Public Policy

Nathaniel Love, '13, graduated with a degree in public policy following a senior-year internship in Lansing at lobbying firm Kelley Cawthorne.
Nathaniel Love, '13, will earn his public policy degree with a Ford Institute concentration following a senior-year internship in Lansing at lobbying firm Kelley Cawthorne.

What you’ll study.

Albion College's major in public policy provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the mechanisms by which government interacts with stakeholders for the common good. It draws on the principles, practices, and research methods of the social sciences and philosophy to provide students with the theoretical and analytic skills relevant to today’s most pressing global issues.

What you’ll do.

While discussions of public policy issues are often controversial and polarized, the underlying principle of the major is one of sound analysis first and logical advocacy second. These skills are further developed through internship and/or practical research experiences. Students interested in public policy typically are deeply involved in their communities, are leaders in on- and off-campus organizations, and/or follow issues of interest at home and in our global society

Most, but not all, past students majoring in public policy have also completed the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service concentration.

Where you’ll go.

Students who major in public policy often enter careers in the government or within the government relations sections of the private sector. The major also provides a strong background for students planning to attend law school or to continue on with graduate studies in public policy, public administration, public health, or social policy.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.