Social and Decision Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Policy and Management
The Policy and Management major prepares students for key decision-making and management roles in government, non-profit organizations, and business.
The major emphasizes analytical approaches to decision making, practical management skills, and empirical techniques necessary for graduates to excel in the public and private sectors. The multidisciplinary curriculum merges frontier knowledge on the ideals of decision making, policy, and data analysis, as well as the realities of individual behavior within various institutional settings that must be confronted if high-quality outcomes are to be attained.
The major is comprised of three required core areas taken by all Policy and Management majors, a capstone course, plus one of four concentration areas to be chosen by the student.
The three core areas are as follows:
The Policy Core gives students applied economic training and policy analysis experience. Students will gain an analytical understanding of some of the biggest domestic and global economic policy challenges, and gain an appreciation of the economic analysis of complex decisions, as well as the trade-off between economic and political-based decision making.
The Management Core focuses on real-world applications of decision making. Students will develop an understanding of effective negotiation strategies and tactics, and identify the barriers and the psychological factors that may prevent decision-makers from reaching wise agreements. The courses provide systematic methods for dealing with the complexities that make decisions difficult, ranging from incorporating issues of risk and uncertainty in decision making to dealing with choices that have mutually conflicting objectives. For example, a business or government agency may need to decide on a policy for mitigating the uncertain impacts of air pollution while simultaneously trying to minimize the costs of such a policy on manufacturing. A firm might want to consider the uncertain reductions in security dangers from alternative policies to protect against terrorism.
The Empirical Core focuses on key methods for collecting and analyzing data that are needed to make informed decisions. Students learn to use interviews, surveys, experiments, and econometric methods to enhance their ability to test existing, and design new, policies. Students will create statistical models to address questions asked in conceptual, computational, and data-driven investigations.
The required Capstone course gives students hands-on experience in a policy-related area. Students work in teams to apply the research and analytical methods learned in their other courses to a real-world problem.
Finally, the four concentration areas consist of four courses chosen by the student, in coordination with the Academic Advisor. The concentrations emphasize different aspects of decision making within the major: (1) Analytics, (2) Policy, (3) Management, and (4) Law. Each of the concentration areas draws upon the research and teaching strength of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences. Additionally, select courses from other areas in the University have been identified and approved as fulfilling elective requirements within the concentrations. More detail will be found in the concentration areas below.
The Policy and Management major provides an excellent combination of theoretical and practical skills for students who intend to seek managerial positions. Because of its strong analytic orientation, it is also an excellent major for those who intend to go on to professional school programs in law, business, or public policy. It is also an appropriate choice for students pursuing graduate degrees in economics, political science, or decision science. One such graduate option is the accelerated master’s program offered by 麻豆村’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, in which a student earns both a B.S. in Policy and Management and a in five years.
For specific curriculum requirements, please see the .
Learning outcomes for Policy and Management
- Apply tools and theories from social science to understand policy decisions and outcomes
- Learn ways to aid managerial decision making by applying a scientific approach to decision problems that involve quantitative factors
- Engage in solving real-world, unstructured problems that require teamwork and contributions from diverse disciplines
- Explain, defend, and critique the empirical research methods used in social science
- Display effective written and spoken communication about social science ideas, theories, and phenomena