A.B. in Public Policy Gateway Course

The McCourt School of Public Policy is pleased to offer a new course for Georgetown undergraduate students on public policy and how it can be used to solve real-world problems. For Georgetown students in the Class of 2027 and beyond, How Public Policy Works (PPOL2000) will serve as a gateway course for the Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, a new degree to be jointly offered by the McCourt School of Public Policy and Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences. Additional information about the program, including opportunities to learn more, is forthcoming.

How Public Policy Works (PPOL2000)

The course, co-taught in 2022-23 by leading faculty from the McCourt School, Dr. Nora Gordon and Dr. Pamela Herd , is a foundational course for students interested in how public policy is made, who makes it, and how it shapes the world around us. Students will explore how different stakeholders define problems, how society collectively acts to solve them, and how we can best evaluate and consequently adapt public policies with an equity lens. Students will learn how to interpret policy discourse and research on critical issues — from climate change and health care, to immigration, voting, and artificial intelligence technology — and guest speakers from the field will lead simulations on how to engage in the policy process. 

Previous speakers have covered a range of real-world challenges and policy responses, including Distinguished University Professor E.J. Dionne on universal voting; Associate Professor and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development at HUD Brian McCabe on housing affordability and eviction; Professor Judy Feder on the Affordable Care Act; and Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Urban Law and Policy Sheila Foster on cities and climate. 

PPOL2000 is expected to be offered in both fall 2023 and spring 2024; more information will be included in Georgetown’s Schedule of Classes. Current students can review past syllabi by viewing PPOL 300-01 in MyAccess (CRN: 44081).

Requirements

How Public Policy Works (PPOL2000) is currently open to all undergraduates across Georgetown University interested in learning more about public policy. PPOL2000 fulfills a social sciences core requirement for students in the College of Arts and Sciences and an elective credit toward the Government major or minor , and complements other programs of study across the University — from foreign service and government to business, economics and sociology, among others. PPOL2000 will be a required course for students in the Class of 2027 and beyond who wish to graduate with a A.B. in Public Policy.