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College of Public Affairs

Degree Requirements

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Government and Public Policy Degree Requirements

  • These requirements apply to students entering this program in fall 2013 and thereafter. Students who enrolled earlier should consult the catalog in effect at the time they enrolled.
  • You can also reference the graduation requirements for the year in which you enrolled on the portal; view graduation requirements by year (PDF) in the right-hand column of your MyResources page.
  • Read the course descriptions.
  • Learn about degree requirements for the Law School Early Entry Option.

General-Education Requirements
(43 credits)

Complete these courses with a grade of C- or better:

  • English Composition
  • Mathematics
  • Oral Communication
  • Literature
  • History or Philosophy
  • Fine Arts
  • Computer Literacy
  • Social and Behavioral Science 1
  • Social and Behavioral Science 2
  • Biological and Physical Science
    • Laboratory course, 4 credits
    • Non-laboratory course

Complete three courses with a grade of C or better:

  • Advanced Expository Writing (WRIT 300)
    completing WRIT 101 and either passing the writing placement test or successfully completing WRIT 200 required
  • Ethical Issues in Business and Society (IDIS 302)

and one of the following:

  • World Cultures (IDIS 301)
  • Arts and Ideas (IDIS 304)
    required if no lower-level general-education course in fine arts

Government and Public Policy Program Requirements (48 credits)

Core Courses (24 credits)

  • American Government (GVPP 201)
  • Global Politics (GVPP 210)
  • one course in economics
  • one course in history or philosophy
  • Methods in Government and Public Policy (GVPP 408)
  • Senior Seminar (GVPP 499)
  • one GVPP course in international studies
  • one GVPP course in political theory


Major Electives (24 credits)

Complete eight courses approved by a faculty adviser; students who have a career interest in public policy and administration, public law or applied politics should take at least 9 credits in one of the first three areas below.

Public Policy and Administration

  • Public Policy Analysis (GVPP 315)
  • Public Administration (GVPP 320)
  • Bureaucracy and Public Policy (GVPP 322)
  • American Public Policy (GVPP 324)
  • Urban Politics and Public Policy (GVPP 326)
  • Public Budgeting and Personnel Administration (GVPP 423)
  • Administrative Law and Processes (GVPP 425)
  • Foundations of Democracy II (GVPP 427)
  • Health Policy and Politics (HSMG 373)

Public Law and American Constitutional Systems

  • Constitutional Law (GVPP 340)
  • Civil Liberties and the Bill of Rights (GVPP 341)
  • American Presidency (GVPP 344)
  • The Legislative Process (GVPP 345)
  • State and Local Government (GVPP 348)
  • American Political Thought (GVPP 381)
  • Foundations of Democracy I (GVPP 426)

Applied Politics

  • Parties, Campaigns and Elections (GVPP 360)
  • Media and Government (GVPP 362)
  • Maryland Government Processes and Politics (GVPP 461)
  • Interest Group Politics and Lobbying (GVPP 463)
  • Survey Research and Public Opinion Analysis (GVPP 465)

Other Major Electives

  • Political Ideologies (GVPP 382)
  • Comparative Government (GVPP 384)
  • International Relations (GVPP 385)
  • American Foreign Policy (GVPP 386)
  • Individual Research (GVPP 470/471)
  • Special Topics in International Studies (GVPP 479)
  • Environmental Politics and Policy (GVPP 480)
  • Globalization (GVPP 481)
  • Topics in Political Theory (GVPP 482)
  • Aging and Public Policy (GVPP 483)
  • International Political Economy (GVPP 484)
  • The Far East in World Affairs (GVPP 485)
  • The Middle East (GVPP 486)
  • Western Europe (GVPP 487)
  • Commonwealth of Independent States/China in World Affairs (GVPP 488)
  • International Organization (GVPP 489)
  • Internship (GVPP 490/491)
  • Honors Seminar (GVPP 493)
  • Topics in Government and Public Policy, 1-6 credits (GVPP 497)


General Electives

  • First Year Seminar: Introduction to University Learning (IDIS 101)
    freshmen only; transfer students replace this with a different elective

Complete as many courses as necessary from any discipline to fulfill your 120-credit requirement to graduate.

Information Literacy Requirement

Meet the UB Information Literacy graduation requirement by successfully completing one of the following:

  • Introduction to Information Literacy (IDIS 110)
  • Methods in Government and Public Policy (GVPP 408)
as of fall 2013