Nobody seems to know what the Policy Studies Major is in the academic or the real world. Don’t think this confusion is a liability. Actually, it is an asset!
Asset #1: “What the h… is a Policy Studies Major” is a great conversation starter. Students tell that their job interviewers frequently ask the question as do their parents, uncles, aunts (hopefully rich) and strangers. MAJORS WILL STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD!
Asset #2: You are in luck if your job interviewers ask this question. On this topic, you will be the expert.
Asset #3: Answering the question gives you a chance to demonstrate that you have the following ten skills to future employers and graduate schools:
Skills for Any Professional Career
Establishing a Work Ethic
Kick Yourself in the Butt • Be Honest • Manage Your Time • Manage Your Money
Stay Well • Look Good • Type 35 WPM Error Free • Take Legible Notes
Converse One-on-One • Present to Groups • Use Visual Displays
Write Well • Edit and Proof • Use Word-Processing Tools • Send Information Electronically
Build Good Relationships • Work in Teams • Teach Others
Manage Efficiently • Sell Successfully • Politick Wisely • Lead Effectively
Use Library Holdings • Use Commercial Databases • Search the Web • Conduct Interviews • Use Surveys • Keep and Use Records
Use Numbers • Use Graphs and Tables • Use Spreadsheet Programs
Detect BS • Pay Attention to Detail • Apply Knowledge • Evaluate Actions and Policies
Identify Problems • Develop Solutions • Launch Solutions
Based on Bill Coplin’s 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College (Ten Speed Press, 2003) Dr. Coplin is Director of the Public Affairs Program of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Science of Syracuse University. Contact him at wdcoplin@syr.edu. Additional material can be obtained from the book link on www.tenspeed.com. Supporting teaching material for high school and college can be downloaded free of charge from www.genuinedogooder.com.
To take advantage of these assets, however, you need to learn what to say. There is no one correct answer you can memorize and spit back, which a Policy Studies Major would never do anyway. It depends on to whom you are talking and how much time you have. The quickest answer is to provide the tag line for the Public Affairs Program or say “it is like Political Science (which everyone seems to know) but more applied and interdisciplinary”.
So don’t be intimidated by the question of “What the H is Policy Studies,” and have a strong grasp of the skills you will need to do well and do good.