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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Undergraduate Programs in Public Policy

In this section:

Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy

Minors in Public Policy

Up one level:

Public Policy

The undergraduate Public Policy curriculum is intended to expose students to the basic concepts and tolls used in evaluating public policy options and outcomes, and to prepare students for entry-level positions in organizations concerned with such analysis. Although the concepts and tools are of wider applicability, the institutional context is chiefly American. Economics and quantitative analyses are central to but not sufficient for modern public policy analysis; political science, law, philosophy, organizational behavior, and cognitive psychology are among other necessary disciplinary perspectives. Political philosophy and ethics form the foundations of public policy. Political science offers insights to the decision making process and information needs of a democracy. Organizational behavior focuses on the decisions made outside the market environment in hierarchies, bureaucracies, and teams. Nearly all public policy is formulated as law, and economic analysis of legal rules and institutions is key to effective implementation of policy decisions.

The Public Policy Program offers a Bachelor of Arts, an honors program, and a minor for undergraduates.

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