USP: Social Policy Focus Area

The Social Policy focus area is designed to provide students with the analytical tools, management skills and knowledge needed to design, implement and evaluate the outcomes of social policies that aim to increase access to economic opportunity in marginalized populations and manage economic and social risks, such as unemployment, poverty, social exclusion, crime, recidivism, homelessness, sickness, disability, and old age. 

Traditional social service management has expanded to include public-private partnerships, extensive government contracting, and a wide range of civil society initiatives at local, state, national, and supranational levels of governance.  Students interested in this field will study the historical, political, economic, and socio-cultural trends of social policy and the contemporary challenges that stem from the financial crisis and rising inequality; immigration and immigrant integration; growing racial and ethnic tensions; changing gender relations; rising healthcare and education costs; and criminal recidivism.