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Robert M. La Follette
School of Public Affairs
1225 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Telephone:  608.262.3581
Fax: 608.265.3233


Last updated:
October 19, 2007

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© 2006 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Domestic Focus Field: Social and Poverty Policy

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, social and poverty policy issues have been prominent fields of research and instruction for decades, especially since the founding of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the university in 1966. Part of the War on Poverty, IRP was funded by the federal government for the purpose of supporting basic research on the nature and causes of poverty and on strategies and policies to reduce poverty. Since then, IRP has received a federal core grant to support these activities. This has contributed to the hiring of numerous faculty members in a variety of social sciences disciplines who place social and poverty policy issues at the core of their interests.

The La Follette School has built upon this strong social sciences and poverty research base, offering numerous opportunities for students to take courses in this area and to engage in research with faculty members studying social and poverty policy.

La Follette students with an interest in careers in Social and Poverty Policy can choose their electives from many courses in this area. These courses are offered in several departments of the university, including Economics, Social Work, Consumer Science, and Political Science. A thoughtful selection of these courses will provide students with broad knowledge in this area, as well as more focused training in one of the important areas of social and poverty policy, such as social experimentation, program evaluation, gerontology, or the politics of poverty and social policy. Students interested in public policy and aging often complete the Gerontology Certificate offered through the Institute on Aging. Students also may complete two master's degrees simultaneously in Social Work and Public Policy.

Field coordinators: Maria Cancian, Robert Haveman and Carolyn Heinrich

La Follette School Faculty in this Field

Electives from Other Departments

Students may take courses from other departments depending on their interests. Students should consult their advisors if they are unsure whether a course is appropriate for their focus field. These elective courses include:

SW 944 Social Welfare Policy

SW 920 Child, Youth, Family Policy and Services

LAW 931 Poverty Law and Social Welfare Law

LAW 940 Children, Law and Society

POLI SCI 317 Politics of Human Rights

POLI SCI 445 Politics of Poverty and Social Welfare

Core Courses

PA 818 Quantitative Tools for Public Policy Analysis
PA 869 Workshop in Public Affairs, Domestic Issues
PA 873 Introduction to Policy Analysis
PA 874 The Policymaking Process
PA 878 Public Management
PA 880 Microeconomic Policy Analysis
PA 799 Professional Development Workshop

Recommended Public Affairs Electives

PA 819 Quantitative Methods for Public Policy
PA 871 Public Program Evaluation
PA 881 Cost-Benefit Analysis
PA 827 Internship

Public Affairs Electives for this Focus Field

PA 548 Economics of Health Care
PA 882 Social Welfare Policy and Management
PA 883 Politics of Poverty, Inequality and Social Policy
PA 882 Social Welfare Policy and Management
PA 885 Advanced Public Management
PA 887 Non-Profit Leadership
PA 891 State and Local Government Finance
PA 892 Public Budgeting

La Follette School Courses

Employment and Internships in Social and Poverty Policy

Students graduating with a focus in social and poverty policy go on to work as policy research analysts in independent research organizations and think tanks such as:

La Follette School alumni hold research and managerial positions in government agencies such as:

Alumni also take on leadership roles and other positions in non-profit organizations such as:

Student internships include experiences such as these: