Minor in Law and Public Policy

The minor in law and public policy draws upon four fields of study: public policy and management, law, economics, and political science. It provides students an understanding of the political and economic contexts in which laws are made as well as how legal institutions shape policy. Students analyze the consequences of policy and alternatives; the roles played by government, business and nonprofit organizations in public decision making; and the legal basis for various areas of public policy.

Students minoring in law and public policy take 20 units, including the gateway class, PPD 225 Public Policy and Management, and one elective. The latter enables the student to focus on a specific area of law.

***To ensure completion of minor on time, make sure to complete the required courses before taking the elective courses, and take note of which semester the PPD courses are offered because not all PPD courses are offered every semester***

Required Courses

Students are required to take the following courses:

PPD 225 Solving Public Problems: 4 Units (Fall, Spring)
Institutions, legal context, and processes of public policy and management. Contemporary theories of public policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Public managerial challenges and reform.

PPD 314 Public Policy and Law: 4 Units (Spring)
Institutional foundations and analysis of public policy issues; policy formulation and implementation; application of theories; case analyses.

PPD 315 Analytic Foundations for Public Policy: 4 Units (Fall)
Qualitative methods of analysis; ethical and political implications of policy choices; issue diagnosis and policy design skills; critical reasoning and ethics; policy leadership.

POSC 340 Constitutional Law
Development of constitutional law by the courts; leading cases bearing on major constitutional issues; the federal system; powers of government; civil liberties.

Electives

Additionally, students select from one of the following:

• ECON 434 Economic Analysis of Law
• FBE 403 Introduction to the Legal Environment of Business
• LAW 200w Law & Society
• LAW 403 Mental Health Law
• LAW 300 Concepts in American Law
• POSC 345 International Law
• POSC 347 Environmental Law
• POSC 432 The Politics of Local Criminal Justice
• POSC 440 Comparative Law and the Judicial Process
• POSC 441 Cultural Diversity and the Law
• POSC 444 Civil and Political Rights and Liberties
• POSC 452 Critical Issues in Law and Public Policy

* Prerequisite may be required for some courses

For detailed course information, please see the Course Catalogue. For a course schedule, please see the Schedule of Classes.

To declare this minor program, please fill out this form. 

Please contact our office with questions:
Office of Admissions – [email protected]