Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, Management and Planning

Degree Program

The Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, Management and Planning is offered jointly by the School of Public Administration and the School of Urban Planning and Development. The degree is designed to offer a solid introduction to the issues and institutions of public policy, management and planning. The program includes a foundation in general education; a core curriculum in public policy, management and planning; the opportunity for first-hand experience in the planning, policy or management process through a semester-long internship; and a series of elective courses in the area of planning and management.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, Management and Planning builds from a 74-unit base which includes general education, pre-major requirements and general electives. Also, the student must complete 54 units in the major.

Degree Requirements

General Education Requirements

36 units total, or 28 additional units if e. and f. are satisfied by PLDV 200 and/or pre-major courses.

Expository Writing 101 and 102

The Natural World - two courses. Select one course in two of the following categories:
a.Earth Sciences
b.Physical Sciences
c.Life Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences (No more than two courses may count for both GE requirements and general, pre-major, or major requirements.)

Choose one course in three of the following categories:
a.Literature
b.The Arts
c.Western Culture I
d.Non-Western Cultures

Choose one course in each of the following categories:
e. American Public Life (This category may be fulfilled by completing PLDV 200 Foundations of Contemporary Public Affairs or POSC 100 Theory and Practice of American Democracy or SOCI 342 Race Relations)
f. Empirical Approaches (This category may be fulfilled by completing SOCI 200 Introduction to Sociology or ECON 203 Principles of Microeconomics or ECON 205 Principles of Macroeconomics)

Math/Computer Languages - MATH 108 or MATH 116 or higher and PDP 101 or higher (8 units)

Transnational Studies Select one of the following
a.Foreign Language - demonstrated competency through third semester of foreign language, or
b.Semester Abroad - equivalent of 8 semester units, or
c.Two courses (8 units) from Transnational Electives list

Transnational ElectivesUnits
ECON 350The World Economy4
GEOG 320Geopolitics4
IR 200Introduction to International Relations4
IR 300Theories of International Politics4
IR 306International Institutions4
IR 307Contemporary International Politics4
IR 330Politics of the World Economy4
LING 315Language, Society, and Culture4
PLDV 250Third World Cities4
PPMT 482Comparative Public Administration4

Diversity Requirement

All students beginning at USC or elsewhere fall semester 1993 or later must pass one course from the list of courses approved to meet the standard diversity requirement. These courses carry the designation "m" for multiculturalism.

Pre-Major Requirements

Pre-Major Courses (16 units)Units
ECON 203*Principles of Microeconomics4
ECON 205*Principles of Macroeconomics4
SOCI 200*Introduction to Sociology, or
SOCI 342**Race Relations4
POSC 100**Theory and Practice of American Democracy, or
POSC 300Principles, Institutions, and Great Issues of American Democracy4

* Fulfills GE Empirical Approaches category.
** Fulfills GE American Public Life category.

General Electives (14 units)

Public Policy, Management and Planning Core Courses

Core Courses (34 units)Units
PLDV 200Foundations of Contemporary Public Affairs4
PLDV 355*Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning4
PLDV 404Statistics for Planning and Development4
PPMT 215Public Organizations and Management4
PPMT 225Public Policy Processes and Institutions4
PPMT 240Citizenship and Public Ethics4
PPMT 357Government and Business4
PPMT 401Public Policy and Management Issues and Practices (Internship)2
PPMT 473Public Policy Analysis4

*Fulfills GE American Public Life category.

Public Policy and Management Electives

A total of 4 units, selected from the following:Units
PPMT 313Administration of Financial Resources4
PPMT 316Administration of Personnel Resources4
PPMT 403Management Analysis I4
PPMT 485Organizational Behavior in Public Administration4
PPMT 486Politics and Administration, or
PPMT 410cWashington, D.C., Semester4

Planning Electives

A total of 16 units, selected from the following:Units
History and Design
PLDV 410Graphic Techniques in Urban Planning4
PLDV 414Introduction to Physical-Spatial Design4
PLDV 426History and Development of Cities4
PLDV 475LDesign and Development Laboratory4
PLDV 490xDirected Research4
PLDV 499Special Topics4

Policy and Analysis
PLDV 401Political Foundations for Planning and Development4
PLDV 402Economic Foundations for Planning and Development4
PLDV 455Analysis for Planning and Development4
PLDV 474Urban Diversity andCommunication4
PLDV 490xDirected Research4
PLDV 499Special Topics4

Urban Planning
PLDV 440Housing and Community Development4
PLDV 452Planning, Policy-Making, and Social Change4
PLDV 461Environmental Issues4
PLDV 480Introduction to Urban Transportation4
PLDV 490xDirected Research4
PLDV 499 Special Topics4

