About the Program

Minor

The undergraduate minor in Public Policy introduces students from other departments and colleges to the field and practice of policy analysis. Employers and graduate schools recognize a completed minor as indicative of broader preparation than a single degree, not to mention curiosity and willingness to do extra work. The Public Policy minor also certifies interest and background in public affairs.

Over the years, the department has realized that the underlying model of policy analysis enriches and complements a variety of undergraduate specializations and that public policy training can be valuable not only as a “pre-MPP” experience but also to students whose graduate training won’t include the Masters in Public Policy degree. Lawyers, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, and others need to understand government choices as citizens, as participants in government, and on behalf of their organizations, many of which are profoundly affected by public policy.

Registration for the minor (which does not obligate one to complete it) makes students eligible for various Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) undergraduate programs and activities and gets them on a mailing list for GSPP events of interest to anyone concerned with public affairs.

Course of Study Overview

The undergraduate courses in public policy deal with the substance of public policy, how it is made, how its effects can be gauged, and what the purposes of policy should be. The courses consider both the policy process and particular policy issues. By examining different policy problems in their political and social contexts, students gain a greater sensitivity to the forces which shape and carry out public policies and to the impact of social, political, economic, and legal power.

Courses are designed for students in diverse disciplines and professional schools. There are no prerequisites for enrollment in the undergraduate courses unless specifically noted otherwise in the course descriptions. The training provided by the courses is useful to those interested in combining the substantive perspectives of the social sciences with the immediacy of contemporary problems, to those considering professional study, and to the informed and politically aware citizen.

Declaring the Minor

All UC Berkeley undergraduate students are eligible for enrollment in the Public Policy minor. Students should complete the Minor Enrollment Form as early in their academic career as possible. Declaration of the Public Policy minor is possible even before enrolling in public policy courses.

Please note that early declaration of the minor does not obligate students to this program should it become unfeasible later in their academic pursuits.

All Public Policy minor students must complete a Completion of Public Policy Minor form the semester they are scheduled to graduate in order to receive credit for the minor. The minor will not be listed on the diploma. Students who complete the requirements for the Public Policy Minor will receive a certificate of completion in the U.S. mail. Within six weeks after receiving the certificate, a notation will appear at the bottom of the transcript that will state "Minor Program in Public Policy Completed" with the semester and year.

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Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but they are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

1. All courses used to fulfill minor requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or higher, and must be at least 3 units each.
2. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, except PUB POL 199, and PUB POL 98/PUB POL 198, both of which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only.
3. Two 2-unit PUB POL 98/PUB POL 198 courses or other 2-unit public policy courses may count as one course toward the minor; however, only one of these can be PUB POL 98.
4. Students may count graduate level public policy electives to complete their minor requirements. Generally, undergraduates require an instructor consent form to enroll in graduate courses.
5. No more than two non-public policy courses may be used to fulfill minor requirements.

