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About Public Policy and Law at Young Harris College

Students will understand federalism and its effects on governmental policy, the role of the American judiciary in determining public policy, and the effects of formal and informal governmental and cultural institutions on U.S. public policy. Students in this program will have opportunities to intern at the Council of State Governments in Washington, D.C. and to study abroad in England or Ireland. Finally, as part of the interdisciplinary and liberal arts nature of the program, students in this major are recommended to double major and may with nearly any other major on campus.

Faculty spotlight

Get to know some of the instructors who will guide you through the Public Policy and Law program.

A good education does much more than just impart information. Education should focus on developing critical thinking skills and how to apply information and concepts to the ever-evolving situations we will face in the future. I am proud of my colleagues and my strong students who inspire me to keep seeking better ways to promote critical thinking.

John Van Vilet
Dr. John Van Vliet Professor of Business and Public Policy – Professional Studies

Public Policy and Law degree requirements

To graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Law from YHC, you’ll take 120 hours of coursework.

General Education:

31 hours

Electives:

53 hours, including two PALS (Physically Active Life Skills) courses

Program courses:

36 hours

Some of our most popular public policy and law classes include:

PBPL 3220 Intro to Political Philosophy:

Examine major texts and thinkers of the Western political tradition and the questions they raise about the political and social order from Plato and Aristotle to Machiavelli and Hobbes.