understand public policy issues. Public policy issues will be addressed within an individual and social values context by considering questions such as what is of value to society and its citizens? How best can those values be achieved? What tradeoffs are required when pursuing those societal values? Learn More
Public Policy & Political Economy Careers
A degree in public policy and political economy is attractive to a diverse array of employers. All levels of government desire students with policy and methodological training—skills embedded in the major. Private consulting, polling, and research think tanks are attracted to students with this training. Also, nonprofit organizations utilize graduates from the variety of graduate programs that intersect with the issues that affect their operations (tax policy, government contracting, etc.).
Putting Your Major to Work: Career Paths after College
Visit this interactive graphic created by The Hamilton Project to see how different college majors pursue various career paths and their salaries. You can compare Public Policy to other majors to help understand the value of the college dividend—a college degree.The Hamilton Project is a public policy institute affiliated with The Brookings Institution. Its mission is to offer a “strategic vision and produce innovative policy proposals on how to create a growing economy that benefits more Americans.”
