In the Brooks School of Public Policy .
Course Offerings
Faculty
S. Sassler, Director of Undergraduate Studies; Faculty: R. Avery, C. Barrett, C. Barry, D. Bateman, N. Bottan, C. Carey, J. Cawley, J. Cunningham, R. Dunifon, P. Eloundou-Enyyegue, P. Enns, M. Fitzpatrick, G. Flores-Macias, R. Geddes, S. Gleeson, M. Hall, M. Kapustin, D. Kenkel, C. Kling, S. Kreps, D. Kriner, P. Leung, S. Lindsay, M. Lovenheim, A. Mathios, J. Michener, D. Miller, K. Musick, S. Nicholson, J. Niederdeppe, A. Ortiz-Bobea, Z. Pei, T. Pepinsky, A. Reyes, P. Rich, R. Ridel, N. Sanders, S. Sanders, S. Sassler, D. Silbey, L. Tach, S. Tennyson, C. Thomas, M. Waller, J. Weiss, N. Ziebarth. Emeritus faculty: J. Allen, R. Battistella, K. Bryant, R. Burkhauser, F. Firebaugh, J. Ford, J. Frances, M. Galenson, J. Green, C. Hoenk Shapiro, J. Kuder, D. Lichter, C. McClintock, J. Mueller, L. Noble, A. Parrot, E. Peters, W. Trochim, B. Yerka. Lecturers: J. Carmalt, 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, 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 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. Students take courses from, and conduct research with, experts in the field whose work informs the public debate.
The 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 program also offers both a five-year BS/MHA and two-year Master of Health Administration through the Brook School’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.
Brooks Honors Program
Policy Analysis and Managment majors are eligible for the Brooks School honors program, which 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 Brooks honors program, students will receive a B.S. degree with honors in Policy Analysis and Management. Interested students should obtain a Brooks Honors Program application form in the Brooks Undergraduate Office (2301 MVR). For questions, contact BrooksUGProgram@cornell.edu.
Eligibility:
- Students must maintain a 3.3 GPA to be admitted into and complete the honors program. Students whose GPA drops below 3.3 will be dropped from the Honors Program.
- To start the program, students may not have any outstanding incomplete (INC) grades on their record.
- PAM 3120 - Research Design, Practice, and Policy must be completed before starting the program.
Honors Program Requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 6 credits of PAM 4990 - Honors Program , under supervision of a Brooks School faculty mentor, with a grade of B or higher
- Complete PAM 4980 - Honors Seminar
- Complete a basic and advanced statistical software training series as approved by faculty mentor
- Attend four professional research seminars during senior year.
- Present a poster of research during final semester in honors program
- Defend thesis to a committee of faculty
PAM Minor
The Brooks School offers a 15-credit minor in Policy Analysis and Management for Cornell undergraduates outside of the PAM and HCP majors. PAM minors complete PAM 2300 - Introduction to Policy Analysis (4 credits), 9 credits of upper level PAM coursework at the 3000 or 4000 level, and additional PAM electives to reach a minimum of 15 credits in Policy Analysis and Management. 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. Questions should be directed to BrooksUGProgram@cornell.edu.
Minor Policies:
- There can be no substitution for any of the required courses.
- Students must enroll in the PAM section of the course. Cross-listed sections are NOT applicable.
- Students must earn a grade of B- or better in every course. S/U will not be accepted unless it is the only grade option available.
- PAM Special studies courses (PAM 4000 , PAM 4010 , PAM 4020 , PAM 4030 ) do NOT count towards the PAM minor