Public Policy

Shape the future by becoming a changemaker in policy analysis or public administration.

Public Policy Degree

Policymakers are changemakers. They support public structures everywhere, and we wouldn’t have government and laws without them. Learning public policy at one of the first liberal arts colleges to offer the major, provides you with an exceptional opportunity to make a difference working in policy analysis or public administration, at home or on the world stage.

Susquehanna’s faculty commit to their students’ success in three separate tracks: domestic, international and public administration. You will complete a significant research project directed by a faculty member, write policy briefs and analyses, and complete an internship. Living on Susquehanna’s campus, near the state capital and just a few hours away from the nation’s capital, offers plenty of opportunities for real-world experience.

Our graduates contribute to major public policymaking here and abroad. They work in all levels of government, non-governmental organizations (NGO), law, think tanks, healthcare and other sectors that serve the public interest.

POLICYMAKERS AND POLITICS

If you want to dive into a career in public administration, Susquehanna’s political science department provides students with the education, tools and experience to do so. Our graduates pursue diverse career paths, working as lobbyists, data analysts, professors and grant writers in education, human services and healthcare nonprofits. Many also advance their education, earning law degrees or doctorates in political science and related fields.

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A young man in a suit stands in a hallway, smiling while talking to three people. Two women and a man are engaged in conversation with him. The hallway has wooden doors and a brown and white wall.

100%

of students gain professional experience through internships

100%

of majors complete a directed research project with faculty support

100%

of majors acquire experience writing policy briefs and analyses

95%

of students study abroad

“I chose Susquehanna mainly for the small class sizes. I wanted the chance to get to know my professors and work toward my professional goals. Smaller classes have helped me learn more about my major and build stronger connections with my professors and classmates.”

— Kennedy Landers ’25

Public Policy

Management

“Susquehanna offers a number of strong scholarships and grants. Ultimately, I knew it was the best choice for me and my family — and looking back, deciding to come to Susquehanna was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

— Alice Polcrack ’26

Public Policy

Biomedical Sciences

“As an athlete, my favorite tradition here at Susquehanna is Thanksgiving dinner, when I enjoy a night out with my teammates for a homemade meal to celebrate the holiday. But, the best part is our coaches serve us dinner.”

— Mackenzie Moran ’26

Political Science

Public Policy

“My degree program allowed me to study at the Washington, D.C., International Diplomatic Academy, where I obtained a certificate in diplomatic tradecraft. This opportunity allowed me to study under current and retired ambassadors located around the world, practicing simulations that cover various aspects of the Foreign Service.”

— Arianna Sivio ’23

Public Policy

Explore Your Studies

Program Resources

A Glance Into Your Degree Pathway

With support from advisors and course planning tools, your time at Susquehanna is carefully designed to help you succeed. This example provides a glimpse into your degree experience, but you’ll have plenty of opportunities to customize your path with electives or study abroad programs that reflect your passions and career goals.

First Year – Fall Semester

POLI 212

Introduction to Public Policy

This course focuses on understanding how laws are made. We will examine the policy-making process in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in other countries. Who sets the agenda adopted by politicians and policy-makers? What role(s) are played by private actors in the policy-making process? What factors help or hinder the process of implementing policies? Students will consider all of these questions and focus in depth on a number of current policy debates, including immigration policy, environmental policy and education policy. This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the theories explaining how policies are shaped by the political process and a familiarity with the practical tools used by policy-makers to develop and enforce the rules, policies and laws that we all must follow. 4 SH. CC: Ethics Intensive.

First Year – Spring Semester

ECON 201

Principles of Macroeconomics

Introduces aggregate economics. Emphasizes current issues such as unemployment, inflation, stagflation, monetary and fiscal policies and international economics. 4 SH. CC: Social Interactions.

N/A

Program Elective

Public Policy

Choose from a variety of elective courses within this program to customize your goals.

Second Year – Fall Semester

ECON 202

Principles of Microeconomics

Introduces principles of supply and demand and how they affect levels of output, price and employment under various market structures. 4 SH. CC: Social Interactions.

N/A

Program Elective

Public Policy

Choose from a variety of elective courses within this program to customize your goals.

Second Year – Spring Semester

POLI 205

Research Methods I

Introduces students to the social science research process and common techniques of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Topics include the development of theory, measurement, data collection and analysis, and research ethics. Requirements include compiling a literature review and using statistical software to conduct data analysis. 4 SH. CC: Ethics Intensive.

N/A

Program Elective

Public Policy

Choose from a variety of elective courses within this program to customize your goals.

Third Year – Fall Semester

N/A

Program Elective

Public Policy

Choose from a variety of elective courses within this program to customize your goals.

N/A

Program Elective

Public Policy

Choose from a variety of elective courses within this program to customize your goals.

Third Year – Spring Semester

N/A

Program Elective

Public Policy

Choose from a variety of elective courses within this program to customize your goals.

Fourth Year – Fall Semester

INTD 501

Senior Seminar

The Senior Seminar in international studies is the culmination and integration of the international studies major, although it is also open to students majoring in political science and public policy. This class may count as the capstone experience for students majoring in all three programs. It provides students with the opportunity to research, write and present a thesis on an approved topic. Students work closely with faculty members to formulate their theses and prepare both a research design and a final senior essay that implements that design. Students will also critically analyze others’ work. This course should be cross-listed with POLI-501. Prerequisites: POLI-205 Research Methods. 4SH. Capstone. CC: Writing Intensive.

