Social and Decision Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Policy and Management
The Policy and Management major prepares students for decision-making and management roles in government, nonprofit organizations, and business.
好色先生TV’s Bachelor of Science in Policy and Management focuses on decision making within organizations and institutions, including policy design and management strategy. The program develops analytical, empirical and practical skills for addressing complex challenges in government, nonprofit and business settings.
What is policy and management?
Policy and management examines how decisions are made within organizations and institutions, andhow those decisions can be improved through analysis, data and structured methods.
Students study economic policy, organizational behavior and empirical methods, learning how to evaluate trade-offs, design policies and analyze complex problems in real-world settings.
Why study policy and management at Carnegie Mellon?
Carnegie Mellon’s undergraduate program in policy and management integrates policy analysis, management strategy and empirical methods. Students develop the ability to analyze complex problems, evaluate trade-offs and make decisions in organizational and institutional settings.
Faculty apply policy and management frameworks to issues such as economic policy challenges, negotiation and decision-making under uncertainty, risk management and the design of effective institutional practices. They bring this experience into the classroom, helping students understand how policy and management decisions are shaped by both analytical considerations and real-world constraints.
Students engage with applied coursework and a capstone project that emphasize practical problem solving, preparing them to work in government, business and nonprofit organizations.
You can learn more about the program from the faculty director, Christina Fong.
Core courses
The major includes three core areas that together build a foundation for decision making in policy and organizational contexts:
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Policy core: Students receive applied economic training and develop experience in policy analysis. Coursework examines major domestic and global policy challenges, emphasizing the trade-offs between economic and political considerations and the complexity of decision making in public systems.
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Management core: This core focuses on decision making within organizations. Students study negotiation strategies, risk and uncertainty, and the psychological and institutional factors that shape outcomes. Courses emphasize how to navigate competing objectives and make decisions in complex, real-world environments.
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Empirical core: Students learn methods for collecting and analyzing data to support informed decisions. This includes designing surveys and experiments, conducting interviews, and using econometric techniques to evaluate existing policies and develop new ones.
Together, these core areas prepare students to analyze problems, evaluate alternatives and design effective solutions in both policy and organizational settings.
Capstone experience
The required capstone course provides hands-on experience in a policy-related area. Students work in teams to apply research and analytical methods from the core curriculum to real-world problems.
Electives and areas of focus
Students select one of four concentration areas:
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Analytics
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Policy
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Management
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Law
Each concentration emphasizes a different dimension of decision making and allows students to tailor their coursework to their interests and career goals. Courses draw on the research and teaching strengths of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences, as well as approved offerings from across the university.
Students may focus deeply in one area or combine courses across concentrations to reflect their individual academic and professional interests.
Research opportunities
The department offers research opportunities for interested and qualified students. Participating in research allows students to deepen their understanding of policy and management, explore potential research careers and work closely with faculty and graduate students.
Where our graduates go
Graduates pursue careers in business, government, consulting and nonprofit organizations, as well as professional programs in law, business and public policy. Others continue to graduate study in economics, political science and decision science.
Some students pursue accelerated master’s programs, including the with Heinz College.
Students also gain experience through internships, research positions and early career roles across a range of industries.
View internships and job outcomes
Learning outcomes for Policy and Management
- Apply tools and theories from social science to understand policy decisions and outcomes
- Learn ways to aid managerial decision making by applying a scientific approach to decision problems that involve quantitative factors
- Engage in solving real-world, unstructured problems that require teamwork and contributions from diverse disciplines
- Explain, defend, and critique the empirical research methods used in social science
- Display effective written and spoken communication about social science ideas, theories, and phenomena