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The Public Policy undergraduate program equips students with essential skills to analyze different policy implementation strategies, measure policy effectiveness, comprehend the political challenges policymakers encounter, and recognize the value conflicts that frequently shape policy discussions. This interdisciplinary curriculum incorporates studies in economics, quantitative methods, political science, law, philosophy, ethics, organizational behavior, and social psychology. The program structure consists of four key elements: preparatory courses, core curriculum, concentration areas, and a senior capstone experience. Foundational preparatory courses establish expertise in economics, mathematics, and psychology, while the core curriculum focuses intensively on policy execution and assessment. Students then specialize by applying these competencies within chosen concentration tracks. These concentrations may focus on specific policy domains, institutional frameworks, or advanced policy analysis techniques. For their culminating experience, seniors undertake either a practicum, collaborative policy research for external organizations, or an honors thesis. This Public Policy major readies graduates to engage meaningfully in policy discourse as informed citizens, begin careers in policy research institutions, or pursue advanced degrees in law, management, healthcare, or academic fields like economics and political science.
A high school diploma or the equivalent is required in order to enroll at Stanford. Generally, we receive English proficiency exam results (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, etc.) from applicants whose native language is not English and/or the primary language of instruction at their secondary school is not English.