Public Policy

With a public policy degree, you will be prepared for a successful career and to be an engaged citizen. You will obtain the critical thinking, communication and leadership skills necessary to understand and shape public policy. The curriculum covers many disciplines and offers experiential learning opportunities for hands-on learning. By studying public policy at a Jesuit university, you will also develop ethical decision-making skills. This will help you develop and promote policies to will elevate those most marginalized in society.

A Philadelphia university, Saint Joseph's offers internships that connect you to the real-life experiences of city government, nonprofits and more. Public policy majors take part in a wide variety of career-enhancing opportunities including The Washington Center, The Saint Joseph’s Summer Scholars Program, the Brussel Study Abroad program and other service-learning experiences.

Public policy is often defined as the course of action created by a government, in response to 'real world' problems impacting the public. In other words, the work of creating rules, laws and regulations. In your studies, you will not only investigate policy itself, but also the relationships among all of the entities that have a voice in the policymaking process. You will study theories to support your public policy analysis skills. You will also apply policy analysis in economics, political science and sociology classes and assess the impact of policy on individuals, businesses, and society.

Saint Joseph University’s 4+1 program in public policy offers Saint Joseph's students an exciting opportunity to begin their graduate work in public policy while completing their undergraduate degree. Students will take graduate courses that count toward their undergraduate and graduate degrees starting their senior year. After one additional year, students will complete their Public Policy MS degree and be poised for a rewarding and meaningful career.

This unique program is available to current Saint Joseph's University undergraduates with a public policy major or minor. Interested students should discuss this opportunity with their advisor and the public policy program director. Students are encouraged to apply to the 4+1 graduate program during their junior year.

This program is available as a major and a minor. Many students often decide to double major or add minors to their studies. Some common additional areas of study that students interested in public policy also pursue include:

• Economics
• Political Science
• Communications
• International Relations
• Sociology
• Criminal Justice

The public policy minor is designed to provide students with a firm understanding of policy from several viewpoints, including political science, public administration, sociology, economics and international relations.

View required courses for this program in the academic catalog. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program curriculum.

Affordable tuition rates can be found on our Tuition and Fees page.*

*Pricing does not include room and board, health insurance or any professional, clinical or transportation fees. Visit our Tuition and Fees page for a detailed breakdown.

To apply for this program, complete an application online. SAT and/or ACT scores are optional but you can submit them if you think they’ll strengthen your application.

Learn more about admissions requirements and how to apply as a first-year student, transfer student or international student.

First-Year Students
Applications for high school students are available beginning August 1 of your senior year. Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision options are available. For a full timeline of deadlines, visit our admission page.

Transfer Students
Applications to transfer to Saint Joseph’s are accepted on a rolling basis for fall and spring start terms.

1. To be considered for admission, you must have graduated from an approved secondary school (or be on track to graduate), received a diploma from an accredited home school association or earned a GED.

2. A high school transcript with an official school stamp or an official GED transcript is required. High school transcripts must include courses completed through your junior year as well as courses in progress during your senior year. If you’ve attended any post-secondary institutions, official transcripts for those institutions are required as well.

Transfer credit may be awarded for previous coursework. A course must meet the following requirements to be considered for transfer to Saint Joseph’s University:

• Undergraduate courses with a grade of “C” or above
• Graduate courses with a grade of “B” or above
• Pass/Fail grades are not eligible for transfer credit
• Must be from a regionally or programmatically accredited institution
• The coursework must match the course offered at Saint Joseph's
• Some programs have a time limit for specific courses
• Earned credit may be submitted for review based on a timeline of less than or equal to 5 to 10 years between completion of course and enrollment at SJU

Visit the Transfer Admission page for a detailed breakdown of courses and institutions eligible for transfer.

If you are not a United States citizen, you must show proof of permanent resident visa status. Students educated in another country may be admitted if they:

• Satisfy general admission requirements
• Earn a minimum of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 79 (internet-based) on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey

Students from English-speaking countries may choose to take the SAT or ACT as an option to the TOEFL exam. An evaluation of foreign transcripts by the World Education Service or other approved agency is required.

Saint Joseph’s is a military-friendly institution and offers assistance and services to veterans and their dependents who are utilizing educational benefits. Benefits include:

• Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill®
• Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation
• Chapter 33 Post 911 GI Bill®
• Chapter 35 Survivors and Dependents Assistance
• Chapter 1606 National Guard or Reserves
• Chapter 1607 National Guard or Reserves (REAP) (*if eligible, must be utilized by November 25, 2019)
• Pennsylvania National Guard Educational Assistance Program (EAP)
• Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA)