Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy

The Bachelor of Arts (AB) in Public Policy is a joint degree program offered by the College of Arts & Sciences and the McCourt School of Public Policy. The Joint Program in Public Policy (JPPP) combines training in the liberal arts and education of the whole person with specialized knowledge and professional skills in public policy. 

First-year students enrolling in the Fall 2023 term and beyond are eligible for this degree. 

Students who enroll in the JPPP spend their first two years on the Hilltop where they complete University and College of Arts & Sciences core requirements, as well as a public policy gateway course. JPPP students then spend their Junior and Senior years on the Capitol Campus completing course and experiential learning requirements in the McCourt School of Public Policy.

Students who intend to enroll in this degree are advised to complete their University and College Core requirements in their first two years. 

JPPP Major Requirements

The JPPP degree program features a 3-credit gateway course, How Public Policy Works (PPOL 2000), that introduces students to a range of contemporary public policy problems and the analytical frameworks and methodological tools used to design and evaluate solutions. This course is open to all Georgetown undergraduates and will be offered on the Hilltop only.

In addition to the gateway course, JPPP majors are required to complete ten (10) additional courses, for a total of eleven (11) courses. Degree requirements to be completed on the Capitol Campus include: four core courses, two skills-based courses, three electives, and one experiential course. 

The core courses that introduce students to the interdisciplinary analytical tools used to define policy problems and design and evaluate solutions are:

PPOL 3000: Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis

PPOL 3001: Economics for Public Policy

PPOL 3002: Political Analysis for Public Policy

PPOL 3003: Policy Implementation

To build more advanced skills for policy analysis and evaluation, students will be required to complete two (2) Methods & Skills electives (or a total of 6 credits) from a broad set of policy analysis skills-based courses offered at McCourt.  

In order to cultivate a richer understanding of a policy domain, students will complete 3 electives drawn from the following policy clusters: 

  • Environment, Energy and Climate Change
  • International Development  
  • Political Strategy and Governance 
  • Social Policy
  • Technology and Public Policy

Students must select a 3-credit signature course (PPOL: 3100/3200/3300/3400/3500) from one of the  policy clusters and 2 additional electives from any policy cluster.

To connect learning in the classroom with real world policy, students will be required to enroll in either (i) a 4-credit internship seminar or (ii) a 3-credit policy lab.  The experiential requirement exposes students to local, federal, state, and/or international agencies as well as non-governmental organizations engaged in designing and/or implementing policy solutions.  

Integrated Writing Requirement

Across core, elective, experiential and skill-based courses, students will practice a variety of policy-oriented research methods and strategic communication skills. Assignments building these skills will include short policy writing assignments such as policy memos, blogs, reflections, and op-eds as well as longer formats such as policy analyses and argumentative essays. Writing is integrated across the curricula, and policy cluster signature courses fulfill the Integrated Writing requirement.

Study Abroad

Students who study abroad may transfer up to two conditionally approved elective courses towards the JPPP major. Students wishing to transfer courses need to provide their study plans to the JPPP Faculty Director prior to departure in order to identify elective courses that potentially count towards the major. Students will then need to  provide detailed syllabi to the Faculty Director when they return to campus for approval of transfer credit. If up to two reviewed courses have sufficient policy content, students need to complete and submit the Evaluation of Transfer Credit Form to the JPPP Advising Dean in order to successfully transfer the credits.

More Information

For more information about the undergraduate Public Policy major, please visit the Joint Program in Public Policy website.

The Joint Program in Public Policy has not yet obtained approval for VA education benefits at this time, and is pending submission of its VA application. Please contact our Assistant Registrar for Veteran/Military Benefits at militarybenefits@georgetown.edu for more information.