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 Electives Units ECON 350 The World Economy 4 GEOG 320 Geopolitics 4 IR 200 Introduction to International Relations 4 IR 300 Theories of International Politics 4 IR 306 International Institutions 4 IR 307 Contemporary International Politics 4 IR 330 Politics of the World Economy 4 LING 315 Language, Society, and Culture 4 PLDV 250 Third World Cities 4 PPMT 482 Comparative Public Administration 4
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 Microeconomics 4 ECON 205* Principles of Macroeconomics 4 SOCI 200* Introduction to Sociology, or SOCI 342** Race Relations 4 POSC 100** Theory and Practice of American Democracy, or POSC 300 Principles, Institutions, and Great Issues of American Democracy 4 * 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 200 Foundations of Contemporary Public Affairs 4 PLDV 355* Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning 4 PLDV 404 Statistics for Planning and Development 4 PPMT 215 Public Organizations and Management 4 PPMT 225 Public Policy Processes and Institutions 4 PPMT 240 Citizenship and Public Ethics 4 PPMT 357 Government and Business 4 PPMT 401 Public Policy and Management Issues and Practices (Internship) 2 PPMT 473 Public Policy Analysis 4 *Fulfills GE American Public Life category.
Public Policy and Management Electives
A total of 4 units, selected from the following: Units PPMT 313 Administration of Financial Resources 4 PPMT 316 Administration of Personnel Resources 4 PPMT 403 Management Analysis I 4 PPMT 485 Organizational Behavior in Public Administration 4 PPMT 486 Politics and Administration, or PPMT 410c Washington, D.C., Semester 4
Planning Electives
A total of 16 units, selected from the following: Units History and Design PLDV 410 Graphic Techniques in Urban Planning 4 PLDV 414 Introduction to Physical-Spatial Design 4 PLDV 426 History and Development of Cities 4 PLDV 475L Design and Development Laboratory 4 PLDV 490x Directed Research 4 PLDV 499 Special Topics 4 Policy and Analysis PLDV 401 Political Foundations for Planning and Development 4 PLDV 402 Economic Foundations for Planning and Development 4 PLDV 455 Analysis for Planning and Development 4 PLDV 474 Urban Diversity andCommunication 4 PLDV 490x Directed Research 4 PLDV 499 Special Topics 4 Urban Planning PLDV 440 Housing and Community Development 4 PLDV 452 Planning, Policy-Making, and Social Change 4 PLDV 461 Environmental Issues 4 PLDV 480 Introduction to Urban Transportation 4 PLDV 490x Directed Research 4 PLDV 499 Special Topics 4
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 courses Units PPMT 215 Public Organizations and Management 4 PPMT 316 Administration of Personnel Resources 4 PPMT 351 Financial Accounting in Public and Nonprofit Organizations 4 PPMT 414 Financial Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations 4 PPMT 485 Organizational Behavior in Public Administration 4 PPMT 486 Politics and Administration 4
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 courses Units PPMT 215 Public Organizations and Management 4 PPMT 225 Public Policy Processes and Institutions 4 PPMT 357 Government and Business 4 PPMT 404 Statistics in Public Policy and Management 4 PPMT 473 Public Policy Analysis 4 PPMT 486 Politics and Administration 4
Minor in Human Resources Management
This minor provides students with the background necessary for entry level positions in human resources management.
Required courses Units PPMT 215 Public Organizations and Management 4 PPMT 316 Administration of Personnel Resources 4 PPMT 403 Management Analysis I 4 PPMT 416 Introduction to Personnel Technology in Public Employment 4 PPMT 417 Training and the Applied Behavioral Science 4 PPMT 485 Organizational Behavior in Public Administration 4
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 courses Units PPMT 230 Health Care and American Public Decisions 4 PPMT 330 Introduction to Health Care Systems 4 PPMT 351 Financial Accounting in Public and Nonprofit Organizations 4 PPMT 414 Financial Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations 4 PPMT 439 Administration of Health Care Organizations 4 PPMT 485 Organizational Behavior in Public Administration 4
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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