Bachelor of Science in Public Policy
The Bachelor of Science in Public Policy (BS PP) provides an education that combines strong analytical skills with understanding of a range of substantive policy issues and the political, social, and cultural forces that shape public policies. The BS PP core courses provide students with the broad political, economic, and philosophical foundations of thought pertinent to public policy, a base of rigorous quantitative and qualitative analytical approaches, and a solid understanding of the political and social dynamics that structure policy debates and policy outcomes.
The curriculum moves from disciplinary foundations (in politics, economics, philosophy, and organization theory) to methods of research and data analysis, and to detailed studies of particular policy problems. Students choose two clusters in environment and energy policy, science and technology policy, social and urban policy, philosophy, or politics and policy, and can select electives in additional areas such as information and telecommunication policy, bioengineering and ethics, and regional development policy. All students have opportunities for internships, research, and study abroad or exchange programs. The BS PP program culminates in a senior-year two-semester capstone "task force" in which students work in teams with outside clients (e.g., Centers for Disease Control, Marcus Autism Center, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Atlanta Food Bank) on actual policy problems.
The program's emphasis on the development of problem-solving and analytical skills constitutes a strong comparative advantage for BS PP graduates, many of whom move on to law school, management consulting, public sector policy analysis, or nonprofit management.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness Requirement | ||
| APPH 1040 | Scientific Foundations of Health | 2 |
| or APPH 1050 | The Science of Physical Activity and Health | |
| or APPH 1060 | Flourishing: Strategies for Well-being and Resilience | |
| Core IMPACTS | ||
| Institutional Priority | ||
| CS 1315 | Introduction to Media Computation | 3 |
| Mathematics and Quantitative Skills | ||
| MATH 1712 | Survey of Calculus | 4 |
| or MATH 1552 | Integral Calculus | |
| Political Science and U.S. History | ||
| POL 1101 | Government of the United States | 3 |
| Arts, Humanities, and Ethics | ||
| Any HUM | 6 | |
| Communicating in Writing | ||
| ENGL 1101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENGL 1102 | English Composition II | 3 |
| Technology, Mathematics, and Sciences | ||
| Lab Science | 4 | |
| Lab Science | 4 | |
| MATH 1711 | Finite Mathematics | 4 |
| or MATH 1551 & MATH 1553 | Differential Calculus and Introduction to Linear Algebra | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Any SS | 9 | |
| Field of Study | ||
| ECON 2106 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| PHIL 2025 | Philosophical Analysis of Policy Choices | 3 |
| PUBP 2010 | Political Processes 2 | 3 |
| PUBP 2030 | Organizations and Policy 2 | 3 |
| Science, Computing, or Engineering Elective 1 | 6 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| PUBP 3020 | Applied Political Economy 2 | 3 |
| PUBP 3030 | Policy Analysis 2 | 3 |
| PUBP 3120 | Statistical Analysis for Public Policy 2 | 3 |
| PUBP 3130 | Research Methods and Problem Solving 2 | 3 |
| PUBP 4010 | Policy Task Force I 2 | 3 |
| PUBP 4020 | Policy Task Force II 2 | 3 |
| PUBP 2651 | Public Policy Internship 2 | 3 |
| or PUBP 4651 | Public Policy Internship | |
| BSPP Depth Electives | 15 | |
| Students must select 15 hours from the Depth Elective list. 2,5 | ||
| Minor or Certificate Requirement | 15 | |
| Students must select a minor (15 hours) or certificate (12 hours). PUBP minor or certificate not allowed. 4 | ||
| Free Electives | ||
| Free Electives 3 | 8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 122 | |
Pass-fail only allowed for Free Electives.
- 1
Must be chosen from the following list: any AE, CEE, ECE, ISYE course, ME 1770, BC 3630, BIOS 2300, BIOS 2600, CHEM 2211, CHEM 2311, CHEM 2312, CHEM 2380, CHEM 3380, CS 6764, CP 4510 , CS 1171, CS 1331, CS 1332, ME 6754, EAS 2420, EAS 2600, EAS 2655, EAS 2750, EAS 4420, EAS 4430, EAS 4450, EAS 4602, ID 3103, ID 4103, LMC 6312, ME 2016, MGT 4058, MUSI 4630, PHYS 2213, PHYS 3123, PHYS 3141, PHYS 4142, PSYC 2020, PSYC 2270, PSYC 3020, PSYC 3031, PSYC 3040, PSYC 3790, PSYC 4010, PSYC 4031, PSYC 4050, PSYC 4090, PSYC 4100, PSYC 4270.
