Social Policy Graduate Certificate
The Department of Political Science offers a graduate certificate in Social Policy to students currently admitted to a graduate degree program at Purdue who wish to add an interdisciplinary credential policy to their degree. This certificate seeks to meet this need by giving each student some knowledge of the context, content, and methods required for meaningful policy analysis in the area of public policy.
Professionals and researchers working on social challenges often must work closely with policymakers or the policy process. Various public and private employers are often looking for scientists and researchers with some familiarity with the policy making process. In response, students working on these issues may be interested in a series of courses to give them a basic understanding of the environmental policy process as part of their graduate study.
This certificate is offered at the graduate level only, not the post-baccalaureate level.
Admission Criteria
Currently enrolled as a Graduate Student at Purdue West Lafayette.
Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0/4.0 with the possibility of conditional admission for applicants who do not meet this requirement.
International applicants whose native language is not English are required to provide proof of English proficiency for admission as explained here.
Admission Process
All applicants to the Social Policy Graduate Certificate Program must complete and submit the on-line application through our Graduate School at: https://gradapply.purdue.edu/apply/
Applicants will be required to pay the application fee at the time of application.
In addition, applicants must provide a current Purdue transcript OR indicate “YES” on the application where it says “I consent and authorize Purdue University faculty and/or staff to access my Purdue University academic record for university business.”
The graduate certificate will be selected in the Program Details section of the application.
- Your Selected Campus: West Lafayette (Main Campus)
- Your Selected Graduate Major: Political Science
- Select a Degree Objective (Based on your Program selection): Public Policy Graduate Certificate
Students from outside of Political Science must also provide a completed G.S. Form 18, Dual Graduate Program Request, signed by the applicant and the Head of the applicant’s home department. Please contact the Graduate Coordinator, polgradcoordinator@purdue.edu, to receive a Form 18.
All application materials must be received by: August 1 (for Fall admission) and December 1 (for Spring admission). Students may apply at any time prior to, during, or after completion of the course requirements, but no later than August 1 to qualify for a December certificate or December 1 to qualify for a May certificate.
To Receive Your Certificate
Register as CAND991 during the semester in which you plan to receive your certificate.
Courses
Students will take four required courses in three areas for a total number of 12 required credits. Course offerings are subject to change. Specific course requirements are as follows:
Required Course on the policy process
- POL 62000 – Proseminar in Public Policy and Processes, or an approved substitute
Required course in policy analysis tools:
- POL 60500 – Research Design and Methods
- POL 60600 – Advanced Quantitative Techniques in Political Science
- POL 69300 – Interdisciplinary Seminar: Dynamics of Social, Ecological, and Technological Systems
- SOC 58100 – Methods of Social Research II
- SOC 68000 – Advanced Social Research Methods
- STAT 50200 – Experimental Statistics II
- STAT 51200 – Applied Regression Analysis
- STAT 51300 – Statistical Quality Control
Two substantive courses (any of the following, or approved substitutes):
- NUR 63200 – Health Policy: Local to Global
- POL 52000 – Special Topics in Public Policy: Race, Class, and Public Policy
- POL 52101 – Applied Public Policy: Institutions, Processes, Practices
- POL 52400 – Public Policy and the Family
- POL 52901 – Applied Policy and Program Evaluation
- POL 54101 – Applied Foundations of Global Development
- POL 62200 – Research Seminar in Public Policy and Public Administration: Comparative Social Policy
- SOC 57200 – Comparative Healthcare Systems
- SOC 57300 – The Human Side of Medicine
- SOC 57400 – The Social Organization of Healthcare
Application fee
$60 for domestic students
$75 for international students
Deadlines for submission
All application materials must be received by: August 1 (for Fall admission) and December 1 (for Spring admission). We will process applications shortly after these deadlines.
While we encourage students to apply early, you may apply at any time prior to, during, or after completion of the requirements listed below. If a student has already completed all of the requirements and wishes to obtain a December certificate they must apply no later than August 1; the deadline is December 1 to qualify for a May certificate.
Questions? Please email polgradcoordinator@purdue.edu