BA in Public Policy

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from UIC, students must complete university, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies. Elective courses may have prerequisites.

Summary of Requirements
General and Basic Education Requirements29-33
Core Program Requirements49
Electives38-42
Total Hours120

Basic and General Education Requirementsa

Required Courses
UPA 120Urban and Public Affairs Seminar I b1
UPA 121Urban and Public Affairs Seminar II b1
ENGL 160
ENGL 161
Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts
and Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research
6
MATH 110College Algebra4
ECON 120Principles of Microeconomics c4
Understanding the Past course d3
Understanding the Creative Arts course d3
Exploring World Cultures course d3
Analyzing the Natural World course d3-5
One elective course from any General Education Core category d3
Total Hours29-33
a

The University General Education requirement is a total of 24 hours distributed across the six categories. Two required courses in the major are approved for General Education and count toward the student’s 24 hours of General Education courses, including the Understanding U.S. Society category.

b

Required for new freshmen only.

c

This course meets the General Education course requirements for Understanding the Individual and Society.

d

Consult the General Education section for lists of approved courses in each of these General Education categories.

 Core Program Requirements

Required Courses
PPOL 100Individual Action and Democratic Citizenship a3
PPOL 105Programming and Data Analysis for Public Policy I3
POLS 101Introduction to American Government and Politics a,b3
ECON 220Microeconomics: Theory and Applications c3
or US 301 Political Economy of Urban Development
PPOL 205Programming and Data Analysis for Public Policy II3
PPOL 210Introduction to Public Policy3
PPOL 230Nonprofit Organizations and Civil Society b3
PPOL 300Urban Policy and Metropolitan Governance3
PPOL 303Bureaucracy and Public Policy3
PPOL 307Policy Analysis III: Identifying and Developing Alternatives3
PPOL 309Public Budgeting and Financial Management3
PPOL 405Evaluating Public Policies and Programs3
PPOL 490Field Experience in Public Policy and Administration4
Three Policy Specialization courses at the 200 level and above d9
Total Hours49
a

This course is approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category. Two courses from the major will count toward the university requirement of a total of 24 hours of General Education courses.

b

This course is approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category. Two courses from the major will count toward the university requirement of a total of 24 hours of General Education courses. One must be a course from the Understanding U.S. Society category.

c

Students completing the BA in Public Policy who have not completed MATH 121 or an equivalent course should consult with their academic advisor.

d
Options for three-course specializations are listed below. Students may choose from these lists or customize their own three-course specializations. All specializations must be approved by the undergraduate program coordinator in the Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics.

Electives

Courses
Electives required outside the Basic and General Education and Core Program Requirements38-42
Total Hours38-42

If any of the three-course specialization classes have prerequisites that are not already covered in the Basic and General Education Requirements, students should choose electives that also serve as prerequisites for their specialization courses. For example, students interested in a Health Policy specialization must take PUBH 100, PUBH 110, and PUBH 120 as prerequisites for PUBH 310, PUBH 330, and PUBH 350. PUBH 100 is a U.S. Society course and PUBH 110 is a World Cultures course, so each one can fulfill General Education requirements as well. Check the Course Descriptions for prerequisite requirements for all courses.

Course Options for Public Policy Specializations

Students may choose any 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses for the 9 hours in specialization requirement. The following groups of courses are offered as guidance to students who may have an interest in any of the educational paths shown below. Students may choose a specialization from the list or customize their own in conjunction with the appropriate departments (e.g., Criminology, Law, and Justice; Urban Planning and Policy; Communication) with consultation and approval of their advisor. All specializations must be approved by the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics, who will seek endorsement from the appropriate department(s) offering the advanced course work. Students interested in pursuing a minor in any of these areas should refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for further requirements not listed here. Consult XE Registration for terms during which courses are offered. The Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics does not determine course offerings in other departments. Military Science courses (200-, 300-, and 400-level) may be applicable to a specialization with approval of the advisor or director of undergraduate studies.

Specialization Course Options
Economic Development Policy
Economic Development
Regional Economics
Introduction to Urban Real Estate
Evidence-Based Public Policy
International Development Policy
Social Justice and the City
Urban and Community Economics
Political Economy of Urban Development
Education Policy
Economics of Education
Education Policy Foundations
Contemporary Controversies in U.S. Schools
Philosophy of Education and Urban School Policy
Policy Issues in the History of American Education
Politics of Urban Education
Environmental Policy
Energy for Future Decision-Makers
Topics in Energy
Special Topics in Public Administration
Environmental Policy
Practices for Sustainable Cities
Planning Practices for Great Cities
Fiscal Policy
Principles of Macroeconomics
Macroeconomics in the World Economy: Theory and Applications
Public Finance
Personal Finance
Introduction to Finance
State and Local Public Finance
Chicago's Future
State Government
U.S. Congress
History of American Capitalism
Special Topics in Public Policy (section needs to be chosen in consultation with the student's advisor)
Health Policy
Health Economics
Public Health and Global Citizenship
Health Equity and Health Disparities
Health Systems, Health Policy
Health and Medicine
Foreign and Global Policy
Introduction to United States Military History
United States Foreign Policy
International Security
International Law
International Relations Theory
International Development Policy
Social Policy
Race and the Politics of Incarceration a
Social Policy and Inequality in the U.S.
International Development Policy
Theories and Practices of Social Justice
Racial and Ethnic Groups a
Social Inequalities a
Sociology of Politics a
a

Has prerequisite of SOC 100 or SOC 105; both courses meet the Understanding the U.S. Society General Education requirement.

Sample Course Schedule

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman Year
First SemesterHours
UPA 120 Urban and Public Affairs Seminar I 1
MATH 110 College Algebra 4
ENGL 160 Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts 3
PPOL 100 Individual Action and Democratic Citizenship 3
POLS 101 Introduction to American Government and Politics 3
 Hours14
Second Semester
UPA 121 Urban and Public Affairs Seminar II 1
PPOL 105 Programming and Data Analysis for Public Policy I 3
ENGL 161 Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research 3
ECON 120 Principles of Microeconomics 4
General Education course 3
General Education course 3
 Hours17
Sophomore Year
First Semester
PPOL 210 Introduction to Public Policy 3
PPOL 230 Nonprofit Organizations and Civil Society 3
ECON 220
Microeconomics: Theory and Applications
or Political Economy of Urban Development
3
General Education course 3
General Education course 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
PPOL 307 Policy Analysis III: Identifying and Developing Alternatives 3
PPOL 205 Programming and Data Analysis for Public Policy II 3
General Education course 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
Junior Year
First Semester
PPOL 300 Urban Policy and Metropolitan Governance 3
PPOL 303 Bureaucracy and Public Policy 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
PPOL 309 Public Budgeting and Financial Management 3
Policy Specialization course 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
Senior Year
First Semester
PPOL 405 Evaluating Public Policies and Programs 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Policy Specialization course 3
Policy Specialization course 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
PPOL 490 Field Experience in Public Policy and Administration 4
Policy Specialization Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 4
 Hours14
 Total Hours120