Public policy is an interdisciplinary program that applies tools from economics, political science, statistics, and management to solve problems that matter to people and communities. Students in UK public policy hone their skills in internships, research, and leadership roles at UK and leave prepared to tackle society's most pressing issues with integrity.
Public Policy Careers
The practical skillset developed in the program gives graduates flexibility to move between sectors as their interests change and their skills are further enhanced in the field.
Careers in public policy span across:
- All levels of government - local, state, federal
- Policy analyst
- Legislative aide
- Policy advisor
- Research associate
- Budget analyst
- Nonprofit and advocacy organizations
- Community engagement specialist
- Volunteer coordinator
- Advocacy coordinator
- Grant-writing and development specialist
- Private-sector organizations
- Management consultant
- Government relations coordinator
The program is also excellent preparation for law school and other graduate programs, such as economics, policy, criminology, and more. The program's focus on analytical and communication skills, plus an emphasis on research and internships, prepares students well for the rigor of law school and future legal careers. Roughly half of public policy majors at UK plan to attend law school.
Visit us to learn more!
Students can take a general campus tour, plus stop by the Martin School to speak with the program advisor. Schedule a campus visit here. If an in-person meeting doesn't work, please reach out directly to the program recruiter, Kimberly Etherith Pressley.
In-State Tuition
Through the Academic Common Market, students from certain states can enroll in the Public Policy program at in-state tuition rates. These agreements are subject to change without notice. For most up-to-date information on the Academic Common Market, click here to see if your state is included.
In 2023, students traveled to the state capitol to meet with the Governor, Legislative Research Commission, KY STATS, and other organizations involved in state government.
Courses You Will Take
Access Major Map
source: myUK: GPS
Total Freshman Year Credit Hours
: 30 - 31
PPL 201 - INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY
PPL 201
A course designed to familiarize the student with the problem-solving activities of the public sector in such areas as immigration policy, education policy, environmental policy, and health care. This is an introductory course in American public policy. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to some of the most current and salient policy debates in the United States and give students basic tools and knowledge necessary to critically evaluate public policy issues.
UK Core - Comp. & Comm. I
3
PS 101 - AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
PS 101
A survey of national government and the political process in the United States, with emphasis on the Constitution, the President, Congress, and the judicial system.
UK Core - Natural, Physical and Math
3
ECO 201 - PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS I
ECO 201
This course will introduce you to the economic way of thinking and provides basic tools of economic theory used to study markets, individual consumer behavior, and the behavior of firms. It employs concepts such as scarcity, opportunity costs, tradeoffs, marginal thinking, and gains from trade. This course will examine how markets work and how supply and demand interact to determine prices, explore market failure such as externalities, the tragedy of the commons and public goods and the role of the government in market activity. Students will also be introduced to theories of the firm and individual behavior, competition and monopoly, and welfare economics. Students successfully completing this course should leave with an understanding of these basic economic principles and their applicability to real world situations. Students should also be able to incorporate the tools of economic analysis into their own decision-making processes as they weigh costs and benefits to make choices.
UK Core - Comp. & Comm. II
3
PPL 302 - POLITICAL CONTEXT OF PUBLIC POLICY
PPL 302
This course examines the important role of political context in the policy process. It equips students with the skills necessary to conduct effective public policy analysis from a political perspective and provides an understanding of the major actors and institutions involved in policymaking. We will begin with a broad discussion of the political institutions and policy actors in the policy process. Next, we will cover different stages of the policy process while focusing on the role of political institutions and actors in each one. In the end, we will apply the theories and perspectives to analyze the political context of various policy areas.
Prereq: PS 101, PPL 201.
Total Sophomore Year Credit Hours
: 30
PPL 251 - EQUITY IN PUBLIC POLICY
PPL 251
PPL 251 is designed to provide an introduction to issues related to equity in public policy. We will explore trends and explanations for social inequality across a range of identities, such as social class, race and ethnicity, and gender and sexual orientation. We will explore the role of public policy in producing and responding to inequality. Emphasis will be placed on institutions that mediate the transmission and reproduction of inequality, including families, neighborhoods, labor markets, the welfare system, and the criminal justice system.
