Policy Studies

Combined public health, political science, and social work to explore how policy can reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes. Gained practical experience through a legislative internship in the U.S. House of Representatives and a campus organizing fellowship for a congressional campaign, focusing on issues like health care access and reproductive rights. This major emphasized evidence-based policymaking and the role of government in advancing health equity.

Below is my major proposal.

Description of Individual Major

I propose to create a major, in coordination with the Public Health Studies concentration, that focuses on how adverse health outcomes can be mitigated or prevented through policy, while also examining how biological and socioeconomic factors influence individual and population health. This approach allows me to apply the health science knowledge I gained as a Public Health major at Loyola University Chicago and now as a Public Health concentrator at St. Olaf College to evidence-based health policymaking. At Loyola, I pursued a Public Health major in the dual-degree program, which provided a strong foundation in health sciences. Now at St. Olaf, I am pairing the Public Health Studies concentration with a policy-focused major to expand my understanding beyond the biological aspects of health and into the structural and legislative mechanisms that shape health outcomes. Beyond coursework, I plan to deepen my understanding through hands-on experiences, including volunteering, research, my leadership role on the Executive Board of the Wellness Center, a legislative internship in the U.S. House of Representatives, and an organizing fellowship for a congressional campaign. These experiences will equip me with the practical skills and policy insight necessary to address health challenges on both local and national levels.

Central Questions

The following questions are intended to be guiding questions which are to be considered throughout the major:

1. How do social determinants of health influence health outcomes?
   1. How do socioeconomic factors interact with biological factors to affect health risks and outcomes?
   2. How do environmental factors interact with biological factors to affect health risks and outcomes?
2. How do health policies address or fail to address social determinants of health?
   1. What policy interventions have succeeded in addressing health inequities?
   2. What gaps exist in health policies regarding the social determinants of health?
3. How can health policies address inequities and address the social determinants of health?
   1. What are effective strategies to address the social determinants of health when proposing health policy?
   2. How can these policies be tailored to vulnerable populations to eliminate health inequities?

General Overview of Courses for Major

• • Courses completed or in-progress

Note: Highlighted courses are courses identified in Degree Path as Public Health Studies courses

Governance and Policy Development Courses

These courses explore how policies are formed, implemented, and evaluated at both domestic and global levels. These courses provide insight into how political structures, economic realities, and social values shape public policy and impact diverse populations.

• SWRK 251: Social Policy
  • Social welfare policies exemplify how society's values and needs translate into policies and programs. Social workers create, implement, and evaluate policies in all areas of social policy. Students study policy formation and analysis that reflect interests and powers of diverse groups as well as economic and social realities of certain populations at risk of poverty and discrimination. The course emphasizes policy impact on women, people in poverty, people of color, and empowerment in policy practice.
  • This course examines how social welfare policies reflect societal values and address the needs of vulnerable populations.
• PSCI 246: Introduction to Public Policy
  • This course surveys the major areas of domestic public policy in the United States: education, welfare, health, housing, the environment, and the economy with special attention to the impact of public policies on women and minorities.
  • This course is relevant, as it examines how public policies in key areas, such as health, education, and housing, affect diverse populations, especially women and minorities.