Navigating the Public Affairs Minor at UCLA: Requirements and Opportunities
The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs offers several undergraduate programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs and minors in Gerontology, Public Affairs, and Urban and Regional Studies. This article focuses on the Public Affairs minor, outlining its requirements, objectives, and how it can complement various academic pursuits.
Introduction to the Public Affairs Minor
In addition to offering the B.A., the Minor in Public Affairs teaches students the skills of policy analysis and exposes them to the many issues facing today’s policymakers and opinion leaders. The Public Affairs minor is designed to equip undergraduate students with policy analysis skills and a broad understanding of the issues facing policymakers and opinion leaders today, locally, nationally, and internationally. The program explores the governmental and nonprofit sectors, providing a theoretical, conceptual, and practical foundation. It requires a subset of the courses required for the major in Public Affairs.
Core Objectives and Skill Development
The Public Affairs minor aims to provide students with the ability to analyze information, use evidence for decision-making, and construct compelling arguments for collective action. These skills are valuable across various sectors, including nonprofit organizations, private ventures, government agencies, and advocacy groups. The program offers a multidisciplinary foundation in social science theories, data collection and analysis, critical thinking, and written and oral communication. Students can explore topics like social movements, microeconomics, human development, and the use of statistics in informing and persuading.
Course Requirements for the Public Affairs Minor
Below are the requirements for the Minor in Public Affairs effective Winter 2019. The minor requires a specific set of courses designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the field.
Lower Division Requirements
PUB AFF 40: Microeconomics (Note: Requests to substitute Public Affairs 40 will not be approved.)
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PUB AFF 60: Statistics (Note: Requests to substitute Public Affairs 60 will not be approved.)
Public Affairs minors who have completed both ECON 1 and ECON 41 / POL SCI 6 / STATS 10/12/13/15 are not eligible to enroll in Public Affairs 40 or Public Affairs 60. These students may petition to satisfy the Public Affairs 40/60 requirement by completing an additional upper division Public Affairs elective.
Upper Division Electives
Students must complete five upper-division Public Affairs electives. Elective courses vary from year to year; students should consult the Upper Division Offerings for current options. Examples of upper-division Public Affairs courses include:
- PUB AFF M109
- PUB AFF 110
- PUB AFF 111
- PUB AFF 112
- PUB AFF 113
- PUB AFF 114
- PUB AFF 115
- PUB AFF 116
Declaring the Public Affairs Minor
To declare the Public Affairs minor, students must:
- Submit the Request to Declare the Public Affairs Minor form.
- Students who are majoring in one of the professional Schools are required to speak with their School counselor to discuss their eligibility to declare the minor and the petition process for declaring a minor.
Prior to declaring the minor, you will have access to enroll in Luskin courses after the first week of second pass. If a Luskin undergraduate course is at capacity, you can request a PTE number by submitting the PTE request form.
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Enrollment in Luskin Courses
Most Luskin undergraduate courses (Public Affairs, Urban Planning, Social Welfare, Gerontology, Public Policy) have enrollment restrictions. Prior to declaring the minor, students can access Luskin courses after the first week of the second pass. If a course is at capacity, a PTE (Permission to Enroll) number can be requested.
Contacting the Public Affairs Minor Program
The Luskin School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Program offers academic counseling services to students pursuing the Public Affairs Minor. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am-4 pm (excluding University holidays).
Complementary Minors: Urban and Regional Studies and Gerontology
The Luskin School also offers the Minor in Urban and Regional Studies and the Minor in Gerontology.
Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
The Minor in Urban and Regional Studies addresses pressing issues faced by cities and communities, such as immigration, employment, the built environment, transportation, poverty, and natural resources. The scale, diversity, balkanized governance, and natural environment of Southern California all contribute to making it an extraordinary natural laboratory for learning about urban and regional issues.
