Program Overview

Public Policy Program

The Public Policy program at DePaul University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the foundations of public policy, including theory, research methods, and analysis. As a public policy major, students will examine how public policy is formulated, implemented, and evaluated over time, while exploring notions of agenda-setting and framing of issues that lead to a problem gaining the attention of the government.

Program Description

Public Policy majors take courses dealing with public policy theories, processes, methods of public policy analysis, and important environmental and urban policy issues. Under the guidance of a public policy professor, students will choose a public policy problem to analyze in-depth for their capstone course. The program is located in Chicago, one of the most dynamic political scenes in the United States, offering many opportunities for students to become involved in politics and policy, non-profit organizations, and advocacy organizations.

Coursework

The program includes a range of courses, such as:

• Public Policy and Urban Issues
• Advocacy and Lobbying
• The American Political System
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Digital Mapping
• Community GIS
• Quantitative Public Policy Analysis

Major Requirements

The major requirements for the Public Policy program include:

• College Core Requirements
• Liberal Studies Requirements
• Major Requirements
  • Core Course List:
    • PPS 101: Introduction to Public Policy (4 quarter hours)
    • PPS 203: Public Policy and Urban Issues (4 quarter hours) or PPS 250: Issues in Housing Policy and Neighborhood Development
    • PPS 346: Advocacy and Lobbying (4 quarter hours)
    • PSC 120: The American Political System (4 quarter hours)
    • Choose one from:
      • PPS 208: Introduction to Nonprofit Organizations
      • PPS 231: Environmental Justice
      • PPS 251: Urban Poverty
      • PPS 260: Climate Change Policy
      • PPS 278: Disability Rights and Policy
    • Choose one from:
      • PSC 212: Latino Politics
      • PSC 217: Women and Politics
      • PSC 218: African-American Politics
      • PSC 312: LGBTQ Politics
    • ECO 105: Principles of Microeconomics (4 quarter hours)
    • GEO 242: Geographic Information Systems II: Community GIS (1 quarter hour)
  • Elective PPS Courses: Students choose five elective courses (twenty credit hours) from the list below.
    • PPS 203: Public Policy and Urban Issues
    • PPS 205: Public Policy Research Design and Methods
    • PPS 208: Introduction to Nonprofit Organizations
    • PPS 231: Environmental Justice
    • PPS 250: Issues in Housing Policy and Neighborhood Development
    • PPS 251: Urban Poverty
    • PPS 260: Climate Change Policy
    • PPS 278: Disability Rights and Policy
    • PPS 318: Program Development and Evaluation Nonprofit Organizations
    • PPS 319: Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations
    • PPS 322: Fundamentals of Human Resource Management
    • PPS 329: Strategic Management and Planning
    • PPS 330: Sustainable Development
    • PPS 333: Green Cities
    • PPS 353: Inequality and Public Policy
    • PPS 354: Principles of Emergency Management and Planning
    • PPS 358: Special Topics in Nonprofit Studies
    • PPS 359: Special Topics in Public Policy Studies
    • PPS 364: Public Safety Administration and Planning
    • PPS 368: Comparative International Disability Policies
    • PPS 369: Cannabis Policy in the USA
    • PPS 374: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Policy
    • PPS 376: Energy Policy and the Environment
    • PPS 378: Urban Resilience and Climate Adaptation Policy
    • PPS 398: Internship
  • Approved Courses outside of PPS:
    • CRIM 218: Communities and Crime
    • CRIM 312: 21st Century Policing
    • CRIM 337: Drugs and Society
    • ECE 302: Child and Family in the Urban Community
    • ECE 327: Impact of Public Policy on Families of Young Children
    • ECO 310: Urban Economics
    • ECO 312: The Chicago Economy
    • ECO 335: Sustainable Strategies for Energy and the Environment
    • ECO 360: Economics of Low-Income Countries
    • GEO 103: Urbanization
    • GEO 233: Comparative Urbanism
    • GEO 330: Sustainable Urban Transportation
    • GEO 333: Urban Planning
    • HLTH 250: Health Care Policy in the United States
    • INT 360: Topics in Development Studies
    • INT 396: Topics in International Organizations
    • LSE 353: The Politics of Education
    • PSC 349: Advanced Topics in International Relations
    • RE 350: Real Estate Analysis
    • REL 224: Religion and Politics in the United States
    • SOC 214: Policing the Margins
    • SOC 232: Global Cities
    • SOC 310: Criminalization, Punishment, & Resistance
    • SOC 317: Gender, Crime and Justice
    • SWU 331: Social Welfare Policy

Career Options

Career options for Public Policy graduates include:

• Policy analyst
• Researcher
• Legislative aide
• Urban/City planner
• Program manager
• Non-profit manager

Outcomes

100% of Public Policy graduates were employed, continuing their education, or not seeking employment after graduation.