Beginning in the 2023-24 academic year, the Policy Analysis and Management major is getting a fresh focus and a new name – Public Policy.  Current students in the Policy Analysis and Management major will have the option of keeping their current curriculum or shifting to the new Public Policy curriculum.  More information will be shared on the Brooks School website throughout the summer of 2023.

Policy Analysis and Management (PAM) is a social sciences-based multidisciplinary major that focuses on analyzing problems in the public domain, ranging from the processes of making, implementing, and evaluating government policies to the ethical evaluation of contemporary social problems. Policy analysis is the use of evidence-based methods to study substantive public policy problems. Applied to the public sphere, the intent is to improve the quality of policy-making by critically examining the design and relevance of policies, their implementation and execution, and their impact on households, communities, and the society at large.

Public policy has become critically important as societies have grown more complex and as governments and public organizations play a more active role in addressing social problems and influencing the quality of people’s lives. Public policies are increasingly being developed on the basis of information about individual, household, and community behavior, and programs and projects are regularly subjected to scientific evaluations and assessments. 

The PAM major provides a curriculum of rigorous foundational coursework in the core disciplines, including economics, statistics, government, and sociology. Through upper-level course work in substantive policy areas and a broad range of electives, students learn how empirical research can generate knowledge to address domestic and international public policy problems. The curriculum is designed to teach students to read critically, think analytically, and write concisely.

View an overview of  Policy Analysis and Management program here

PAM Student Spotlight

Questions?

Contact the Brooks Office of Enrollment and Student Services  at Brooks-StudentServices@cornell.edu