- 2
Minimum grade of C required.
- 3
MATH 1111 not allowed.
- 4
For the minor or certificate requirement, please consult with the academic advisor on course selection. Minors/certificate coursework must be completed with a grade of C or higher. If a student completes 12 hours of a certificate the remaining 3 credit hours may be used as free electives.
- 5
Depth Electives are not required to come from the same group. By approval of the Public Policy academic advisor, Special Topics courses may be used to count toward depth electives.
BSPP Depth Elective Course Options
Environmental and Energy Policy
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 4176 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PUBP 3315 | Environmental Policy and Politics | 3 |
| PUBP 3320 | Climate Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 3350 | Energy Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 3600 | Sustainability, Technology, and Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4440 | Science, Technology, and Regulation | 3 |
| PUBP 4620 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| PHIL/PUBP 48XX Special Topics 5 | 3 | |
Science and Technology Policy
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 3127 | Science, Technology, and Human Values | 3 |
| PHIL 3180 | Biomedical Ethics | 3 |
| PUBP 3230 | STEM Education Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 3244 | Stem Cell Science, Policy, and Ethics | 3 |
| PUBP 3502 | Information and Communications Technology Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4111 | Internet and Public Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4214 | Gender, Science, Technology, and Public Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4410 | Science, Technology, and Public Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4414 | Technology, Innovation, and Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4440 | Science, Technology, and Regulation | 3 |
| PUBP 4501 | Info Policy & Management | 3 |
| PUBP 4640 | Technology Law, Policy, and Management | 3 |
| PUBP 4650 | Internet Law | 3 |
| PUBP 4725 | Information Security Policies and Strategies | 3 |
| PUBP 4756 | Technology Forecasting and Assessment | 3 |
| PHIL/PUBP 48XX Special Topics 5 | 3 | |
Social and Urban Health Policy
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PUBP 3201 | Introduction to Social Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 3210 | U.S. Health Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 3214 | African American Politics | 3 |
| PUBP 4200 | Social Policy Issues | 3 |
| PUBP 4211 | Urban Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 3230 | STEM Education Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4212 | Women and Public Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4214 | Gender, Science, Technology, and Public Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4630 | Law, Medicine, and Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL/PUBP 48XX Special Topics 5 | 3 | |
Philosophy
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 2010 | Introduction to Philosophical Analysis | 3 |
| PHIL 3050 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 3102 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 3103 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 3105 | Ethical Theories | 3 |
| PHIL 3109 | Engineering Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 3113 | Logic and Critical Thinking | 3 |
| PHIL 3115 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
| PHIL 3127 | Science, Technology, and Human Values | 3 |
| PHIL 3135 | Philosophy of Technology | 3 |
| PHIL 3140 | Philosophy of Food | 3 |
| PHIL 3790 | Introduction to Cognitive Science | 3 |
| PHIL 4110 | Theories of Knowledge | 3 |
| PHIL 4176 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PUBP 4630 | Law, Medicine, and Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL/PUBP 48XX Special Topics 5 | 3 | |
Politics and Leadership Policy
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| POL 2101 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| PHIL 3050 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PUBP 1142 | Teams and Collaboration | 3 |
| PUBP 2142 | Teams and Collaboration in Context | 3 |
| PUBP 3000 | American Constitutional Issues | 3 |
| PUBP 3016 | Judicial Process | 3 |
| PUBP 3141 | Leading Social Organizations | 3 |
| PUBP 3214 | African American Politics | 3 |
| PUBP 3510 | Politics and Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 3520 | Globalization and Public Policy | 3 |
| PUBP 4140 | Foundations of Leadership | 3 |
| PUBP 4226 | Business and Government | 3 |
| PUBP 4440 | Science, Technology, and Regulation | 3 |
| PHIL/PUBP 48XX Special Topics 5 | 3 | |
BS/MS Option (Public Policy)
Students completing both a bachelor’s and master’s in public policy at Georgia Tech may use up to six credit hours of graduate-level coursework in the major discipline for both degrees. Students still must complete all other course requirements for both degrees.
Students will work with advisors on selecting which 6 hours will share between the undergraduate and graduate degrees. These courses will be noted in DegreeWorks on the graduate record.