Course Requirements (Effective Winter 2022)
The minor requires seven courses, including five upper-division Urban Planning/Public Affairs courses from the list below:
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- URBN PL M120 / PUB AFF M109
- URBN PL 121
- URBN PL 141
- URBN PL M150
- URBN PL M165
- PUB AFF 110
- PUB AFF 120
- PUB AFF 121
- PUB AFF 140
- PUB AFF M142
- PUB AFF 148
- PUB AFF 149
- PUB AFF M153 / URBN PL CM151
- PUB AFF 154
- PUB AFF M157 / URBN PL CM157
- PUB AFF 158XP
- PUB AFF M159 / URBN PL M168
- PUB AFF M160 / URBN PL M161
- PUB AFF M161 / URBN PL M167
- PUB AFF 162
Electives may be added to this list as additional undergraduate courses are offered. To petition to apply these courses to the minor, please submit the Undergraduate Student Petition and a copy of the course syllabus. Click here to access the petition. Please submit your petition via MyUCLA Message Center and allow 10-15 business days for review.
Declaring the Minor
To declare the Urban and Regional Studies Minor, students must:
- Submit the Request to Declare the Urban and Regional Studies Minor form.
- Students who are majoring in one of the professional Schools are required to speak with their School counselor to discuss their eligibility to declare the minor and the petition process for declaring a minor.
No more than two courses from outside the Luskin School may be applied towards the minor (this includes courses from Study Abroad).
Contacting the Urban and Regional Studies Minor Program
The Luskin School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Program provides academic counseling services to undergraduate students pursuing the Urban and Regional Studies Minor. Our regular business hours are Monday through Friday at 9am-4pm (except University holidays).
Minor in Gerontology
The gerontology minor covers the study of aging and offers a range of courses.
Course Requirements
The minor requires a total of 7 courses. Note: If you are or have been a freshman GE Aging Cluster 80A student and earned a grade of B or better, as well as have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better, you do not have to take M108. To petition courses not on this list, please visit our Petitions webpage here to learn more about how to petition non-Luskin courses to apply toward the minor.
Declaring the Minor
To declare the Gerontology Minor, students must:
- Submit the Request to Declare the Gerontology Minor form.
- Students who are majoring in one of the professional Schools are required to speak with their School counselor to discuss their eligibility to declare the minor and the petition process for declaring a minor.
Contacting the Gerontology Minor Program
The Luskin School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Program provides academic counseling services to undergraduate students pursuing the Gerontology Minor. Our regular business hours are Monday through Friday at 9am-4pm (except University holidays).
Public Affairs Major Information
Public Affairs Pre-Major
First and second year UCLA students who are in good academic standing (i.e. minimum 2.0 term and cumulative GPA), may declare the Public Affairs Pre-major by completing the Request to Declare the Public Affairs Pre-Major Form. Please allow 5-7 business days from the date of submission for your petition to be processed. To pursue the Public Affairs major, students who are admitted to UCLA as freshmen must apply to the major no later than winter quarter of their second year. The annual application process opens Monday of week 9 of winter quarter and closes Friday of week 1 of spring quarter. Students are notified of their application outcome by week 10 of spring quarter of their application year. Be in good academic standing (i.e. If students miss the 2nd year application deadline, they may consult with a Public Affairs counselor to find out if a late application may be possible. Late applications may be considered during Fall of their 3rd year if space permits. Students who are permitted to apply late must still meet the criteria above by the end of the summer quarter before their 3rd year. Students should have a backup major in mind in the event they are not accepted into the Public Affairs major.
