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Public Policy Analysis (PPA) Major

Overview of the PPA major

As members of a society, you have the opportunity and the privilege to affect change on pressing issues of our time. Whether you're interested in education policy, housing policy, or beyond, the major in Public Policy Analysis is a joint major with Political Science and combines the rigor of a quantitative sciences degree with an emphasis on public policy.

What distinguishes PPA from similar majors?

  • The main reason to choose PPA is that QTM offers the strongest technical training of any public policy education not only at Emory, but around the country. Public Policy is an increasingly quantitative space and the technical skills provided by QTM are increasingly critical to policy analysis and advocacy.
  • The PPA major uniquely prepares students to better understand public policy, to assess policy and the context in which it exists, and to advocate for policy advancement and reforms

This major prepares you for:

  • Employment in many data- or quantitatively-oriented policy arenas (e.g., non-profit, education, government, social work, etc.)
  • Graduate study in public policy, law, political science, or business
  • Interdisciplinary graduate training, for example in the social sciences or environmental sciences

Total credits towards PPA: 51+ required

QTM Courses

  • MATH 111 and MATH 221 are prerequisites to the QSS major and do not count towards major GPA

Elective Courses

  • QTM electives include 300- and 400-level lecture and seminar style classes of 3+ credit hours.
  • QTM 398R, 495A, 496R, 497R, and 499R do not satisfy the QTM elective requirement.
  • PPA electives may be selected from approved ECON, ENVS, HIST, POLS, or SOC offerings; up-to-date elective options may be found on the Political Science website
  • African American Studies Electives
    • AAS 385 Blacks and Housing Policy
    • AAS 385 Race, Place, and Political Economy
  • Economics Electives
    • ECON 231 Intro to Global Trade and Finance
    • ECON 309 Contemporary Economic Issues
    • ECON 330 Collective Bargaining and Public Policy
    • ECON 341 Business and Government
    • ECON 356 Development of the US Economy
    • ECON 362 Economic Development
    • ECON 365 Environmental Economics and Policy
    • ECON 385 The Political Economy of China
    • ECON 390 The Political Econ of the Middle East
  • Environmental Science Electives
    • ENVS 225 Institutions & The Environment
    • ENVS 224 Economy and the Environment
    • ENVS 227 Environmental Policy
    • ENVS 324 Environmental Economics
    • ENVS 326 Climate Change and Society
    • ENVS 365 Urban Geography
    • ENVS 389 Urban Food Security
  • Health Electives
    • HLTH 370 Health Policy
    • HLTH 373 Delivering Health
  • History Electives
    • HIST 385 Wealth & Poverty in the US
  • Political Science Electives
    • POLS 227 Environmental Policy
    • POLS 309 Survey Research & Political Analysis
    • POLS 316 Foreign Policy of the U.S.
    • POLS 319 International Political Economy
    • POLS 321 Comparative Political Economy (POLS 394W)
    • POLS 335 Nations and Nationalism
    • POLS 339 Politics and the Environment
    • POLS 342 Congressional Politics
    • POLS 342 Congressional Politics
    • POLS 343 Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
    • POLS 350 American Legal System
    • POLS 354 Criminal Justice
    • POLS 355 Nonprofits and Politics
    • POLS 357 Gender Politics
    • POLS 362 Executive Branch Governance
    • POLS 366 Poverty in America
    • POLS 367 Urban Politics
    • POLS 368 Urban Public Policy
    • POLS 370A Community Building and Social Change
    • POLS 370B Planning Community Initiatives
    • POLS 384 Environmental Policy
    • POLS 385 Topic: The Law & Politics of Immigration
    • POLS 385 State Politics and Policy
    • POLS 394W Politics of Public Health
    • POLS 486 Washington Semester
    • POLS 490 RSCH: Political Economy of Public Policy
    • POLS 494 Gender, Race, and Political Representation
    • POLS 494 Evidence-based Policymaking
    • POLS 494 Globalization and Human Rights
    • POLS 494W Politics and Punishment
    • POLS 494W Politics of Public Health
    • POLS 496 Internship in Political Science
  • Sociology Electives
    • SOC 201 Organizations and Society
    • SOC 230 Sociological Aspects of Health/Illness
    • SOC 307 Sociology of Education
    • SOC 343 Mass Media & Social Influence
    • SOC 350 Sociology of Law
    • SOC/ENVS 389 Urban Food Security
    • SOC 390 Study Abroad: Health Care & Society Sem
    • SOC 446W Big/Small Data and Visualization

 

Washington Semester

Through a cooperative arrangement with American University in Washington, D.C., qualified PPA students may spend a semester of study in Washington.

The 16-week semester in Washington includes:

  • A two-day a week internship
  • A 3-day a week seminar
  • A research project.

Those programs with a study abroad component offer a variety of field practice. Click here for more information about this program.