Public Administration and Policy Analysis Major
Public Administration and Policy Analysis is an interdisciplinary program, offering both a major and a minor, administered by the Political Science Department. It is designed for students interested in public service (federal, state, or local) or graduate education in this area. For the major students take a program consisting principles, such as public policy theory and policy, public administration, and economics; functional area courses, such as budget, personnel, and administrative law; and analysis courses, such as Methods of Policy Analysis and Statistics. Majors also must take 9 credits in a specialized area--public policy, planning, human resources (personnel), natural resources/environmental administration, and public finance. All students are encouraged to complete an internship as part of their program.
To be admitted and retained as a major, and to be accepted for graduation, a student must have a grade point ratio of 2.50 or higher in courses taken within the major regardless of declaration of academic bankruptcy.
- Government (6 cr.)
- Principles (9 cr.)
- Functional Areas (9 cr.)
- Tools of Analysis (7 cr.)
- Elective Areas (9 cr.)
- Public Policy
- Public Planning
- Human Resources administration
- Natural Resources and the Environment
- Public Finance Administration
Click here for the UWSP Course Catalog entry for the Public Administration and Policy Analysis Major.
Four Year Sequence
| Freshman Year |
| Fall I |
| Pol. 101 or Pol. 202 |
3 cr |
| General Education / Electives |
12 cr |
| Spring I |
| Pol. 101 or Pol. 202; Pol 242 or Pol. 250 |
6 cr |
| General Education / Electives |
9 cr |
| Sophomore Year |
| Fall II |
| Pol. 242 or Pol. 250; Econ. 210 |
6 cr |
| General Education / Electives |
9 cr |
| Spring II |
| Pol. 356 or Econ. 311; 3 credits PA/PA electives |
6 cr |
| General Education / Electives1 |
9 cr |
| 1A student is required to take 9 credits of electives from an approved list. See the catalog or the department handbook for a list of the approved electives |
| Junior Year |
| Fall III |
| Pol. 354; Math 355 or Psych 300 or Soc 3512 |
7 cr |
| General Education/Electives |
8 cr |
| Spring III |
| Pol. 358 or Pol 450; Pol. 397 |
6 cr |
| General Education/Electives/Second major or minor |
9 cr |
| 2Math 355, Psych 300, and Soc 351 are statistics courses. Your statistics course must be completed before you take Pol. 397 a course required in the major. |
| Senior Year |
| Fall IV |
| PA/PA elective3, Internship4 |
7 cr |
| General Education/Electives/Second major or minor |
8 cr |
| Spring IV |
| Pol 397 if not completed in Junior year5, PA/PA elective6 |
3-6 cr |
| General Education / Electives (or courses for Second
Major / Minor) |
9-12 cr |
3See note 1 from Spring Semester Sophomore Year
4An internship is not required in the PA/PA major, but it is strongly recommended. A student may complete that internship in either of the semesters of his/her senior year.
5Pol. 397 is a limited enrollment course which might be closed before a Junior major could register for it. A Senior major is guaranteed access to the course
6See note 2 from Spring Semester Junior Year |