Public Policy Degree

Don’t Just Study Change. Make It.

Most public policy programs teach you to write reports, argue positions, or draft bills. Champlain’s Public Policy BA goes one step further: it addresses the need to make new policies and changes visible and understandable to the people affected.

• What is Policy?

  Policy is a set of rules, guidelines, or principles that governments, organizations, and institutions use to guide decisions and achieve goals. Policies take many forms, such as laws, regulations, budgets, and official positions. They operate at every level, from a school’s code of conduct or a company’s rules on paid time off, to state and national legislation and international treaties and agreements.

• What is Legible Policy?

  Legible Policy is the idea that policy change should be visible and understandable to people most affected by those decisions. Instead of writing a report or arguing positions on the housing shortage, you might build a map of the neighborhoods hit hardest by these issues or design a dashboard that connects housing costs to commute times. Legible Policy means making a policy argument that anyone, not just policymakers, can see, make sense of, and take a stand on.

• What is Policy+?

  Whether it’s tech, business, healthcare, media, or design, every industry has regulations and guidelines. With that in mind, we developed a series of courses called Policy+ to help you pair policy principles with any other Champlain program, so you graduate understanding both the technical skills of your field and the policy environment that shapes it. Studying cybersecurity? Add Policy+ and learn how data privacy laws influence the security landscape. Into business? Explore how tax policy, labor law, and environmental regulation affect corporate decision-making.

• Why Study Public Policy at Champlain?

  At Champlain, you’ll learn to connect local action to global issues through our legible policy framework, using Vermont as a testing ground to understand how it plays out in the real world. And because Champlain builds 30 flexible credits into every program, our Public Policy BA gives you the freedom to explore and apply your degree to other disciplines, so you graduate with an understanding of how both your field works and is regulated by power systems behind it.

You might also be interested in:

• Majors

  • Applied Sustainability Degree (BS) 

    The way we think about the environment can’t be separated from the way we think about people, and vice versa. Learn the skills to cultivate a career in a growing field.

  • Digital Humanities Degree (BS) 

    Be a digital pioneer. Bring the fullness of your human self to the study of emerging technology, including Artificial Intelligence, and make sure the digital future is humane as well as human.

  • Education Degree (BS) 

    Teaching is the ultimate way to shape the future. At Champlain College, you’ll be in classrooms during your first year, building deep expertise that leads to licensure.

  • Integrative Professional Studies Degree (BS) 

    Design your own major through Champlain’s Degree Design Lab. You’ll combine courses and real-world learning experiences to personalize your own education.

  • Psychology Degree (BS, BA) 

    Develop an understanding of human behavior through professional field experiences, research, and hands-on application.

  • Social Work Degree (BSW) 

    Uplift families, empower individuals, and heal communities with Champlain’s Social Work Degree.

  • Writing & Publishing Degree (BS) 

    Talent is just the beginning. Today’s successful writers combine creative skills with industry knowledge and adaptability.

• Minors

  • Actuarial Studies Minor 

    Learn to assess, analyze, and manage risk and liability—a perfect career-building minor for math lovers and problem solvers looking to support a business.

  • Business Administration Minor 

    Knowledge you gain from a Business Administration minor isn’t limited to business. From theatre to technology, apply your skills to any interest or passion.

  • Entrepreneurship Minor 

    Learn how to turn ideas into profitable businesses or non-profit with an Entrepreneurship minor.

  • Environmental Studies & Policy Minor 

    Study environmental issues and the politics surrounding them to discover the action-oriented practicalities of what people and organizations can do to change the world for the better.

  • Project Management Minor 

    Learn to lead teams with clarity and confidence, manage workflows, and deliver results in any industry.

  • Sustainable Business Minor 

    Business can do better—we’ll show you how ethical business policies and practices can build healthier communities and environments, without sacrificing profits.

• Areas of Study

  • Law & Society 

    Want to uphold a system of justice through meaningful public service? Check out these majors that revolve around “doing good.”