Requirements

Courses

Public Policy

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

Daniel J. Acland, Associate Professor of Practice in Public Policy. Benefit-Cost Analysis, Behavioral Economics, Behavior Change, Public Health.
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Sarah F. Anzia, Michelle J. Schwartz Associate Professor of Public Policy & Associate Professor of Political Science. Elections, Government, Politics, State and Local Politics and Policy, Public Sector Unions, Women in Politics, Public Employee Pensions.
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Josefina Castillo Baltodano, Founder and Executive Director, Executive Leadership Academy. Higher Education.
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Mia Bird, Assistant Adjunct Professor. Criminal Justice Policy, Economic Demography, Health and Human Services Policy, Policy and Program Evaluation.
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Robert J. Birgeneau, Arnold and Barbara Silverman Distinguished Professor of Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, and Public Policy. Higher Education Policy, Research Policy.
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George R. Blumenthal, Faculty Director of the Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE).
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Henry Brady, Dean and Class of 1941 Monroe Deutsch Professor of Political Science and Public Policy. Elections, Politics, Government.
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Jennifer L. Bussell, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Political Science. Information Technology, Public Management, Politics, Comparative Public Policy, Corruption and Governance, India.
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Igor Chirikov, SERU Consortium Director and Senior Researcher, CSHE. Higher Education.
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Ellora Derenoncourt, Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Policy. Economic History, Labor and Employment, Racial Inequality, Intergenerational Mobility.
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John Aubrey Douglass, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Studies in Higher Education. Higher Education, Economic Policy, International, Science Policy.
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Sean Farhang, Professor of Law, Political Science and Public Policy. Law and Politics. Courts, Regulation.
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Avi Feller, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Statistics. Program Evaluation, Quantitative Methods.
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Jack Glaser, Professor. Political Psychology, Stereotyping, Prejudice & Discrimination, Criminal Justice, Politics, Race & Policy, Social Psychology, Racial Profiling, Policing, Unconscious Social Cognition, Hate Crime.
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Jennifer M. Granholm, Former Professor of Practice; Senior Research Fellow, Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS @ Berkeley). Law, Energy, Renewable and Clean Energy, Labor and Employment, Politics, Economics of Industry, Manufacturing and Job Markets.
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Barbara Haya, Research Fellow, CEPP. Climate Change, Environment, Energy, Renewable and Clean Energy, Program Evaluation, Carbon Offsetting.
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Hilary Hoynes, Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Haas Distinguished Chair in Economic Disparities. Tax Policy, Labor and Employment, Youth and Families, Government.
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Solomon Hsiang, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy. Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, International, Coupled Natural and Human Systems, Political Economy, Development Economics, Applied Econometrics.
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Saru Jayaraman, Assistant Adjunct Professor of Public Policy. Food Policy.
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Rucker Johnson, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy. Labor and Employment, Race, Poverty & Inequality, Economics of Education, Health Disparities, Social Welfare Policy.
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Daniel Kammen, Professor of Energy in the Energy and Resources Group, the Goldman School of Public Policy, and the department of Nuclear Engineering; Director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab (RAEL). Climate Change, Engineering, Environment, Energy, Renewable and Clean Energy, Energy Forecasting, Health and Environment, International R&D Policy, Race and Gender, Rural Resource Management.
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Amy E. Lerman, Professor of Public Policy and Political Science and Co-Director, The People Lab. Criminal Justice, Health Policy, Political Psychology, Race & Ethnicity, Privatization, Public Opinion.
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Dan Lindheim, Faculty Director, Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement. Housing & Urban Policy, Budget/Finance, Labor and Employment, Poverty & Inequality, Economic and Community Development, City Management, Education Finance & Policy, Police and Criminal Justice, Public Employee Pensions, Public Health.
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Elizabeth Linos, Assistant Professor of Public Policy. Behavioral Economics, Program Evaluation, Public Management, Stereotyping, Prejudice & Discrimination, Civil Servants, Motivation and Performance, Diversity in the Workplace, Recruitment and Retention.
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Shelley Liu, Assistant Professor of Public Policy.
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Jane Mauldon, Associate Professor of Practice. Demography, Children, Youth and Families, Program Evaluation, Race and Ethnicity, Quantitative Methods, Social Welfare, Health, Poverty.
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Claire Montialoux, Assistant Professor. Economic Policy, Labor and Employment, Racial Inequality, Program Evaluation.
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Alyssa Mooney, Postdoctoral Scholar. Criminal Justice, Public Health.
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Michael Nacht, Thomas and Alison Schneider Professor of Public Policy. US National Security Policy and International Relations, Science, Technology and Public Policy, Management Strategies for Complex Organizations.
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Janet Napolitano, Professor of Public Policy. Education, Leadership and Management, Politics.
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Patricia A. Pelfrey, Senior Research Associate, Center for Studies in Higher Education. Higher Education.
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+ Steven Raphael, Professor and James D. Marver Chair in Public Policy. Labor and Employment, Race and Ethnicity, Criminal Justice, Quantitative Methods, Economic Policy, Program Evaluation, Housing and Urban Policy, Immigration, Poverty and Inequality, Discrimination, Employment Discrimination, Labor Economics, Racial Inequality, Urban Economics.
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Robert Reich, Carmel P. Friesen Professor of Public Policy. Industrial Policy, Labor and Employment, Leadership and Management, Politics, Poverty, Inequality, Leadership and Social Change, Macroeconomic Policy, Social and Economic Policy.
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David Roland-Holst, Adjunct Professor, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics. Environment, Climate Change, Food Policy, Agricultural Policy, Development, Energy, International Trade.
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Larry A. Rosenthal, Senior Lecturer of Public Policy; Program Director, Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement; Resident Faculty, Institute for the Study of Societal Issues. Housing & Urban Policy, Law, Land Use, Civic Engagement.
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Jesse Rothstein, Professor of Public Policy and Economics. Tax Policy, Economic Policy, Education, Labor and Employment, Program Evaluation, Public Finance, Quantitative Methods.
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Meredith Sadin, Assistant Adjunct Professor.
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Daniel Sargent, Associate Professor of History and Public Policy.
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Janelle Scott, Robert C. and Mary Catherine Birgeneau Distinguished Chair in Educational Disparities, Professor of Graduate School of Education, African American Studies & The Goldman School of Public Policy. Education, Race & Policy, Advocacy Politics, Educational Equity, Policy Analysis & Evaluation, Politics of Education, Privatization, Qualitative Methods, Urban Leadership, Urban Schooling.
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Jennifer Skeem, Professor. Criminal Justice, Health Policy, Children, Youth and Families, Psychology and Law, Risk Reduction, Mental Health.
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David C. Wilson, Incoming Dean. Political Psychology, Politics, Race & Policy, Race/Racial Justice.
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David Wooley, Executive Director, Center for Environmental Public Policy (CEPP). Energy, Climate and Environmental Policy, Air Quality Control, Utility Regulation and Administrative Law, Non-Profit Management, Renewable Energy Development, Electric Transmission Policy, Environmental Justice.
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Gabriel Zucman, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics.
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Lecturers

