Policy Analysis and Management

Policy Analysis and Management Major

In March 2023, the Brooks School of Public Policy introduced the Public Policy major. All students entering the school after that date will be enrolled in the Public Policy major. 

Policy Analysis and Management (PAM) major requirements (for students matriculating in August 2022 or January 2023) are outlined below. In addition to the major requirements, students must also meet general college requirements . 

For more information about the Public Policy major or inquiries regarding specific requirements for existing PAM majors, please contact the Brooks School Office of Admissions, Student Services, and Career Management.

Please note that effective Fall 2023, all courses that previously had a prefix of PAM will have the prefix PUBPOL.

PAM Required Courses

Students must take all of the following (6 courses):

• PUBPOL 1111 - Building Success at Brooks  
• PUBPOL 2030 - Population and Public Policy  
• PUBPOL 2040 - Economics of the Public Sector  (prerequisite PUBPOL 2000 )    
• PUBPOL 2101 - Statistics for Public Policy  
• PUBPOL 2300 - [Introduction to Policy Analysis]    
• PUBPOL 3100 - Multiple Regression Analysis  (prerequisite PUBPOL 2101 )

PAM 3000/4000 Electives (21 credits)

Students must take a minimum of 21 credits of 3000 or 4000 level PAM courses in addition to the PAM Core Requirements. PUBPOL 4000 , 4010 , 4020 , 4030 , 4980 , and 4990  may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

PAM Additional Electives (3 credits)

• Any 3 additional PAM credits (except PUBPOL 1112 , PUBPOL 1111 , PUBPOL 4030 )

OR

• ECON 1120 - Introductory Macroeconomics  (must be taken at Cornell)
• ECON 3040 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory  

Introductory Economics (3 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution social sciences requirement.

• ECON 1110 - Introductory Microeconomics  

PAM Intermediate Microeconomics

• PUBPOL 2000 - Intermediate Microeconomics  
• ECON 3030 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory  

PAM Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution social sciences requirement.

Choose one of the following:

• SOC 1101 - Introduction to Sociology  
• DSOC 1101 - Introduction to Sociology  
• PUBPOL 2250 - Social Problems in the United States  

​​Please note that PUBPOL 2250  cannot count for both the Introduction to Sociology requirement AND the Additional PAM Electives requirement.

PAM Mathematics (3-4 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution quantitative and analytical courses requirement.

Choose one of the following:

• A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam
• Any 3 credit Cornell math course except MATH 1101  and MATH 1710  (must be taken at Cornell)

It is important to note that while AP Calculus AB credit (with a score of 4 or 5) may be applied as elective credits, it does not fulfill this specific requirement.

PAM Government (4 credits)

• GOVT 1111 - Introduction to American Government and Politics  

Natural Science I and II

Natural Science I (3-4 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution natural sciences requirement.

One of the following:

Biology

BIOG 1140 - Foundations of Biology 
BIOG 1440 - Introductory Biology: Comparative Physiology  or BIOG 1445 - Introduction to Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Individualized Instruction 
BIOMG 1350 - Introductory Biology: Cell and Developmental Biology 
BIOEE 1610 - Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment 
AP Biology score of 5

Chemistry

CHEM 1560 - Introduction to General Chemistry  or CHEM 2070 - General Chemistry I 
CHEM 2080 - General Chemistry II 
AP Chemistry score of 5

Physics

PHYS 1101 - General Physics I  or PHYS 2207 - Fundamentals of Physics I 
PHYS 1102 - General Physics II  or PHYS 2208 - Fundamentals of Physics II 
AP Physics score of 5

Note: If AP isn’t used to satisfy the requirement, then the course must be taken at Cornell.
Note: No lab is required.

Natural Science II (3-4 credits)

Choose any 3 credit course with a PBS, BIO-AS, PHS-AS, BIOLS-AG, or BIONLS-AG Course Distribution.

Note: No AP credit allowed, course must be taken at Cornell.

PAM Ethics (3 credits)

This fulfills the college distribution humanities requirement.

Choose one of the following:  

• AEM 3205 - Ethics in Business and Organizations  
• BSOC 2051  // STS 2051 - Ethical Issues in Health and Medicine  
• BSOC 2061  // STS 2061  // PHIL 2960 - Ethics and the Environment  
• COMM 4300 - Ethics in New Media, Technology, and Communication  
• COMM 4350 - Communicating Leadership and Ethics  
• ECE 3600 - Ethical Issues in Engineering Practice  
• ILRLR 3830 - Workers’ Rights as Human Rights [Inactive] 
• ILRGL 4820 - Ethics at Work  
• ILRGL 4880 - The Mind of the Founders  
• ILRLR 4075 - Values, Rights, and Justice at Work [Inactive] 
• INFO 1200 - Information Ethics, Law, and Policy  
• INFO 2750  // ECE 2750  // STS 2751  // ENGRG 2750 - [Robot Ethics]  
• NTRES 2320 - Nature and Culture  
• PHIL 1440 - Ethics of Eating  
• PHIL 1450 - Contemporary Moral Issues  
• PHIL 2410 - Ethics  
• PHIL 2415 - Introduction to Moral Psychology  
• PHIL 2420 - Social and Political Philosophy  
• PHIL 2455  // STS 2451 - Introduction to Bioethics  
• PHIL 3410 - [Ethical Theory] [Inactive]
• PHIL 3460  // GOVT 3625 - [Modern Political Philosophy]  
• PHIL 3480 - Philosophy of Law  

Please note that any 3-credit ethics class may suffice. Students can seek approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies for course acceptance.

PAM Additional Distribution Coursework (6 credits)

Any course with the course distribution codes PBS, BIOLS-AG, BIONLS-AG, SBA, KCM, MQR, LA, CA, or HA may fulfill this requirement. Language courses are also eligible to count here.