The University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs’ Public Leadership minor will provide an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to gain knowledge and skills in leadership and public policy through both classroom and experiential learning. In addition to courses taught by faculty, this minor will immerse students in the public sphere by utilizing the professional expertise of practitioners within the Hobby School and its community and governmental partners to address issues important to Houston and Texas.

To qualify for a minor in Public Leadership, students must:

• Complete a minimum of 15 approved POLC credit hours in the Hobby School, where at least nine of the 15 hours must be advanced (3000 and 4000 level).
• Take at least a minimum of 9 semester credit hours in residence (6 of them advanced).
• Earn a 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average in all minor courses attempted at the Hobby School.

In order to formally request adding the Public Leadership minor, students should download and complete the Undergraduate General Petition and e-mail this to Scott Mason at smason@uh.edu for review. This form must be submitted by the Hobby School at least two weeks prior to the start of the next term for the minor to potentially be accepted for that term.

The Hobby School’s Next Generation Leadership Academy is a public service leadership development program designed to equip undergraduate students with experiential learning opportunities and specialized academic opportunities to prepare them for careers focused on social impact. Students participating in the NextGen Leadership Academy are required to complete the Public Leadership minor or a BA/BS Public Policy major. All undergraduate students are eligible for the minor.

POLC 4390 Public Policy Internship can be taken up to three times to count towards the minor requirements. In addition, students may also petition the Hobby School to have POLC courses not included in the list below to count towards their minor requirements.

BA/BS Public Policy majors are not able to minor in Public Leadership.

Minor Courses List

POLC 1311 Public Policy Laboratory Credit Hours: 3

POLC 2312 Introduction to Economics and Policy Analysis Credit Hours: 3

POLC 3313 Contemporary Political Philosophy and Policy Credit Hours: 3

POLC 3314 Leadership and Public Policy Credit Hours: 3

POLC 3315 Policy Research Methods: Statistics and Regression Analysis Credit Hours: 3

POLC 3322 Public Policy Analysis: Theory and Practice Credit Hours: 3

POLC 3341 State Authority and Freedom Credit Hours: 3

POLC 4342 Political Economy and Ethics of the Market Processes Credit Hours: 3

POLC 4344 Policy and Global Justice Credit Hours: 3

POLC 4349 Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center Ethics and Leadership Seminar Credit Hours: 3

POLC 4390 Public Policy Internship Credit Hours: 3

Note: POLC 4390 Public Policy Internship can be substituted for POLS 4390 Government Internship to satisfy this requirement.

POLC 4398 Independent Study Credit Hours: 3