Making Positive Change as a Public Policy Major

As a public policy major, you’ll explore the big problems facing our world and learn how to take actions to solve them. You will learn about problems from multiple perspectives and how the policy process shapes and reshapes policy solutions and their implementation. At the core of this major is a focus on your ability to be a change agent to actively work on solutions to complex public problems. 

The bachelor’s in public policy is a liberal arts degree based in the social sciences that provides a multidisciplinary lens through which to understand, analyze, and craft solutions to public problems. As a public policy major, you will develop a deep appreciation for complexity in policy-making contexts, in the US and internationally, and the analytical skills to tackle those problems. You will also receive mentorship to help you become a leader and change agent in local, national, or international arenas.

The public policy major builds a strong foundation for a career in government, mission-driven nonprofit and social enterprises, or the private sector. Our students also go on to law school or graduate studies in public policy, education, public health, business, and other fields of study. 

Learn More

Questions? Contact us at publicpolicyba@umass.edu.