Todd Achilles, Lecturer. Telecommunication technology and policy, Broadband divide, Utility regulation and decarbonization, Energy markets and demand response.
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Ashley Adams, Lecturer. Public Affairs and Policy, Social Policy Analysis, Historical Preservation Policy and Planning, Nonprofit Management, Strategic Planning, Program Management, Coordination & Evaluation, Student Services & Advising.
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Hector Cardenas, Lecturer. Public Management, Program Evaluation, Cost-Benefit Analysis, International, Foreign Policy, Regulation, Public Sector Operations, Data Driven Decision Making, Information Technology Strategy, US-Mexico Binational Policy, Regulatory Reform, Criminal Justice Reform.
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Brent Copen, Lecturer.
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Timothy M. Dayonot, Lecturer. Negotiations & Conflict Resolution, Public Policy Negotiation, Legislative Advocacy, Salary Negotiations.
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John Decker, Lecturer.
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Bill Falik, Lecturer.
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Steven Falk, Lecturer.
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Ziyang David Fan, Lecturer.
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Anibel Ferus-Comelo, Lecturer.
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Angela Glover-Blackwell, Lecturer. Race & Ethnicity, Cities, Equitable Development.
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Candace Hamilton-Hester, Lecturer.
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Josie Innamorato, Lecturer. Program Evaluation, Design Thinking.
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Kiran Jain, Lecturer.
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Magnus Lofstrom, Lecturer.
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Larry Magid, Lecturer. Politics, Transportation Policy, Energy Policy, Strategic Communications.
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Daniel Mulhern, Lecturer.
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Jeff Selbin, Lecturer.
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Amy Slater, Lecturer. Negotiation, Conflict Resolution.
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Chris Weare, Lecturer. Homelessness Policy, Performance Management in the Public Sector, Program Evaluation, Social Network Analysis.
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Steven Weissman, Lecturer. Energy, Renewable and Clean Energy, Law, Environment.
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Visiting Faculty

Erika Weissinger, Visiting Assistant Professor. Children, Youth and Families, Program Evaluation, Leadership and Management, Race & Policy, Social Welfare, Qualitative Research Methods.
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Emeritus Faculty

Eugene Bardach, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy. Leadership and Management, Implementation, Mental Health, Political Skill, Social Regulation.
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Robert M. Berdahl, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy. Education, German History, Higher Education Policy.
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Alain de Janvry, Emeritus Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Agriculture, Poverty and Inequality, Rural Development, Quantitative Analysis of Development Policies, Impact Analysis of Social Programs, Technological Innovations in Agriculture, Management of Common Property Resources.
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John Ellwood, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy. Budget/Finance, Financial Management, Public Sector Budgeting.
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Lee Friedman, Professor of the Graduate School and Professor Emeritus of Public Policy. Environment, Regulation, Public Finance, Economic Organization, Environmental Markets, School Finance, Utility Regulation.
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Michael W. Hanemann, Emeritus and Affiliated Professor in the Graduate School. Environment, Water Management, Environment and Resource Economics.
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James A. Hyatt, Vice Chancellor Emeritus, Senior Research Associate & Principle Investigator, Center For Studies in Higher Education. Higher Education.
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David Kirp, Professor of the Graduate School, University of California at Berkeley, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy. Children, Youth and Families, Education, Race &, Ethnicity, Law, Politics, Ethics, Early Childhood Education, Higher Education, Community.
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Stephen M. Maurer, Emeritus Adjunct Professor of Public Policy. Homeland Security, Innovation Intellectual Property, Open Source, and Innovation, WMD Terrorism, Biosecurity, Phramaceutical Innovation, Database policy.
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Michael O'Hare, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, and Professor of the Graduate School. Arts Policy, Quantitative Methods, Environment, Public Management.
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Richard M. Scheffler, Emeritus Professor of Public Health and Public Policy. Health Policy and Health Economics, Competition and Regulation in Health Insurance Markets, The ACA and Covered California, Accountable Care Organizations and Market Power, Organization and Financing of Mental Health Services, Social Capital and Health, Global Health Workforce, Pay for Performance in the US and Around the Globe.
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Eugene Smolensky, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy. Poverty and Inequality, Public Finance, Income Distribution, Public Finance Welfare Reform.
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