Training a New Crop of Leaders

Yackee: “Students increasingly view data, dialogue, and diverse perspectives as key to building better solutions.” Brava/Hillary Schave

Next fall, the UW’s La Follette School of Public Affairs will launch an undergraduate major in public policy — the first of its kind in Wisconsin.

Students will be able to earn bachelor’s degrees in public policy, opening pathways to careers in government, nonprofits, consulting, advocacy, and business. Many will go on to graduate programs in public affairs or international public affairs, law school, or leadership roles in public service. The program will be distinct from other public policy undergraduate programs around the country in that its curriculum will focus on civil dialogue, working across differences, and finding common ground.

For more than 40 years, UW–Madison students have earned master’s degrees from La Follette, and beginning in 2019, it began offering undergraduate certificates. The new undergraduate curriculum will include interdisciplinary coursework and hands-on learning to help students develop skills in policy analysis, strategic communication, civil discourse, and evidence-based decision-making.

A foundational course for the new degree, Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America, debuted last spring. The course aims to help students think about public policy as part of everyday life, understand public policy challenges, build critical thinking skills, and value civic engagement and civil dialogue.

“Interest in public policy is skyrocketing,” says La Follette Director Susan Webb Yackee. “Students increasingly view data, dialogue, and diverse perspectives as key to building better solutions.”

Published in the Spring 2026 issue