In the College of Human Ecology .
Course Offerings
Faculty
K. Musick, Chair (MVR 2301, 607-255-6067); D. Miller, Associate Chair; S. Sassler, Director of Undergraduate Studies; L. Tach, Director of Graduate Studies; S. Nicholson, Director of Sloan Program; J. Carmalt, Associate Director of Sloan Program; A. German, Executive Director of Sloan Program; Faculty: R. Avery, C. Carey, J. Cawley, R. Dunifon, M. Fitzpatrick, R. Geddes, M. Hall, T. Hoe, D. Kenkel, H. Kim, P. Leung, D. Lichter, M. Lovenheim, A. Mathios, D. Miller, K. Musick, S. Nicholson, Z. Pei, A. Reyes, P. Rich, N. Sanders, S. Sassler, L. Tach, S. Tennyson, W. Trochim, M. Waller, C. Wildeman, N. Ziebarth. Emeritus faculty: J. Allen, R. Babcock, R. Battistella, K. Bryant, R. Burkhauser, F. Firebaugh, J. Ford, J. Frances, M. Galenson, J. Green, C. Hoenk Shapiro, J. Kuder, C. McClintock, J. Mueller, L. Noble, A. Parrot, E. Peters, W. White, B. Yerka. Lecturers: N. Bottan, J. Carmalt, T. Evans, A. German, B. Hollis, B. Tripp.
Policy Analysis and Management Major
Policy Analysis and Management (PAM) majors study the effects of government policies on individuals and families, public health, education, crime, product markets, financial markets, and a wide variety of other social impacts. The PAM major draws on theories and methods from economics, sociology, psychology, and demography. The research tools learned and used—social science theory, rigorous empirical quantitative skills, and practical applications to real-world policy issues—are highly sought after by the best in both industry and government.
Federal, state, and local governments have a central impact on all aspects of American life. The federal government alone taxes and spends in excess of 25 percent of gross domestic product. Public policy is ubiquitous, covering almost all aspects of societal and market interaction, from the environment to immigration, banks to farming, and social security to crime. Among current major government legislative initiatives are national health care, financial market regulation, education policy, immigration, and tax policy. Getting legislation right is crucially important to individuals, families, and society at large. Studying, understanding, and learning from the impacts and externalities of government policy are at the heart of Policy Analysis and Management.
Current PAM faculty members have expertise in health care, family/social welfare, demography, regulation of financial markets, transportation policy, social security, FDA regulation of pharmaceutical advertising, education, crime, law, and the economics of obesity, among others. Undergraduate and graduate students take courses from, and conduct research with, experts in the field whose work informs the public debate.
The PAM major attracts students entering the labor market into management, government, and research positions; pre-law and pre-MBA students; students interested in health administration; and students intending to pursue graduate studies in economics, sociology, and public policy. The department also offers both a five-year BS/MHA and two-year Master of Health Administration through the department’s Sloan Program.
Students will learn critical tools for policy analysis, and then apply these skills within particular areas of policy focus. Upper-level family/social welfare courses cover governmental and private-sector income maintenance, social, and human service delivery programs and policies that range from child adoption, neglect, and abuse policies and antipoverty programs to policies and programs that impinge on or regulate marriage, divorce, and fertility. Upper-level health policy courses cover programs and issues such as health care access, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, pharmaceutical management, long-term care, managed care, public health issues such as obesity, and substance abuse policies. Upper-level market regulation courses cover programs and policies governing the regulation of advertising, the regulations of financial institutions, risk and insurance markets, food and drug safety, and public utility markets. They also address issues such as privacy, the Internet, and crime.
In addition to the core college requirements, all PAM majors are expected to take the following core courses in preparation for the upper level policy electives: PAM 2300 - Introduction to Policy Analysis , PAM 3300 - [Cost-Benefit Analysis] , PAM 2030 - Population and Public Policy , PAM 2101 - Statistics for Policy Analysis and Management Majors , PAM 3100 - Multiple Regression Analysis , PAM 2000 - Intermediate Microeconomics , and PAM 2040 - Economics of the Public Sector .
PAM Honors Program
The PAM honors program gives official recognition to students who have demonstrated excellence in their academic work and their capacity for independent research. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for the major, students in the honors program will participate in an honors seminar and prepare an empirically-based honors thesis. Honors students work with a research mentor in preparing for their thesis. Upon successful completion of the PAM honors program, students will receive a B.S. degree with honors Policy Analysis and Management. Interested students should obtain a PAM Honors Program application form in the PAM Undergraduate Office (2301 MVR). For more information, students should refer to the PAM honors website or contact the PAM Director of Undergraduate Studies.
PAM Minor
The department offers a 15-credit minor in Policy Analysis and Management for Cornell undergraduates outside of the PAM and HCP majors. PAM minors complete an introduction to policy analysis, and apply the skills learned across a selection of upper level policy electives. Students can build the minor to focus on a specific policy area, or choose to take a breadth of courses for a general overview of policy analysis. For further information and additional policies, see the PAM website or obtain information at the PAM Undergraduate Office (2301 MVR).
Demography Minor
The department offers a five-course minor in Demography, managed by the Cornell Population Center. The minor is a rigorous undergraduate course of study on population-related topics and approaches, providing students a broad understanding of global population dynamics and tools for analyzing demographic data. The Demography minor is open to all Cornell students, including PAM and HCP students. For further information, see the CPC website or obtain information at the PAM Undergraduate Office (2301 MVR).