<p>There's not a lot of information our there about public policy majors, and I only have a vague idea as to what it is. I'm sure a lot of people would be interested if they only knew (like myself). </p>
<p>Does anyone know which schools have top-notch public policy programs...if they have any at all?</p>
<p>Uchicago has one</p>
<p>Duke has one of the very best public policy programs in the US, with the Terry Sanford Institute rapidly expanding. </p>
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The public policy major at Duke allows students to achieve many of the goals outlined in visions of a liberal arts education. Students are forced to draw on skills from multiple disciplines, to learn to write concisely, and to consider the ethical implications of their actions. The topics examined in the major lead one to think in terms of global problems and international relations, to analyze the policies surrounding new advances in science (i.e., genomics) and technology (i.e., intellectual property and the Internet), and to engage in solving important social problems. Professor Tony Brown notes that the role that PPS plays at Duke can best be appreciated by thinking about what undergraduates would miss if the major disappeared. If there were no PPS department, undergraduates at Duke would be less likely to engage in interdisciplinary analysis, to test their theoretical knowledge through internships and service learning projects, and to think about how knowledge can be harnessed to deal with policy problems. Duke's own general education requirements ask students to gain exposure in a diverse set of modes of inquiry: -cultural inquiry; ethical inquiry; science, technology, and society; foreign language; writing; and research. The breadth of the PPS major is revealed by the fact that, with the exception of the foreign language requirement, all of these modes of inquiry are reflected in some courses offered by the department.
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The public policy studies major is an interdisciplinary social science program designed to provide students with the skills, analytical perspectives, and substantive knowledge needed to deal effectively with major contemporary social problems. The course of study familiarizes the student with the kind of contribution each of several disciplines (political science, economics, social psychology, applied mathematics, history, and ethics) can make to one's understanding of a broad range of contemporary issues such as environmental policy, child and family policy, health policy, and international issues such as trade and conflict resolution. Opportunities are provided, both in the classroom and through field experiences, for students to integrate this material and apply it to the analysis of specific public policy issues.
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<p><a href="http://www.pubpol.duke.edu/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.pubpol.duke.edu/index.html</a></p>