The Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy offers a minor in public policy analytics that is open to students pursuing any major. The minor is intended to provide skills in employing advanced analytical methods that have become critical to the design, implementation and evaluation of public policy on the part of government agencies, nonprofits, think tanks and academicians. Students are exposed to the foundations of public policy and the policy-making process, analytical tools from economics and political science, quantitative methods and program evaluation techniques, subject matter from a selected public policy field and a capstone experience that requires hands-on applications in conducting public policy research.
A limited cohort of 15 students will be admitted to the minor each academic year. Admission will be based on student applications that demonstrate academic aptitude, interest in public policy and engagement outside the classroom. An admissions committee will make selections based on overall student promise and the potential for synergies across students in the cohort. Further information on the admission process and timetable are available on the Baker Center website (http://bakercenter.utk.edu/).