Public Policy

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Neff Hall 260 ~ 260-481-6351 ~ ipfw.edu/spea/

The Division of Public and Environmental Affairs (DPEA) is a multidisciplinary division affiliated with the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). DPEA is organized as a professional division, committed to teaching, research, and service. DPEA offers a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs (B.S.P.A.) degree program that provides a sound general baccalaureate education combined with specialized study. Additionally, DPEA offers minors in criminal justice and public affairs. DPEA’s multidisciplinary faculty and curriculum address environmental, health, public policy, and management issues from a variety of perspectives.

The academic programs in the division are listed below. Requirements for these programs appear in Part 5  of this Bulletin.

Admission

Admission to DPEA requires sophomore standing and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.30, and completion of ENG W131, the required mathematics course,the computer literacy course(s), and the specific SPEA core course for the major. However, you may enter into the division as a pre-SPEA student as early as your freshman year. You must be in good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher, core/concentration/major GPA of 2.30 or higher) to qualify for an internship and to graduate.

Special Academic Regulation for Students in Public and Environmental Affairs

Requirements for the undergraduate degree should be completed within 10 years of admission to SPEA. You may transfer no more than 90 credit hours (60 credits from a junior college) toward a Bachelor of Science degree program. A maximum of 10 credits will be awarded on the basis of military training toward any degree from DPEA. With prior approval, you may take three courses totaling no more than 10 credit hours by correspondence through the IU Division of Extended Studies, Independent Study Program. However, you cannot satisfy a core, concentration, or major requirement by correspondence.

Good Standing in DPEA requires that you maintain a minimum semester and cumulative GPA of 2.00 and a minimum core/major GPA of 2.30. Therefore, you will be placed on academic probation if your semester, cumulative, or core/concentration GPA at the end of any regular semester is lower than these minimum standards. Once on probation, you may be dismissed from DPEA and IPFW if you fail to make significant progress toward good standing or if you fail to meet the minimum IPFW standards listed in Part 8  of this Bulletin.

DPEA Internships

As a DPEA major, you may earn a maximum of 12 hours of elective credit during your junior and senior years through the DPEA internship program, if you are a student in good standing and have obtained prior approval from the Internship Coordinator. Internships are strongly encouraged because they give you the opportunity to apply classroom theory and techniques to the real world and to network with professionals in your career field. The program is designed for maximum flexibility so that many valid learning experiences can qualify as internships. Internships can be full or part time, paid or unpaid, credit or noncredit. Interested students should contact the Coordinator of Advising and Student Services at the DPEA office for further information about internships.

Special Opportunities for Students in Public and Environmental Affairs

The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs offers opportunities to study in Washington, D.C., through the Washington Leadership Program, as well as opportunities to study abroad through programs in The Netherlands and Australia. You should contact the DPEA office for current information about these programs.

The Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) is a competitive program for outstanding undergraduate DPEA students. If you have a GPA of 3.50 or higher, you may apply to the AMP program as early as your junior year. This program allows you to fulfill up to 24 credit hours toward the M.P.A. graduate program or 18 credit hours toward the M.P.M. graduate program by taking graduate-level SPEA courses during your senior year that can count toward both your undergraduate program and a future graduate degree program.

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