The Program in Public Policy is an 18-credit undergraduate minor open to students in all disciplines. Students also have an option to receive a Certificate in Public Policy by taking 9 additional credits (for a total of 27 credits).
Hunter College’s Public Policy Program, located in historic Roosevelt House, is based on the understanding that the preparation of informed individuals is the key to a vibrant participatory democracy. Students have an opportunity to interact first-hand with policy experts and practitioners, both in the classroom and outside, and learn how policies responding to urgent issues are created, how communities – across race, class, gender, sexuality, immigration status, among other differences – come together to demand change leading to greater equity and justice, and the ways in which the impact of laws can be assessed.
These are important skills that enable graduates to embark on careers in law, medicine, public affairs and the nonprofit sector and remain engaged in social justice issues at local, national, or global levels.
Prerequisites: To enroll in the public policy minor (18 credits) or certificate (27 credits), a student must have completed at least 45 credits of undergraduate study, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Academic Requirements: Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and receive a grade of B or higher in their public policy courses to remain in the program.
Program Director:
Lina Newton
Additional Opportunities
Hunter College offers other unique opportunities to Roosevelt House students to enrich the student experience beyond the classroom.
Internships
Undergraduate internships provide students opportunities to work in policy-related institutional settings outside the university. Public policy students may seek assignments in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, think tanks, advocacy groups, multilaterals, philanthropic foundations, or social enterprises. Some positions carry compensation, others are voluntary.
Special Events
Regular events at Roosevelt House allow students and faculty to come together several times a semester to discuss public policy issues. Guest speakers, including scholars and practitioners, with relevant expertise regularly visit Roosevelt House to discuss topics of the day.
Public Policy Program Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the Public Policy Program should be able to fulfill the following program learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate analytic thinking and writing as foundational knowledge about public policy processes and outcomes
- Apply skills acquired through the program to create impactful solutions to policy “problems” that engage the local, national and global communities.
- Show mastery of presentation skills
- Interpret data to support statements through the application of qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate real-world problems
