Public Policy & Administration

MORE INFORMATION
Dr. Susan Johnson, coordinator
Political Science Department
Salisbury 201
(262) 472-1120
johnsons@uww.edu

Admissions Office
UW-Whitewater
Whitewater, WI 53190
(262) 472-1440
Fax:
(262) 472-1515
uwwadmit@uww.edu
Web site

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater offers an opportunity for students to earn a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in public policy and administration. The major is open to both traditional full-time students and to continuing students who are already employed in government or government-related organizations. The public policy and administration major is sponsored jointly by the Political Science Department in the College of Letters and Sciences and the Management Department in the College of Business and Economics. The courses in the major are offered by these two departments and by several other departments in the two colleges, providing a broad interdisciplinary structure for the major.

The College of Letters and Sciences is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Depending on the concentration students choose, the public policy and administration major prepares them for careers in the administrative, legislative or judicial branches of local, state and national governments; business organizations, such as public utilities or defense contractors, which work closely with government; hospitals, charitable organizations and other non-profit organizations; and for law school or graduate school admission.

The courses in the public policy and administration major are taught by faculty in political science, management, psychology, economics, accounting and many other disciplines. A student in the major is therefore exposed to a wide range of viewpoints from many different areas of knowledge.

Preparation for the degree should begin in high school with particular emphasis given to strengthening communication, quantitative and computer skills as well as preparation in the social sciences and humanities.

Each student is required to complete an internship to gain practical experience as part of the integrative experience portion of the major. Internships are available in a wide range of city, state and national government offices, private businesses and non-profit organizations. Recent public policy and administration majors have served in congressional offices including both US Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl and Congresspeople Tammy Baldwin and Paul Ryan, state legislative offices including Steve Nass and Dale Schultze and in numerous Wisconsin city management offices, including Whitewater, Janesville, Delevan, Lake Mills and Lake Geneva.

Recent public policy and administration graduates have successfully gained employment in the Wisconsin state legislature, a variety of city management offices, private industry and law offices. Several graduates also pursue masters degrees in public administration.

Students who major in public policy and administration often choose to become active in professional and service organizations that reflect their career goals. Some participate in the campus Law Society and in the Political Science Student Association. Others have chosen to pursue membership in the American Marketing Association (AMA) or other business organizations. The interdisciplinary nature of this program opens the widest variety of opportunities for students.

At UW-Whitewater, the public policy and administration major is an extended program consisting of 60 credits. Because of its length, no minor is required. The degree requirements are divided into four 15-credit blocks, and a grade point average of at least 2.25 overall and 2.0 in the major is required to remain in good standing and to graduate from the major.

Lower Division Core courses include:

• Introductory Psychology
• Introduction to Information Systems
• Accounting Concepts
• Economic Principles, Problems, & Policies
• Understanding Probability and Statistics or Basic Statistical Methods
  Upper Division Core courses include:
  
• Organizational Behavior
• State and Local Government
• Public Policy Analysis
• Management Information Systems
• Public Policy & Administration
  

Integrative experience and electives include:

• Seminar in Public Administration
• Internship in Political Science
• Business Communication or Scientific & Technical Writing

Areas of Concentration: Students select one 15-credit concentration from the following:

• General Management
• Public Policy
• Planning and Budget Administration
• Police and Criminal Justice Administration
• Personnel
• Legal
• Urban Affairs