The public policy minor is intended for University of Iowa undergraduate students who seek to understand how and why public policies are adopted; how they impact the economy, society and communities; and how innovative public policies are developed to improve economic prosperity, social justice and wellbeing, and environmental sustainability at the local, state, national and global levels.
 
The minor in public policy is well-suited for students majoring in economics, political science, education, sociology, criminology, pre-law, human rights, social justice, social work, geography, sustainability, environmental policy and planning, civil and environmental engineering, health and public health, business, anthropology, history, journalism and mass communication, African American studies, and Native American and Indigenous studies among other areas.
 
Students completing the public policy minor will be able to analyze the impact of past and current public policies, understand the institutions and process of policy making, and develop new public policies to tackle pressing challenges faced by our society. They will be prepared to enter policy-making fields in their areas of interest, and to make communities, states and nations more resilient, inclusive and prosperous.
 
The Graduate College is the curricular college for the undergraduate public policy minor, and the minor is awarded by the University College.

Requirements

2 core courses, minimum (6 s.h.)
3 electives, minimum (9 s.h.; at least 3 s.h. from elective Group A)

• The undergraduate minor in urban studies requires 15 s.h. of coursework taken at the University of Iowa.
• Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 in work for the minor. 
• Coursework in the minor may not be taken pass/non-pass.
• The minor may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not concurrently enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program.  

The core courses provide generally applicable knowledge and methods. The electives allow students to explore policy areas of interest to them. 

Curriculum

2 Core Courses (6 s.h.)

Electives

• At least one of the three electives must be from the Group A list below.
• The remaining two courses may be from Group A, B, or from the core courses above if the course was not taken to meet the core requirement.

Group A (at least one of these)

Declaring the Minor and Minor Advising

Students may declare the minor in MyUI as soon as they are enrolled in any of the public policy minor courses above.

Those interested in pursuing the minor must meet with the minor advisor, be briefed on the minor expectations for performance, and complete a Plan of Study that must be approved by the minor advisor.

Please contact Carrie Schuettpelz, Director of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Planning and Public Affairs.