Career Overview for Students

The Bachelor of Science degree in public policy and the Master of Science degree in science, technology, and public policy develop students who can effectively formulate public policies and analyze their impacts, particularly as related to science and technology issues. Students will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge and skill set that allows them to integrate policy analysis techniques with technological, political, social, economic, and ethical considerations. Students also will demonstrate exceptional writing and oral communication skills.

Cooperative Education Component

Undergraduate students are required to complete at least one co-op work assignment. Typically, this assignment lasts one academic quarter, or about 2-3 months. We generally encourage students to conduct co-op activities during the summer after their junior year in the program.

Salary Information

	Average	Range
Co-Op:	$12.62	$8.00 - $20.00
BS/MS:	Insufficient Data	Insufficient Data

 

Accreditation

Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges.

Student Skills & Capabilities

At the end of their third year all students are capable of conducting scientific and applied research, are polished writers and speakers, and have at their disposal a number of policy analysis tools, including cost/benefit analysis, decision analysis, and computer modeling techniques. Students will be prepared to assist in the policy analysis endeavors of a company, non-profit, or government agency. Students will have practice using analytical techniques to evaluate alternative policies based on an organization’s goals, analyze the potential for implementation of a set of policies in the political arena, or understand the impact of a policy on the mission of the organization. In particular, students will be able to apply these tools to contemporary science and technology related problems. Finally, given the technological aspects of our program, students will be able to evaluate technologies and assess the economic, social, and regulatory aspects of their use.

Training/Qualifications

Students take six courses in a particular science and technology policy area. We call these policy “tracks.” Many policy tracks are available. For example, the environmental policy track focuses on the challenges that business and government policy makers face in dealing with environmental issues. The information and communications policy track focuses on the challenges presented by emerging and quickly evolving information and communications technologies. The energy policy track looks at policies affecting new energy technologies. The biotechnology track explores regulatory responses to new biotechnologies. Other tracks are always being developed and students have an option to create a “tailored track” to meet particular student interests. Highlighting your track will be a senior project, in which you will work closely with an RIT faculty member on research related to your interests.

Job Titles

Policy Analyst, Program Evaluator, Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Program Managers for government, non-profit or corporate employers

Significant Points

• Science and technology—Students are trained in problem-solving approaches relevant to a chosen science and technology policy track. Policy tracks include environmental policy, information and communications policy, energy policy, biotechnology policy, and others designed to meet the student’s interests. Students also have an option of “tailoring” a track to meet their interests.
• Interdisciplinary—Our program provides integration of diverse disciplines through a sequence of eight public policy courses. This sequence makes up the core of the curriculum and enables students to integrate diverse subjects and apply them to the analysis of public policy.
• Integrated qualitative and quantitative skills—The program balances both quantitative and qualitative approaches to the analysis of public policy so that students are able to achieve a full systems-level grasp of policy issues.
• Solid grounding in liberal arts—While our graduates will have quantitative and qualitative training, by the end of their academic career they will have taken liberal arts courses with a broad disciplinary range. It is this grounding in humanistic values combined with technology and science that makes our program both balanced and unique.

Selected Employers of RIT Public Policy Co-op and Graduating Students

Government agencies (policy analysis and program implementation at the local, state, federal level), private companies (policy analysis, regulatory affairs, marketing, government affairs, new product development, public affairs, policy advocates), non-profits (policy analysis, policy advocacy, program evaluation).

Contact Us

We appreciate your interest in your career. We will make every effort to help you succeed. Call our office and ask to speak with Sharitta Gross, the program coordinator who works with the Public Policy program. For your convenience, you can access information and services through our web site. You can also learn more about the program.

Sharitta F. Gross, Program Coordinator
sfgoce@rit.edu
585.475.7823

RIT Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services
Bausch & Lomb Center
57 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester NY 14623-5603
Office phone: 585.475.2301, 585.475.6905 (TTY)