PPL 301 - ECONOMICS OF PUBLIC POLICY
PPL 301
The course will focus on how to use basic economic tools to understand arguments for public policy solutions to problems in a society. It uses economics to analyze the expected impact of public policy on the allocation of resources and to evaluate the benefits and costs of alternative policy solutions.
Prereq: ECO 201, PPL 201.
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
UK Core - Arts and Creativity
3
PPL 303 - PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
PPL 303
This course focuses on the managers and leaders of public and nonprofit organizations. The objective is to understand the incentives confronting managers and workers of public/non-profit organizations and to illustrate how to successfully manage these organizations within an ever-changing environment. As such, it is critical for public managers to understand the interdependent nature of organizations, their environments, and the public policy process.
Prereq: PPL 201.
PPL 401 - DATA AND EVIDENCE IN PUBLIC POLICY
PPL 401
In this project-based course, students will gain practice identifying, managing, and analyzing datasets to address relevant and timely questions for public policy. Students will learn techniques for effective data visualization. The course emphasizes student familiarity with software and languages most valuable in policy fields. Throughout the semester, class materials, assignments, and discussions will build understanding of research designs and sound research practices to strengthen students’ capacity to critically evaluate claims from data analyses and policy research.
Prereq: STA 210 or STA 296 or equivalent; PPL 201; and PPL 301 or equivalent.
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
UK Core - Global Dynamics
3
Total Junior Year Credit Hours
: 30
PPL 306 - ETHICS AND CIVIC LEADERSHIP
PPL 306
In this course, we will examine the ethical dilemmas of leadership, the foundations and context of moral choice, the moral implication of decision making within public organizations and the impact upon staff, morale, personal integrity and citizens. In doing so, our purpose is to make visible the ethical challenges and decisions facing leaders, to explore the leadership role in sharing the organization's ethical culture, and to examine governmental alternatives. An emphasis will be made on critical thinking, normative decision making, and the role of values in public policy and management. Ethical theories and principles commonly used in public administration and policy will be explored, as will theories related to leadership in public, private, and non-profit organizations. This course will challenge students to craft their own ethical perspective strengthened through critical examination of ethics theory utilizing case studies, readings and local public leadership who will share their own ethical perspectives.
Prereq: PS 101, PPL 201.
PPL 405 - PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR PUBLIC NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
PPL 405
This is a course in which students learn to evaluate the impact of a program or policy in the public or nonprofit worlds. Evaluation research is a social science activity aimed at collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating information about the workings and effectiveness of social programs. The course introduces models and tools that will be used to formulate and evaluate policy options and finally make policy recommendations. Students will have opportunities to present their policy research ideas and methodology and receive feedback from their classmates and lecturers.
Prereq: PPL 201, PPL 401.
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Public Policy - Core Electives
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
PPL 304 - PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
PPL 304
This course integrates financial management into decision making and addresses the struggle to match mission with financial resources. Topics include: understanding the components of nonprofit financial statements, budgeting, accounting for contributions, and sustainability.
Prereq: ECO 201, PPL 201.
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Total Senior Year Credit Hours
: 30
PPL 434 - PUBLIC POLICY CAPSTONE
PPL 434
The public is exposed to diverse, often conflicting views of public problems and policy solutions to those problems. The media, special interest groups, researchers, family, and friends espouse views on what the government or nonprofits ought to do to fix social problems or better societal outcomes. This course builds upon the entire public policy curriculum (content and research methods courses) to systematically examine a range of policy options that address these underlying problems. The overarching objective of this course is for each student to develop and write a capstone that will be orally presented in class. The capstone topic will be tailored to the policy interests of the students. Successful completion of this course is necessary to meet the University of Kentucky Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR).
Prereq: This course will be open only to public policy majors who are in the last year of the program and have completed CIS/WRD 110/111 or equivalent course.
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Public Policy - Core Electives
3
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Public Policy - Guided Electives
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Please login to http://myUK.uky.edu to access your major map and
personalized degree audit via the myUK Graduation Planning System (myUK GPS).