Minor in Public Management

The minor in public management has several goals: to introduce the student to the public sector and its relationship to other institutions of society; to provide a representative sample of courses in the field of public management for students majoring in another subject but considering a career in the public or nonprofit sectors; and to help students become more active, involved and understanding citizens.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 215Public Organizations and Management4
PPMT 316Administration of Personnel Resources4
PPMT 351Financial Accounting in Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 414Financial Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 485Organizational Behavior in Public Administration4
PPMT 486Politics and Administration4

Minor in Public Policy

This minor prepares the student to understand the context, theory, formulation, analysis and implementation of public policy and complements majors in fields such as sociology, economics, political science and history and gerontology.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 215Public Organizations and Management4
PPMT 225Public Policy Processes and Institutions4
PPMT 357Government and Business4
PPMT 404Statistics in Public Policy and Management4
PPMT 473Public Policy Analysis4
PPMT 486Politics and Administration4

Minor in Human Resources Management

This minor provides students with the background necessary for entry level positions in human resources management.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 215Public Organizations and Management4
PPMT 316Administration of Personnel Resources4
PPMT 403Management Analysis I4
PPMT 416Introduction to Personnel Technology in Public Employment4
PPMT 417Training and the Applied Behavioral Science4
PPMT 485Organizational Behavior in Public Administration4

Minor in Health Services Administration

This minor provides the student with a background in the institutions, policy and management issues in the field of health care.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 230Health Care and American Public Decisions4
PPMT 330Introduction to Health Care Systems4
PPMT 351Financial Accounting in Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 414Financial Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 439Administration of Health Care Organizations4
PPMT 485Organizational Behavior in Public Administration4

Internships

Public Policy and Management and Public Policy Management and Planning majors are required to complete at least one internship. Public Policy and Management majors, and other students, may participate in internships by enrolling in PPMT 401 Public Policy and Management Issues and Practices or PPMT 410b as part of the Washington, D.C., Semester. Internships are matched as closely as possible to the student's interests and skills.

PPMT 401 and PPMT 410b and the accompanying service in a position provide numerous opportunities to develop and formulate future career goals, as well as to gain personal and professional experience while completing the undergraduate degree.

Semester Programs

The eight-unit and 16-unit semester programs allow the student to benefit from both traditional and experiential learning modes and to become involved in a particular area of professional activity.

Los Angeles Mini Semester

The Los Angeles Mini Semester program provides opportunities to study and experience metropolitan Los Angeles, its many diverse communities, and its centers of power, influence and tradition.

The Los Angeles Mini Semester is offered as an eight-unit program and consists of the urban foundation and the seminar.

The urban foundation provides an orientation to the study of urban affairs and serves as a conceptual framework for all other Los Angeles Mini Semester activities. The urban foundation introduces participants to Los Angeles and to its metropolitan area from several perspectives: historical, political, sociological, architectural, cultural and ethnic. Students may fulfill the university diversity requirement by completing the urban foundation.

The seminar offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at a specific urban issue. Typical seminar topics are housing, transportation, health care, education, or a particular neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Washington, D.C., Semester

The Washington, D.C., Semester program provides an intensive semester of confrontation with the political center of the nation and its complex components. The program offers opportunities for behind-the-scenes work in national government agencies and related organizations, combined with an academic environment and the chance to explore, share and learn with a group of fellow students.

During the fall and spring semesters, the Washington, D.C., Semester has four components: two seminars, independent study and the internship.

The seminar serves as the focal point of the program, giving students the opportunity to integrate their experiences and learning through extensive discussions, papers and presentations. Meeting in small groups, students prepare briefings on current issues, integrate political/administrative theory and practical experience and share internship insights. Seminar participants visit the White House, the Supreme Court, Congress, many Cabinet departments, embassies and other agencies and organizations. In the seminar, students are encouraged to recognize the interrelationships among the various experiences that constitute the semester program. This integration of learning is central to the seminar. The independent study component allows students to pursue in-depth a national topic that is of particular interest. The design, research and resulting paper are done in consultation with a member of the faculty at the Washington Public Affairs Center. Students include personal interviews with decision makers in their research designs. The study culminates in a substantial written report and an oral presentation to all Washington, D.C., Semester participants.

A 10-week Summer Program in Washington, D.C., is occasionally available. This eight-unit semester is divided into two major components: an internship and a seminar on American government and politics.

Sacramento Semester

The Sacramento Semester is offered occasionally as a 16-unit program and, in the summer only, as an eight-unit program. The 16-unit program has four components - seminar, field experiences, independent study and an internship; the eight-unit program consists of the seminar and the internship.

 

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