Admission to the Major
Before declaring to pursue the Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, students must be enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences and have completed the major prerequisites (listed below) with a grade of C- or better.
B.A. in Public Policy Prerequisites and Major Requirements
Introduction of Public Policy (4 credits):
- PUBPOL 2301 Introduction to Public Policy
Introductory Microeconomics (3 credits). Complete one of the following:
- ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics
- Score of 5 on AP Microeconomics exam
- Score of 7 on IB HL Economics exam
Introductory Sociology (3 credits). Choose one of the following:
- PUBPOL 2250 Social Problems in the U.S.
- SOC 1101 Introduction to Sociology
Introductory Government (4 credits). Choose one of the following:
- GOVT 1111 Introduction to American Government and Politics
- GOVT 1313 Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics
- GOVT 1817 Making Sense of World Politics
Statistics (4 credits). Choose one of the following:
- ECON 3110 Applied Probability and Statistics
- ECON 3130 Statistics and Probability
- PUBPOL 2101 Statistics for Public Policy
- SOC 3010 Statistics for Sociological Research
After completing these courses, students are ready to declare their intention to complete the B.A. in Public Policy.
After students have completed their prerequisites and have been accepted into the B.A. in Public Policy, the following requirements for the B.A. in Public Policy must be completed. Students must also receive a C- or better in all requirements for the B.A. in Public Policy. S/U grade may not be used for any of these requirements unless it is the only grading option available for those courses Also, students must meet the Graduation Requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Intermediate Microeconomics (4 credits). Choose one of the following:
- PUBPOL 2000 Intermediate Microeconomics
- ECON 3030 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
Economics of the Public Sector (3-4 credits). Choose one of the following:
- PUBPOL 2040 Economics of the Public Sector (4 credits)
- ECON 4260 Public Finance: The Microeconomics of Government (3 credits)
Political Science (6-8 credits). Choose two of the following:
- PUBPOL 2320 Global Democracy and Public Policy
- PUBPOL 2857 Global Governance and Policy
- PUBPOL 3583 Comparative Public Policy: Political Pathways to Equality
Public Policy Core Courses (15 credits). Cross-listed versions in any A&S department may be used for this requirement. Complete all of the following:
- PUBPOL 2030 Population and Public Policy (4 credits)
- PUBPOL 2370 Race, Racism, and Public Policy (4 credits)
- PUBPOL 3100 Multiple Regression Analysis (4 credits)
- PUBPOL 3830 Ethics for Public Policy (3 credits)
Public Policy Electives (22 credits):
Students must take a minimum of 22 credits of 2000, 3000 or 4000 level public policy (PUBPOL) courses in addition to the core requirements.
Note: A maximum of 3 credits of special studies coursework (PUBPOL 4000, PUBPOL 4010, and PUBPOL 4020) can count here.
PUBPOL 4030, PUBPOL 4980, and PUBPOL 4990 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
Engaged Learning (3 credits):
This requirement may overlap with another major requirement.
- Any PUBPOL course that has the CU-CEL attribute as of Fall 2025.
Additional Requirements
No more than 12 credits applied towards the economics, government, or sociology major requirements can also count towards the B.A. in Public Policy PUBPOL requirements
Each course may only meet one requirement. The only exception to this policy is the engaged learning requirement which may overlap with any B.A. in Public Policy requirement.
Students must complete a curriculum substitution petition to request to have study abroad coursework meet Public Policy elective credits. No more than 8 credits of study abroad coursework per abroad semester can count towards the Public Policy elective credits requirement. No other B.A. in Public Policy major requirements may be completed abroad.
Students must take major requirements under the PUBPOL section in order for it to meet the major requirements, unless an alternate section is specified in the requirements.
Declaring the B.A. in Public Policy
To pursue the Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, students must submit the Declaration to Major form.
Once we receive a student’s declaration, they will be contacted within two weeks to confirm their acceptance into the B.A. in Public Policy.
When to Declare the B.A. in Public Policy Major
Students are eligible to declare the B.A. in Public Policy major in the College of Arts and Sciences once they have completed the major prerequisites.
Students do not need to declare the major as soon as they are eligible. Some students declare as early as the first semester of their sophomore year, but many students declare at the end of their sophomore year.
Before declaring the B.A. in Public Policy major in the College of Arts and Sciences, students are welcome to speak with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Aubryn Sidle (as286@cornell.edu) to learn more about it. External transfers to Cornell may be asked to meet with the Brooks School Registrar before their declaration to major in Public Policy is approved.
Please note that the College of Arts and Sciences requires students to declare at least one major and process all the paperwork by the end of their sophomore year.
Advising
When students are admitted to the B.A. in Public Policy, they are welcome to meet with Brooks School advising staff to discuss and review their major requirements, and they will need to continue to meet with their College of Arts and Sciences advisor to make sure that they are fulfilling the College of Arts and Sciences requirements.
