Social Policy and Public Service

Bill Maurer, Director
3562 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway
949-824-6802
http://www.spps.socsci.uci.edu/

The major in Social Policy and Public Service (SPPS) provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the study of policies and society. Using the knowledge and methods of various social science disciplines, SPPS majors analyze the influence of social inequalities, policies, and the role of social institutions. A degree in this major prepares students for careers in government organizations, public policy, non-profit organizations, public administration or public health, academic research, social work, and education.

The curriculum for the major covers various research methods and statistics, contemporary social policy issues, public and social policy, and leadership. Requiring students to conduct action research at a local non-profit or a government agency, the curriculum involves the examination of societal inequalities across groups and systems. A year-long field placement requirement facilitates an in-depth understanding of social science research. Students also gain internship experiences in community, public, and educational organizations. To ensure competency in a specific area, students choose one of three focus areas: 1) Education, 2) Governance, or 3) Health.

Requirements

All students must meet the University Requirements. All students must meet the School Requirements.

Requirements for the Major

School requirements must be met and must include 15 courses (60 units) as specified below. Students must take all required courses for the major for a letter grade.

NOTE: Certain special topics courses may be applicable to this major; students should see their undergraduate advisor prior to enrolling in a special topics course to ensure that it meets the requirements. SOC SCI 184A Sage Leader Research I-SOC SCI 184B Sage Leader Research II may not be used to satisfy school requirements.

Honors Program

The honors program allows SPPS majors to engage in research leading to the completion of an honors thesis. The topic for the honors thesis, reflecting a social science theme, is determined by the student in consultation with a faculty advisor. In addition to satisfying the requirements for the major, honors program participants must complete additional course work as specified below.

The honors program is composed of three four-unit courses: SPPS H190A Honors Research Workshop, SPPS H190B Honors Thesis Research, and SPPS H190C Honors Thesis. Satisfactory completion of the honors thesis course also satisfies the upper-division writing requirement. The honors program is open to all junior and senior Social Policy and Public Service majors with an overall GPA of 3.30 and a 3.50 GPA in at least five Social Science courses.

The schedule of courses for the honors program is as follows:

SPPS H190A Honors Research Workshop. 4 Units
In the fall quarter, students enroll in SPPS H190A. This course ends with each student writing a research plan for the honors thesis. At the onset of the course, students select a faculty mentor who guides the student in the process and supervises the research; faculty mentors evaluate and approve the final honors thesis.

SPPS H190B Honors Research Workshop. 4 Units
In the winter quarter, students enroll in SPPS H190B, attend class and work with their faculty mentor, who supervises and evaluates data collection and preliminary data analysis.

SPPS H190C Honors Research Workshop. 4 Units
In the spring quarter, students enroll in SPPS H190C, attend class and work with their faculty mentor to complete the final version of their honors thesis.