Minors and Certificates

Minor in Policy Studies

The Policy Studies minor is designed to provide students with the analytical foundations they will need to understand policy formation, implementation, and evaluation.

Students are advised to pursue minor course work early in their studies to ensure enough time to meet course requirements.  Not all courses listed below are offered on a regular basis. Classes for this minor are offered primarily during the day-time hours.

Required Courses

Common Core - 20 Credits

  • Microeconomics (BIS 200/B BUS 220 or equivalent)
  • BISLEP 302 Introduction to Policy Analysis OR BISGST 324 International Political Economy
  • BISLEP 301 Law, Economics and Public Policy OR BIS 338 Political Institutions & Processes
  • Statistics (B BUS 215, BIS 315, STAT 220 or STAT 311) 

Note: Students pursuing the Law, Economics and Public Policy major are not eligible to complete the minor in Policy Studies.

Methods - 5 Credits

Take one course from the following list:

  • BIS 312 Approaches to Social Research
  • BES 301 Sciences Methods and Practices
  • BHS 300 Principles of Health Research

Elective - 5 Credits

Take one course from the following list of 400 level policy-oriented courses:

  • BIS 403 Washington, D.C. Seminar on Human Rights
  • BIS 406 Urban Planning and Geography
  • BIS 414 Topics in Human Rights
  • BIS 415 Public Policy and Law
  • BIS 419 Urban Politics and Policy
  • BIS 421 Technology Policy
  • BIS 443 Educational Policy and the American Economy
  • BIS 446 Science, Expertise and Public Policy
  • BIS 448 Social Policy
  • BIS 458 Energy, Environment and Society
  • BIS 459 Conservation and Sustainable Development
  • BIS 466 Human Rights and Resistance
  • BIS 468 Human Rights and Sustainable Development
  • BIS 491 Topics in Policy Studies
  • BIS 497 Washington State Legislature Internship
  • BISLEP 497 Advanced Topics in Law, Economics, and Public Policy

*Other appropriate policy area courses by approval including BPOLST 492 Topics in Policy Research.

Questions?

If you have questions regarding the Policy Studies minor please contact the IAS Advisors at IASadv@uw.edu or Dan Jacoby at djacoby@uw.edu.