Neuroscience and Public Policy
A combined degree that includes a PhD. in Neuroscience offered through the Neuroscience Training Program and a La Follette School Master of Public Affairs (MPA) or Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA) degree.
Advances in neuroscience have important policy implications for child welfare and education, community development, mental health and health care, bioethics and aging, environmental risks and national security.
Applying
One application to the graduate school can be used to apply to both the La Follette School and the Neuroscience Training Program. At the time of original application to the Graduate School, applicants can apply to three programs.
Materials submitted through the UW–Madison Graduate School online application will be visible to both programs.
To pursue a combined degree, applicants must meet the admissions requirements of both programs and receive a letter of acceptance from each program separately. Acceptance by one program, even if the applicant declares intent to pursue the combined program, does not imply acceptance by the other program.
Requirements
Enrolled students must meet the degree requirements and progression expectations of both programs and are encouraged to seek academic advising from each program every semester.
They will receive 19-21 credits from 6 core courses worth 3 credits each, in addition to an administrative internship which can be taken for 1-3 credits.
The remaining credit requirements for the La Follette degree are met with elective courses and 12 credits that count toward the Ph.D. degree can also count toward the MPA/MIPA degree.
- Introduction to Statistical Methods for Public Policy Analysis develops competence with analytical tools for studying public affairs.
- Microeconomic Policy Analysis explores how to evaluate the implications of policies for efficiency and equity, and to employ statistical methods for interpreting and presenting quantitative data.
- Policymaking Process examines the political processes that shape U.S. public policy.
- Introduction to Policy Analysis focuses on defining policy problems, determining goals, designing policy alternatives, and assessing trade-offs to make recommendations.
- Introduction to Public Management introduces key theories of how public organizations work, the relationship between democracy and management, and critical public management issues such as accountability and policy implementation.
- Workshop in Public Affairs, the capstone course taken in the final semester, gives students experience working in teams with a faculty supervisor on a real-world policy project. They apply conceptual and analytical tools to issues their clients face in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
- Administrative Internship provides opportunities to gain experience using the skills from required core courses
- Introduction to Statistical Methods for Public Policy Analysis develops competence with analytical tools for studying public affairs.
- Microeconomic Policy Analysis explores how to evaluate the implications of policies for efficiency and equity, and to employ statistical methods for interpreting and presenting quantitative data.
- International Governance provides students with the substantive framework for studying public affairs in the context of globalization.
- *Macroeconomic Policy and International Financial Regulation surveys international macroeconomics, with special reference to international monetary policy and international financial market architecture.
- *Trade, Competition, and Governance in a Global Economy provides students with an understanding of international trade theory, rules, politics, and institutions, and the major policy issues facing the global trading system.
- Introduction to Policy Analysis focuses on defining policy problems, determining goals, designing policy alternatives, and assessing trade-offs to make recommendations.
- Workshop in International Public Affairs, the capstone course taken in the final semester, gives students experience working in teams with a faculty supervisor on a real-world policy project. They apply conceptual and analytical tools to issues their clients face in public, private, and nonprofit sectors around the world.
- Administrative Internship provides opportunities to gain experience using the skills from required core courses
* Students choose one of these
- 12 credits from Cell and Molecular Neuroscience (NTP 610), Systems Neuroscience (NTP 611), and up to four credits from Neuroscience & Public Policy Seminar (NTP 660).
- 9 credits from Science & Technology Policy Elective (3 credits), Bioethics/Law and Science Elective (3 credits), and Quantitative Methods: Advanced Statistics (PA 819) or Introduction to Biomedical Informatics (BMI/Comp Sci 576) (3 credits)
Degree plans
A recommended schedule of courses to complete both programs.
Student experience
Brian Barnett, MPA, Ph.D. in Neuroscience
“I want to lead programs that bridge technology innovation from many different fields and utilize them to maximize the success of our neuroscience and health research endeavors.”
Marisa Ross, MPA, Ph.D. in Neuroscience
“I was aware of the La Follette School’s glowing reputation and the high quality of public administration research conducted here, so I was particularly interested in learning from some true experts.”
Kao Lee Yang, MPA, PhD in Neuroscience
“The wonderful partnership between the La Follette School and the Neuroscience Training Program allows students in the combined program to simultaneously develop skills in science and policy.”
Careers
Courses prepare students to work in the growing array of domestic or international policy jobs involved in the management of science and its integration into policy analysis and design.
Videos
About the program
Seminars
The Neuroscience and Public Policy Seminar archive provides information about past topics and speakers of this required course.