FASS announces new undergraduate minor in Public Policy

Simon Fraser University (SFU)’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) is delighted to announce that it is launching a Public Policy Minor (PPM), a new interdisciplinary undergraduate minor program that offers students the opportunity to learn applied public policy skills and practical analysis.

As Canada confronts complex and urgent public policy problems such as those surrounding climate change, economic inequality and its ripple effects onto jobs, housing and labour markets, supply chain instability, and deaths from toxic drug supply, the PPM program will offer undergraduate students the chance to showcase the wide variety of ways in which citizens influence policy and develop the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to positive change.  

Students will be able to complete a concentration in Technology and Innovation in Public Policy or in Applied Public Policy. The former track responds to the growing needs of the Canadian technology sector for policy-skilled personnel, while the latter offers students opportunities to engage with policy leaders beyond the university. Both are designed to build skills and knowledge across a wide range of societal issues and will prepare students for careers in public service. 

The Minor in Public Policy opens the door for graduate study in a variety of fields, including public policy, political science, criminology, sociology, economics, public health, and business. Graduates would be well-positioned for an MA or PhD program in any of these fields.

The minor is remarkably interdisciplinary, cutting across and building collaboration between ten FASS departments as well as several others across SFU, such as business, computing science, and interactive arts and technology. Along with a wide range of interdisciplinary courses, the minor is informed by an advisory board of public, private, and non-profit sector members who will work with SFU to help guide students towards professional success.

The minor in Public Policy is soft launching in the 2022/2023 academic year, with a full launch in the 2023/2024 academic year. The program director will be administered within SFU’s School of Public Policy, which is part of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and is located in the downtown Vancouver campus. Courses will take place at SFU’s Burnaby and Vancouver campuses.