PPOL 351

Public Administration

The course will examine how rules, regulations, policies, court decisions and laws are actually implemented by what is often referred to as the bureaucracy or the administrative state. In that pursuit, students will become familiar with the origins and composition of the bureaucracy, with organizational structures that characterize bureaucratic bodies, and with theories on how to manage and finance administrative functions. The purpose of the course is to offer both theoretical foundations for understanding the practice of public administration and to prepare students who might be interested in engaging in public administration careers. 4 SH.

PPOL 352

Environmental Policy

The course will examine the political and policy-making environment, including the relevant institutions and actors, surrounding the creation and implementation of environmental policies. Students will learn the historical background of environmental policy, the different objectives to be achieved through environmental regulation, the various tools and approaches for achieving those objectives, and some of the current controversies that exist in environmental policy today. The course will also explore differences between how elected leaders, bureaucrats and private actors influence the policy process. 4 SH.

PPOL 353

Education Policy

This course examines contemporary issues and challenges in public education. It explores the history of education in the United States and discusses objectives behind creating a public school system. Theories and concepts related to the policymaking process are explored, and resulting policies are analysis and contextualize within the field of education. Finally, the course investigates recent education reforms and, where possible, seeks to analyze the consequences of these reforms. Same as EDUC-530. Prerequisites: EDUC 101, junior or senior standing. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s).

Public Policy

Public Policy is an interdisciplinary major that combines courses from a number of different disciplines so that students may obtain the knowledge necessary to analyze, explain, and contribute to the evolution of policies designed to serve the public. There are three different tracks in which students may focus: domestic policy, international/development policy or public administration, and non-profit management. These different tracks allow students to acquire the specialized expertise and skills required to work in different fields related to public policy and governance. Regardless of the track, the major is structured so that students develop the analytical and methodological skills necessary to identify the objectives behind different policies, understand the process by which policies are created, and evaluate the extent to which policies fulfill their objectives.

Internships

Relevant practical experience is invaluable to being able to understand and critically evaluate the policy process. Such experience is also essential for our graduates to compete for policy-related positions in the private or public sphere or for admission into a relevant graduate program. As such, students are required to find and secure an internship focused on an area of public policy or public administration relevant to their track and area(s) of interest. Students may apply to receive 2-4 semester hours of course credit for this internship. The program adviser works with students to identify and apply for relevant internships.

Learning Goals

Students will develop the analytical and methodological tools necessary to study and explain the development and implementation of public policies.
Students will be able to identify the objectives motivating different public policies and to evaluate critically the extent to which a policy fulfills its objectives.
Students will possess factual knowledge relevant to a specific area of public policy (such as health care policy or development policy) and/or management of organizations focused on the policy process.
Students will obtain practical experience relevant to the creation and/or evaluation of public policy.
Students will frequently engage in discussion and debate related to current social, economic, cultural, and political issues, as well as possible solutions and strategies to address these issues.

Major in Public Policy

Students must complete 44 semester hours – 20 semester hours in the Core Curriculum and 24 semester hours in one of the tracks below – all with grades of C- or higher.

Double-counting Restriction

Students majoring in public policy may double-count a maximum of 12 semester hours toward another major or minor. The capstone requirement is fulfilled for majors who have already successfully completed an approved capstone requirement from another degree program.

20 Core Curriculum

4 Capstone (POLI-501 Senior Seminar)
4 POLI-212 Introduction to Public Policy
4 ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics
4 ECON-202 Principles of Microeconomics
4 POLI-205 Research Methods
0-4 Internship (uncredited, or students may choose to apply for an additional 2-4 semester hours beyond what is required for the major)

Majors should select 24 semester hours from their chosen track. Courses should be selected to form a cohesive focus through consultation with their advisor. NO more than 8 semester hours at the 100-level or lower and at least 4 semester hours at the 300-level or higher. Additional courses, beyond those listed, may be approved to count toward a particular track by the program coordinator.

Track 1: Domestic Policy (at least 16 semester hours from the below list and at least 8 semester hours focused on a specific policy area)

4 POLI-111 American Government and Politics
4 POLI-215 Law and Politics
4 POLI-300 Parties and Interest Groups
4 POLI-316 The American Presidency
4 POLI-317 The U. S. Congress
4 ECON-341 Economic Policy
4 ANTH-413/SOCI-413 Critical Race Theory
4 SOCI-315 Social Stratification in Contemporary Society
4 SOCI-405 Law and Society
4 PHIL-150 Race, Class and Ethics Education Policy

Education Policy

2 EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society
4 EDUC-250 Educational Psychology
2 EDUC-380 Instructional Design
2 EDUC-389 Assessment

Environment Policy

4 EENV-105 Energy and the Environment
4 EENV-242 Climate and Global Change
4 ENST-335 Environmental Laws and Regulations
4 POLI-333 Development, Globalization and Society
4 PPOL-352 Environmental Policy
4 RELI-235 Environmental Ethics Health Care Policy

Health Care Policy

4 ANTH-311 Regulating Bodies: Food, Sex, Drugs and the Economy
4 BIOL-157 The Biology of Women
4 HIST-323 History of American Medicine
4 HLCR-370 Human Health and Disease
4 PSYC-242 Health Psychology
4 PSYC-243 Drugs, Society and Behavior

Some departments, most notably the Biology Department, offer topics-based seminars that may be relevant to these policy areas and which may be approved as counting toward the chosen track by the program director.

Track 2: International Policy/Development Policy