2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Biden School of Public Policy and Administration
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Telephone: (302) 831-1687
bidenschool.udel.edu
Faculty Listing
The Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration offers three undergraduate degrees - a Bachelor of Science in Leadership, a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, and a Bachelor of Science in Energy and Environmental Policy. The Biden School also offers three minors - a minor in Leadership, a minor in Public Policy, and a minor in Energy and Environmental Policy.
Leadership
Leadership majors are prepared to accept the challenge of leadership in an increasingly complex, global, and fast-paced world. Their knowledge and skills enable them to enter and succeed in a wide variety of careers.
Leadership prepares students through coursework, experiences, and discovery learning to mobilize people for ethical, socially responsible, and sustainable change that improves the quality of our lives and environments. Leadership majors gain knowledge of: social, economic, political, and technological factors that impact problems and paths of solutions; organizational and personal behaviors; and the complexities of, and the necessity for, collaborations among public, private, and non-profit organizations. Leadership students also make great strides in their own personal and professional development by gaining competencies in effective communication, decision-making, problem recognition, and strategic problem-solving. They acquire the ability to develop, communicate, and implement visions and strategies that mobilize organizations and followers for change.
An Honors Degree option is available.
The BS in Leadership is awarded to those students who follow a broad course of study and is designed to provide a liberal education. For this degree, students must complete a minimum of 120 credits composed of requirements for general education, breadth requirements, required courses in the major, and either an area of interest or a minor. A grade of C- is required in all major courses. No more than 45 credits with the same departmental prefix (including cross-listed courses) may be counted toward the total required for the degree.
In the fall of the junior year, Leadership majors may apply to the 4+1 program that enables completion of a B.S. in Leadership and the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) in five years. Application information and program requirements are available at the Biden School website: bidenschool.udel.edu.
Students admitted to the 4+1 accelerated, combined program will complete all requirements for the B.S. in Leadership and the Minor in Public Policy prior to the start of the fifth year of study. The 600 and 700-level sections in which admitted students will enroll are the same sections required for first-year graduate students. Upon completion of the 120 credits required for the Leadership major, students will be eligible for the B.S. degree. Upon completion of the remaining requirements for the M.P.A. graduate program, students will be eligible for the M.P.A. degree.
The Leadership minor provides an opportunity for students from a variety of disciplines to gain a substantive introduction to the concept of leadership and the application of leadership to designing, managing, and evaluating change in our public, private, and non-profit organizations. The hallmark of the minor is a focus on how vision, integrity, change, communication, decision-making and evaluation influence leadership, and shape change in organizations and in the community.
Public Policy
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy trains students to examine complex public issues and the policies developed to address them. Within a liberal arts context, the program focuses on building core skills and professional dispositions so students can effectively contribute to change in their communities and society at large. The degree draws on lessons from multiple disciplines including economics, psychology, sociology, education, leadership, history, and political science.
Under the guidance of an interdisciplinary faculty and through field-based learning activities, students will develop the capacity to engage in policy analysis, research, and communication. The degree is designed to develop students’ curiosity, confidence, and engagement through direct interaction with challenging, real-world issues and with those who are responsible to address them. In addition, students often pursue their interests through a minor that fosters a depth of understanding within a specific content area such as health or education, and through directed electives that provide more exploratory opportunities.
As a result, Public Policy majors will learn how to effect change in the public, nonprofit and private sectors, specifically preparing them to be entry-level policy analysts, advocates, public officials, and community/ civic leaders. Majors will also be prepared for graduate work in public policy, public administration, law, public health, and more as well as being able to pursue advanced degrees in the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration.
An Honors degree option is also available.
In the fall of the junior year, Public Policy majors may apply to one of our accelerated 4+1 programs that enable completion of a B.A. in Public Policy and a graduate degree in five years. Application information and program requirements are available at the Biden School website: bidenschool.udel.edu.
The B.A. in Public Policy is awarded to those students who follow a broad course of study and is designed to provide a liberal education. For this degree, students must complete a minimum of 124 credits composed of requirements for general education, college skills and breadth requirements, required courses in a major, and elective courses. A grade of C- is required in all major courses. No more than 45 credits with the same departmental prefix (including cross-listed courses) may be counted toward the total required for the degree.
A minor in Public Policy is also offered.
Energy and Environmental Policy
The Energy and Environmental Policy Program (ENEP) conducts interdisciplinary research and supports graduate and undergraduate study on the interlocking issues of energy, environment, and development. Work in ENEP is guided by theories of political economy and technology, environment, and society.
The Energy and Environmental Policy Program offers an undergraduate degree in the interdisciplinary field of Energy and Environmental Policy. The ENEP major offers an integrated set of courses in the fields of social and policy sciences, natural sciences, engineering and analytical methods to prepare its graduates with the necessary knowledge and tools to enter professional positions in the fields of energy and environmental analysis, planning and policy development. Students are provided with the cross-disciplinary knowledge and analytical skills to address local, national and global energy and environmental issues in complex, real world contexts.
The undergraduate major in ENEP is designed to educate and build core competencies and skills for prospective practitioners who will work at the intersections of business, technology, government, research, and civil society sectors seeking to improve energy and environmental policy.
In the fall of the junior year, Energy and Environmental Policy majors may apply to the accelerated, combined 4+1 program that enables completion of a B.S. in Energy and Environmental Policy and a Master’s in Energy and Environmental Policy in five years. Application information and program requirements are available at the Biden School website: bidenschool.udel.edu.
A minor in Energy and Environmental Policy is also offered.
ProgramsMajorMinorHonors Degree4+1Certificate
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