Undergraduate Minors and Joint Programs

The Schar School is home to more than 800 undergraduate students who are majoring in Government and International Politics and Public Administration, as well as hundreds more students who are pursuing Schar School minors and unique multidisciplinary joint programs.

CONCENTRATION IN PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS, AND ECONOMICS (PPE)

The Department of Philosophy, Department of Economics, and the Schar School of Policy and Government jointly offer a concentration in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). The PPE concentration provides students with the multidisciplinary training needed to tackle today’s most complex social problems. The program is a springboard to careers in public service, law,  nance, business, journalism, and the academy. PPE students enjoy close contact with prestigious faculty, unique international partnerships, and special extra- curricular events.

CONCENTRATION IN TECHNOLOGY POLICY 

The Schar School and the School of Computing jointly created this undergraduate degree at the intersection of technology and policy. Students who complete the Applied Computer Science BS with a concentration in Technology Policy will have the knowledge and skills of a traditional computer science major. They will also have the benefits of a full social science and policy degree. The BS explores the possibilities and challenges inherent in new technologies and the ways in which public institutions can seek to regulate these technologies to maximize their benefits. Students are treated as co-majors and take an equal number of courses in each school.

MINORS

In addition to an undergraduate major and its optional concentrations, Mason students also have the opportunity to choose a minor. While not required, minors can help you demonstrate expertise and particular focus within your studies. Mason offers more than 135 minors in a range of cutting-edge subjects. The Schar School offers the following minors:

American Government Minor
The minor in American government develops knowledge of the principles, institutions, and behaviors of the American political system.

Global Systems Minor
The interdisciplinary minor in global systems is designed to complement virtually any undergraduate major. It works well for majors in business disciplines, economics, languages, geography, government and international politics, history, and other disciplines that take a global view.

International and Comparative Studies Minor
This minor increases students’ awareness of the regions and current issues of the world on theoretical and practical levels.

International Security Minor
The minor in international security provides students with the theories and background to understand the institutions and processes of international security, as well as critical international security issues such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and war.

Legal Studies Minor
The minor in legal studies focuses on the constitutional foundations, interpretation, processes, and functions of domestic and international law.

Political Philosophy Minor
The Political Philosophy minor provides students with an intensive study of political philosophy and political theory. Students take courses in the history of political philosophy; the moral evaluation of political institutions; the ethical, social, and political issues raised by globalization; and the conceptual foundations of democracy and human rights. Through this coursework, students are able to study this field from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. They develop a deeper philosophical perspective on political institutions and have a solid foundation for further graduate study in philosophy, government, or policy studies.

Public Policy and Management Minor
This minor introduces students to the theory and process of policy formulation and implementation in the political and governmental arena.

Urban and Suburban Studies Minor
Focusing on three main areas – environment, culture, and economy – this minor prepares students for a career in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area for local or regional government and nonprofit careers unique to the region.