Oct 09, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

Public Policy and Service, BS


The interdisciplinary public policy and service major integrates coursework from public policy/administration and nonprofit studies. Courses in the major focus on the development, implementation, analysis and evaluation of policies that are relevant to the public good, including policies related to justice, equity and quality of life. Our unique interdisciplinary approach encourages students to specialize in a particular area of policy, through taking electives in environmental science, criminology and sociology, health administration, and more. The Public Policy and Service program is purposively designed to prepare students for careers in public policy, public administration, and non-profits.

For more information about the Political Science department, visit its website.

Public Policy and Service Curriculum


   Department and Number - Descriptive Title of Course Fall Cr. Spr. Cr

 First Year

               
 MAJOR                       PS 120 - (S) U.S. Politics: Principles & Citizenship  — PS 121 - (S) U.S. Politics: Institutions & Policy  OR PS 135 - (S) State and Local Government   3 3
 GE ELECT  GE ELECT — Free Electives   6
 GE HUMN  HUMN ELECT - Humanities Electives 3 3
 GE EP  PS 110 - (FYOC, FYDT) Scranton and the World 1 3  
 GE WRTG  WRTG 107 - (FYW) Composition   3              
 GE T/RS - PHIL  T/RS 121 - (P) Theology I: Introduction to the Bible  — PHIL 120 - Introduction to Philosophy   3 3
 GE FSEM  First Year Seminar*    
    15 15

 Second Year

   
 MAJOR  PS 232 - Public Administration  — PS 234 - Policy Analysis   3 3
 MAJOR  PS 210 - (Q, EPW) Political Science Research   3  
 GE ELECT  FREE ELECT - Free Electives 3 3
 GE HUMN  HUMN ELECT - Humanities Electives 3 3
 GE PHIL - T/RS  PHIL 210 - Ethics  — T/RS 122 - (P) Theology II: Introduction to Christian Theology   3 3
 MAJOR  PPS ELECT - PPS Elective in Political Science2   3
    15 15

 Third Year

   
 MAJOR  PS 336 - Organizational Theory and Behavior   3  
 MAJOR  PPS ELECT - PPS Electives in Political Science 2 3 3
 GE NSCI  NSCI ELECT - Natural Science Electives 3 3
 COGNATE  PS 337 - Politics, Religion and Public Service  or T/RS 213 - (P) American Catholic Thought  or T/RS 231 - (P) God and the Good Society  or T/RS 232 - (P) Catholic Social Thought  or T/RS 234 - (P, D) Peacemakers  or T/RS 236 - (P) God and Money  or T/RS 244 - (P, D) The Catholic Church and American Culture  or T/RS 342 - (P) Science and the Common Good   3  
 COGNATE  COGNATE ELECT - Cognate Electives3 3 3
 GE PHIL or T/RS  PHIL ELECT - Philosophy Elective4 or T/RS ELECT - Theology Elective4   3
 GE ELECT  FREE ELECT - Free Elective   3
    15 15

 Fourth Year

   
 MAJOR  PPS ELECT - PPS Elective in Political Science2 3  
 MAJOR  PS 480 - Political Science Internship I /PS 481 - Political Science Internship II  or PS 482 or PS 483 Independent Study or PS 331 - (EPW) The European Union  or an approved Community-Based Learning course5 3  
 GE ELECT  FREE ELECT - Free Electives 9 15
    15 15
 

Total: 120 Credits

1The Department recommends that students enroll in PS 110  in order to satisfy First Year Oral Communication and First Year Digital Technology requirements.

2Select PPS electives from the following: PS 110 , PS 135 , PS 216 , PS 231 , PS 241 , PS 318 , PS 319 , PS 325 , PS 330 , PS 331 , PS 333 , PS 337 , and PS 339 .

3With approval from the PPS Director, students select two non-Political Science courses tailored to their particular interest. Select two from the following approved courses (we recommend but do not require that the two courses come from the same area): CJ 110 , CJ 310 , S/CJ 210 , S/CJ 218 , S/CJ 219 , S/CJ 220 , S/CJ 221 , SOC 110 , SOC 212 , SOC 212 , SOC 222 , SOC 224 , SOC 315 /WOMN 215 , SOC 317 , SOC 331 , HADM 110 , HADM 111 , HADM 112 , HADM 211 , HADM 212 , HADM 216 , HADM 312 , ECO 101 , ECO 153 , ECO 154 , ACC 251 , ACC 252 , ACC 253 , ACC 254 , BIOL 141 , BIOL 142 , CHEM 112 , CHEM 113 , CHS 112 , CHS 335 , and HPRO 210 .

4A student who takes one of the T/RS courses listed in the Third Year Fall Semester (above) will replace this GE Phil or T/RS with a free elective.

*The selection of a First Year Seminar is likely to fulfill requirements both for the First Year Seminar and a General Education Requirement.  Thus, the First Year Seminar will not add to the total credits for the semester. Talk with an advisor in the Advising Center if you have any questions.

5Students may also apply PS 331  as the experimental learning requirement or as an elective.