Interest in public policy education is rapidly expanding at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the forefront. The growing demand among students for public policy courses has outpaced the current offerings, prompting the university to take significant steps to address this interest.
La Follette School Director Susan Webb Yackee commented on the trend: “Public policy across the country is really growing wildly at the undergraduate level. So student demand here at UW-Madison matches student demand and a lot of other college campuses across the country.”
In response to this surging interest, the university is set to introduce the state’s first undergraduate major in public policy by fall 2026. This new program will allow students to pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in public policy through the La Follette School.
Yackee anticipates that the degree will pave the way for students to further their education in graduate or law school, while also opening doors to careers in various sectors such as government, nonprofits, consulting, advocacy, and business.
A key component of the new degree is the introductory course titled “Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America,” which will be available to students in the spring. This course aims to provide students with the skills to engage in civil dialogue, navigate differences, and seek common ground in policy discussions.
Yackee emphasized the course’s goal: “Our point here is not to change anybody’s values, but to have students exercise their intellectual muscles to hear different points of view with the hope that when they enter into the workforce, they will be more amenable and curious about other points of view.”
The La Follette School has a strong tradition of awarding master’s degrees, with over 3,250 graduates to date. Since 2019, the school has also offered undergraduate certificates, with more than 750 students completing certificates in public or health policy.
The 2024-25 academic year saw a record enrollment of 1,060 students in undergraduate courses offered by La Follette. Based on these figures, Yackee expects approximately 50 students to enroll in the new undergraduate major in its first year, with the potential to become one of the top 20 majors on campus within five years.
“We have spent years building toward this watershed moment in our school’s history,” Yackee noted, highlighting the significance of this development for the institution.
