The Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs requires 120 credit hours. The program includes four main areas: I. IUPUI Common Core, II. SPEA General Education/baccalaureate requirements, III. Public Affairs Core, IV. Program/Major requirements, and V. Open electives.

Public Affairs focuses on how we provide for our citizens, making our communities better places to live, work and raise a family. Public Affairs students study and analyze government policies, and learn how to manage government and nonprofit organizations.

A Policy Studies major prepares students to analyze and assess the usefulness of existing and proposed laws. This major emphasizes critical thinking skills. Graduates often go on to law school. or directly into positions in government or government relations.

The policy studies major is concerned with the exercise of power and the nature and wisdom of the rules that constrain the use of power. In contrast to the management student, whose focus in on the organization, and the civic leadership student, whose focus is on the community and community networks, the policy studies student will primarily be concerned with the rules we establish to govern our communal endeavors. Students in policy studies will be able to:

• Understand, explain and apply common models of the policy process to problems in public affairs.
• Understand the options for public input into public decision-making and policy implementation.
• Read, understand and evaluate program evaluations and policy analyses reported by others, and communicate those digested findings clearly and concisely.
• Understand and apply basic methods of program evaluation using common quantitative, qualitative and mixed tools.
• Understand and apply basic methods of public policy analysis using common quantitative, qualitative and mixed tools.
• Understand a policy area in depth.