Policy and Values

Program Overview

The Policy and Values program at Doane University equips students with a deep understanding of policy systems and critical thinking skills to navigate them. Through a multidisciplinary core and specialized tracks in health care, environmental policy, or legal affairs, students develop essential competencies for careers in policymaking and law. The program emphasizes experiential learning and prepares graduates for a wide range of fulfilling career paths in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Overview: Policy and Values is a unique program within the College of Arts and Sciences at Doane University that prepares students for careers in policymaking and law.
• Objectives: The program provides students with two equally important competencies: a knowledge of how American policy systems work and an ability to think critically about the values that shape them.
• Description: This innovative approach, immersed in the liberal arts, offers several advantages for students, including preparation for law school or careers in policymaking in the private and public sectors, exposure to multiple perspectives, and development of essential skills for empathy and critical thinking.

Outline:

• Foundation Courses: Students take a multidisciplinary core of classes that teach political systems, skills for navigating them, and the value-context in which they reside.
• Core Courses:
• Introduction to Policy and Values
• American Politics OR Legislative and Executive Behavior
• Ethics
• Comparative Religions OR Cultural Anthropology
• Macroeconomics and Literacy
• Strategic Writing OR Public Relations
• Religion in Politics
• Public Opinion and Citizen Action OR Political Parties and Interest Groups
• Public Finance
• Organizational Behavior
• Capstone Experience
• Specializations: Students choose a policy specialization of health care, legal affairs, or environmental policy to increase their policy-specific knowledge.

Health Care Policy

• Required Courses:
• The Sociology of Health and Health Care
• EVS 205 (Principles of Environmental Public Health)
• ECO 329 (Health Care Economics)
• PSY/SOC 230 (Social Problems)

Environmental Policy

• Required Courses:
• EVS 392 (Environmental Policy and Sustainability)
• ECO 309 (Environmental Economics)
• EVS 105 (Introduction to Natural Resources)
• EVS 201 (Environmental Science)
• EVS 205 (Principles of Environmental Public Health)
• EVS 320 (Introduction to Geographic Information Systems)
• EVS 330 (Earth, Climate, and Energy)
• HIS 320 (American Environmental History)

Legal Affairs

• Required Courses:
• Constitutional Law
• Legal Environment of Business
• Legal and Ethical Issues
• Current Legal Issues
• Corrections
• Criminal Law and Procedure

Assessment:

• The program employs a variety of assessment methods, including written assignments, presentations, projects, and exams.
• Grading is based on a combination of factors, including clarity of writing, critical thinking, and originality.

Teaching:

• The program is taught by a team of experienced faculty members who are experts in their fields.
• Classes are small and discussion-based, which allows students to engage with the material and with each other.
• The program also incorporates experiential learning opportunities, such as internships and research projects.

Careers:

• Graduates of the Policy and Values program are prepared for a fulfilling career in policymaking or law.
• Potential career paths include law school, congressional staffer, elected official, campaign consultant, government work (administration), compliance officer, regulatory official, journalist, nonprofit work (advocacy), nonprofit work (administration), policy analyst, lobbyist, and divinity school/clergy.