Public Affairs Minor

Overview

The Public Affairs minor teaches undergraduate students the skills of policy analysis and exposes them to many of the local, state, national, and international issues facing today’s policymakers and opinion leaders. Courses explore the public (governmental) and nonprofit sectors and provide a theoretical, conceptual, and practical foundation for students. Particular … For more content click the Read More button below.

The Public Affairs minor teaches undergraduate students the skills of policy analysis and exposes them to many of the local, state, national, and international issues facing today’s policymakers and opinion leaders. Courses explore the public (governmental) and nonprofit sectors and provide a theoretical, conceptual, and practical foundation for students. Particular attention is given to the vexing issues facing urban areas and urban planners, social welfare and social workers, and public policies that affect individuals and groups of people in their public and private lives.

Requirements

Admission

The Minor

Required Lower-Division Courses (10 units): Public Affairs 10, and 40 or 60.

Required Upper-Division Courses (20 to 25 units): (1) Two or three theory and/or methods courses selected from Public Affairs M109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116; (2) two or three elective courses selected from upper-division, undergraduate courses (100-199) within the four academic units of the Luskin School of Public Affairs: public affairs, public policy, social welfare, and urban planning. Students must complete five upper-division courses. If three theory/methods courses are selected, two electives are required; if two theory/methods courses are selected, three electives are required.

Policies

Lower-division courses may not be substituted. If a student has taken a non-public affairs course in statistics or microeconomics, it is recommended that the other public affairs course be taken to satisfy the second lower-division requirement.

By petition only, students may request to use one outside course (not from a Luskin School of Public Affairs unit) as an elective for the minor.

Fieldwork and internship courses, such as Social Welfare 130A, 130B, and Urban Planning M165, may not be applied toward the minor.

A minimum of 20 units applied toward the minor requirements must be in addition to units applied toward major requirements or another minor.

Each minor course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better in the minor. Successful completion of the minor is indicated on the transcript and diploma.