Public Policy Degree

The public policy program at University of Washington – Seattle Campus prepares students for careers as legislators and politicians, political staff, policy researchers, and lobbyists. The program focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues and decision processes. Program courses include: role of economics and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation, microeconomic analysis of policy issues, resource allocation and decision modeling, cost/benefit analysis, statistical methods, and application to specific public policy topics. Get more details below including other Washington colleges that offer public policy degrees.

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University of Washington – Seattle Campus

French Administration Building, Pullman, WA

Known as the largest college in the northwestern region of the United States, the University of Washington is comprised of three campuses, the largest being UW in Seattle. It was founded in 1861 and now belongs among the top universities in the world. UW is also recognized as a premier public research university, receiving one of the biggest amounts of federal funding for university research throughout the country. Over 4,000 faculty members oversee 18 schools and colleges, offering more than 250 graduate and undergraduate programs.

Contributing to the university's prominence is the UW School of Medicine, acknowledged to be the best in primary care education and medical research in the country. Faculty members are comprised by physicians from Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, and numerous UW Neighborhood Clinics in the Seattle area. Since 1946, UW Medicine has constantly ranked among the country's top biomedical research facilities and has grown to accommodate a total of 30 academic departments and several graduate programs in biomedical sciences.

Students at UW are entitled to many university services for healthcare, counseling, on and off campus housing, a U-PASS commuter services program, and a childcare program for student-parents. UW is also famous for its commitment to environmental stewardship, switching to the use of renewable sources of electricity within campus grounds. Several student organizations are at the helm of promoting sustainable living and advocating environmental causes such as UW Farm which oversees the local production of food and promoting organic farming inside the UW community.

Establishments within the UW campus include several galleries and exhibits such as the Burke Museum which stands as the state museum of natural history, the Henry Art Gallery featuring contemporary art, the Meany Hall for the Performing Arts, and the UW Botanic Gardens. The athletic complex, on the other hand, includes the Dempsey Indoor Track, Nordstrom Tennis Center, King County Aquatics Center, Bank of America Arena, and the Husky stadiums for football, baseball, and soccer.

Career Options for Graduates

Legislators

Description

Develop, introduce or enact laws and statutes at the local, tribal, State, or Federal level. Includes only workers in elected positions.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, legislators employment is expected to shrink at a rate of -0.7% from 2014 to 2024

Political Scientists

Description

Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decision-making, and ideology. May analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities. May conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or analyze public documents.

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Description

Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Source: Job descriptions, estimated salary and wages, and projected job growth are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).