Program Overview

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Overview of the B.A. in Public Affairs

The B.A. in Public Affairs offers an in-depth and engaged educational experience with a clear public service ethos. Drawing from UCLA Luskin’s expansive resources in Public Policy, Social Welfare, and Urban Planning, the major combines critical thinking, social science methodology, and experiential learning, connecting the dots between theory and action.

B.A. in Public Affairs Degree Requirements

Undergraduate students in the Luskin School of Public Affairs must complete the following degree requirements for graduation:

• University Requirements:
  • Entry-Level Writing / ESL
  • American History & Institutions
• School Requirements:
  • Writing I, Writing II, Quantitative Reasoning, Foreign Language, Diversity, General Education (GE) requirements
  • Unit requirements (i.e., 60 upper division units, 180 minimum overall units, and 216 maximum units)
  • Scholarship (i.e., GPA) requirement
  • Academic (senior/major) residence requirement
• Department Requirements:
  • Major preparation and upper division requirements
  • Major Scholarship (i.e., GPA) requirement

Public Affairs Major Curriculum

Public Affairs Major Requirements (Effective Spring 2023 and thereafter)

Students who are pursuing the B.A. in Public Affairs and who have a Public Affairs pre-major catalog term of Spring 2023 or thereafter, or who are admitted to the Public Affairs major Spring 2023 and thereafter, must complete the following major requirements:

• Six major preparation courses (28-29 units in total) that establish a critical social science and methodological foundation while fulfilling some General Education requirements.
• Ten upper division courses (44-45 units in total) which provide more sophisticated theoretical and substantive grounding, including skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods. Upper division electives reflect a range of substantive topics in public affairs. The ten upper division courses include the three-quarter experiential learning capstone in the senior year that culminates in a capstone project.

Public Affairs Major Preparation Requirements

The Public Affairs major preparation coursework consists of the following 6 major preparation courses totaling 28-29 units. All major preparation courses must be completed with a minimum C grade. All major courses must be taken for a letter grade.

• Three core major preparation courses:
  • PUB AFF 40. Microeconomics for Public Affairs (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 60. Using Data to Learn about Society: Introduction to Empirical Research and Statistics (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 80. How Social Environments Shape Human Development (4 units)
• Three additional major preparation courses from:
  • PUB AFF 10. Social Problems and Social Change (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 20. Power, Politics, and Policy Change (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 30. Comparative Analysis of Wealth, Policy, and Power (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 50. Foundations and Debates in Public Thought (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 70. Information, Evidence, and Persuasion (4 units)

Public Affairs Major Upper Division Requirements

The Public Affairs major upper division coursework consists of 10 upper division courses totaling 44-45 units. You must complete the major upper division requirements with a minimum 2.0 GPA. All major courses must be taken for a letter grade.

• Theory Courses (2 courses, 8 units): Select two courses from the following list:
  • PUB AFF M109. Introduction to Cities and Planning (4 units)
  • PUB AFF 110. The Urban Revolution: Space and Society in Global Context (4 units)
  • PUB AFF 111. Microeconomics: Market Failures and Inequality (4 units)
  • PUB AFF 112. Social Movements (4 units)
  • PUB AFF 113. Policy Analysis: Approaches to Addressing Social Problems (4 units)
  • PUB AFF 114. People, Organizations, and Systems (4 units)
• Methods Courses (2 courses, 10 units)
  • PUB AFF 115. Using Quantitative Methods to Understand Social Problems and their Potential Solutions (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 116. Using Qualitative Methods to Understand Social Problems and their Potential Solutions (5 units)
• Capstone Requirement (3 courses, 15 units):
  • PUB AFF 187AX. Experiential Learning Capstone (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 187BX. Experiential Learning Capstone (5 units)
  • PUB AFF 187CX. Experiential Learning Capstone (5 units)
• Elective Courses (3 courses, 12 units)
  • Elective courses for the Public Affairs major are selected from Public Affairs (PUB AFF) courses numbered 100-199 that are not already being used to satisfy the theory requirement, methods requirement, and capstone requirement.
  • Elective courses can also be selected from Urban Planning (URBN PL) 100-199, Social Welfare (SOC WLF) 100-199, Public Policy (PUB PLC) 100-199, and Gerontology (GRNTLGY) 100-199.

Public Affairs Experiential Learning Capstone Requirement

Students pursuing the B.A. in Public Affairs must complete the 3-quarter experiential learning capstone experience that consists of a 3-quarter internship totaling 220 hours, 3-quarter seminar (PUB AFF 187 series), and culminating capstone project.

Important Policies for the Public Affairs Major

The following policies apply to the Public Affairs Major:

• The Luskin School of Public Affairs requires the same University, Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, Diversity, and General Education Requirements as the College of Letters & Science.
• All courses for the Public Affairs pre-major and major must be taken for a letter grade.
• Effective Fall 2023, Public Affairs 60 is not open for credit to students with credit for Economics 41, Political Science 6, Statistics 10, 12, 13, or 15.
• All upper division courses for the major must be from the Luskin subject areas in Public Affairs, Urban Planning, Gerontology, Public Policy, Social Welfare.
• Students may only take one elective course outside of Luskin subject areas and the course must be approved by petition.

Planning Your Degree

Academic Counseling for Students Pursuing the B.A. in Public Affairs:

• Students pursuing the Public Affairs major must work closely with a Luskin undergraduate academic counselor to ensure they are completing all degree requirements, including major requirements, within their time-to-degree and unit maximum.

Public Affairs Majors Pursuing a Double Major or Minor

Students who are pursuing the Public Affairs major have the option to pursue a double major and/or minor, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the respective major or minor.

Studying Abroad as a Public Affairs Major

Students who are pursuing the Public Affairs major have the option to study abroad. Because Luskin has limitations on when students can study abroad, it is essential that students speak with a Luskin undergraduate academic counselor early in their UCLA career to discuss their study abroad interests and incorporate study abroad into their program plan.

Preparing for Graduate/Professional School

The B.A. in Public Affairs is designed to prepare students to be competitive to apply to any of the professional schools (business, law, public policy, social welfare, urban planning, education, public health) and to master’s and doctoral programs in the social sciences and education.

Careers in Public Affairs

The B.A. in Public Affairs provides a strong foundation in multidisciplinary social science theories and methods. The B.A. also helps students develop strong analytical, communications, and data analysis skills. Career paths for students with a Public Affairs B.A. include law, politics, research and data analysis, business and management, communications, teaching, public health, and academia, among others.