Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Leadership

In addition to the 60-credit pre-matriculation requirement, students must complete and earn a C or higher in three (3) prerequisite courses:

• Principles of Economics: Microeconomics (ECON 2010 or equivalent)
• Social Psychology (either LPPL 2600 or PSYC 2600 or equivalent)
• Introduction to Public Policy (LPPP 2200)

The Batten School General Education Requirements are the same as the UVA College of Arts and Sciences. The Batten School will accept students from Echols or any of the general education curricula (College curriculum or the Forums), and Batten coursework fulfills some curricular requirements.

*Note: The Batten program automatically fulfills the following Literacy Requirements from the New College Curriculum for Batten majors:

• Rhetoric/Second Writing Requirement (3 credits)
• Quantification, Computation and Data Analysis (3 credits)

*Note: The Batten program automatically fulfills the following Competency and Area Requirements from the Traditional curriculum for Batten majors [applies only to transfer students from outside UVA]:

• Second Writing Requirement (3 credits)
• Social Sciences (6 credits)
• Humanities (3 credits: Moral, Philosophical, and Religious Perspectives)
• Historical Studies (3 credits)

Civic and Political Contexts of Public Policy and Leadership (9 credits)

• LPPP 3620: Engaging Policy Communities
• LPPP 3230: Public Policy Challenges of the 21st Century
• LPPP 4200: Institutional and Political Context of Public Policy

Leadership (9 credits)

• LPPP 4660: Value and Bias in Public Policy
• LPPL 3210: Behavioral Sciences for Civic Leadership (previously Introduction to Civic Leadership)
• LPPL 4680: Lead From Anywhere

Economic Analysis of Public Policy (6 credits)

• LPPA 3650: Choice and Consequences: The Economics of Public Policy
• LPPA 3640: Research Methods and Data Analysis of Public Policy

Capstone Seminar (3 credits)

• LPPP 4991: Capstone Seminar

Special Topics (15 credits)

• Must be at the 3000-5000 level and must be related to public policy and/or leadership.
•  At least 9 credits (three special topics courses) must have the Batten School mnemonic, such as:
  • LPPS 3240: Anti-Terrorism and the Role of Intelligence
  • LPPP 3250: International Development Policy
  • LPPS 3295: Global Humanitarian Crisis: Dilemmas, Leadership and Action
  • LPPS 3050: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship
  • LPPL 3450: Resilient Leadership for Teams and Teammates
  • LPPP 4210: Integrating Ethics in Public Policy
• Up to 6 credits (two special topics courses) may come from other schools/departments or institutions in the U.S. or abroad, pending approval by the Office of Academic Affairs

In order to apply to the UVA Batten Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Leadership, you will be required to submit the following materials by 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of the official deadline:

• Resume (as either a Word Document or a PDF)
  • Please ensure that this document includes, but is not limited to, the following information: leadership roles held, employment history, relevant internships and jobs and your role(s) in those positions, and roles in relevant school- and community-based organizations. If you have questions about crafting a resume, we recommend you utilize the UVA Career Center resume resources!

• Two Required Essays:
  • What is the motivation behind your decision to pursue public policy and leadership? Please indicate your interest in addressing one or more policy areas or societal issues. What work, activity, or educational experience has best equipped you for undergraduate studies in this field? (Please limit your answer to 400 words.)
  • One of our aims is to enhance students’ abilities to lead in a diverse and divided world. Tell us about a time you had to work across lines of difference to navigate a challenge or improve some outcome. What did you learn from the experience? How can those lessons inform your future success, especially professionally? (Please limit your answer to 250 words.)

• Recommendations
  • Submitted using a form evaluating your candidacy along a set of criteria addressing your potential for success in the program. If your recommender has prepared a traditional letter of recommendation, they will have the option to include it. Consider asking for one academic reference at the collegiate level, and the other from an employer, mentor, research supervisor, coach, or other person who knows your work outside of the classroom.  If you ask for a recommendation from your time prior to UVA, be sure to balance that with information about your activities and aptitude now.

• Unofficial Transcripts
  • Your UVA coursework will be pulled directly from SIS into your application. Unofficial transcripts from any other post-secondary institution where you received college credit (including dual enrollment credits) can be uploaded directly to your online application.

• Online Application Addendum
  • There is space to provide additional context in the “Essay” section of the application. An application addendum is not required. However, some applicants may have additional information that would be useful for the admissions committee. Feel free to amplify positive dimensions of your background not covered elsewhere or give insight into seemingly negative information in your application (e.g. course withdrawals, light course loads, gaps in your academic record or unique grading scales, etc.).

Your application may be completed online and submitted electronically once you have answered all the required questions. You do not have to complete the online application in one sitting – you may access your application and change your answers as many times as you like.

There is no application fee for this program. Please note, you can indicate your interest in also being considered for the Public Policy and Leadership Minor in the BA application. You do not have to submit a separate Minor application.