Public Affairs Major Application
The Public Affairs Major Application opens Monday of week 9 of winter quarter, and closes Friday of week 1 of spring quarter. Students who plan to graduate early must request approval from the Luskin School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Program. To be eligible to graduate early, the student’s degree plan for early graduation must account for all degree requirements and accommodate the Public Affairs three-quarter capstone preparation process and the three-quarter capstone requirement. Be advised that graduating early is possible as long as you plan early. In the event the student cannot complete the required courses by the end of winter quarter of the 1st year, the student may be eligible to apply winter quarter of their second year and still graduate within three years. These students MUST contact the Capstone Advisor & Coordinator via MyUCLA Message Center no later than Friday of week two of winter quarter of the 2nd year to discuss their capstone internship placement and experiential learning requirements. If the student fails to notify the Capstone Advisor & Coordinator of their plan to graduate early by the stated deadline, the student will not be eligible to graduate early as part of the Public Affairs major. Students completing a 3-year plan should carefully review the experiential learning requirements and the sample 3-year study plan. The capstone workshops MUST be completed before the student can start the internship series. The annual Public Affairs Major application process opens Monday of week 9 of winter quarter and closes Friday of week 1 of spring quarter. Students who meet the eligibility criteria listed below are eligible to apply. Must be able to complete all degree requirements for the B.A. Must be in good standing at UCLA at the time of application.
Application Process
To apply to the Public Affairs major, students must submit their completed application materials via the online Public Affairs Major Application. Admission to the Public Affairs major is not guaranteed. Applications will be reviewed holistically based on academic performance and submitted application materials. Please make sure to complete all application components. Incomplete applications, including applications that are improperly assembled or labeled at the time the application closes, will not be considered.
Public Affairs Major Information Sessions
The Public Affairs Undergraduate Program invites you to attend a Public Affairs Major Information Session to learn more about the Public Affairs major. Students who are interested in pursuing the Public Affairs major are invited to attend a Public Affairs Major Information Session. By attending the session, students will learn about the Public Affairs major scope and requirements, application eligibility criteria, and recommended program plan to remain on-track to apply to the major.
Luskin Undergraduate Courses
The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs offers lower and upper division undergraduate courses in Public Affairs, Urban Planning, Gerontology, and Social Welfare. Lower division courses are numbered 1-99, and upper division courses are numbered 100-199.
Enrollment Procedures
Read the information on this page to learn about the enrollment procedures for Luskin undergraduate courses, as well as to view sample program plans and study list deadlines applicable to students pursuing the B.A.
Course Offerings
You can view the Public Affairs course offerings for this academic year below. Courses in orange are pre-approved elective options for the Public Affairs Major. Courses in green are part of the Theory requirement for the Public Affairs Major.
Enrollment Appointments
You can view your enrollment appointments on MyUCLA > Classes > Enrollment Appointments. Enrollment appointments are assigned by the Registrar’s Office, not the Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Enrollment Restrictions
Please note that the following 1st and 2nd pass enrollment restrictions may apply to Luskin undergraduate courses (public affairs, urban planning, gerontology, social welfare, and public policy) . Second Pass (after the first week): Any student may enroll in Luskin undergraduate courses, space permitting.
Wait Lists
Most Luskin undergraduate courses (public affairs, urban planning, gerontology, social welfare, and public policy) offer a wait list option. If a course is at capacity and has a wait list option, you can add yourself to the wait list via MyUCLA Class Planner. Wait lists are maintained through Friday of Week 2 of the quarter. After Friday of Week 2, the University will automatically drop students who are on the wait list. Enrolling late in a course may impact your progress in the course.
PTE Numbers
PTE numbers are available for most lower and upper-division Luskin undergraduate courses (public affairs, urban planning, gerontology, social welfare, and public policy). You can submit a PTE number request to the Luskin School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Program by completing the PTE Number Request Form after your second pass begins and no later than Friday of week 2. The Public Affairs Undergraduate Program will begin reviewing PTE requests on the first day of the quarter. Because of this processing timeline, we strongly encourage you to closely monitor enrollment capacities and enroll in the course if a seat becomes available. Beginning the first day of the quarter, please allow 3-4 business days to process your PTE number request. After we receive your PTE request, if approved, a Public Affairs academic counselor will issue your PTE number via MyUCLA Message Center. The Public Affairs Undergraduate Program will begin reviewing PTE requests for Spring courses during week 1. Beginning the first day of the quarter, please allow 3-4 business days to process your PTE number request. Because of this processing timeline, we strongly encourage you to closely monitor enrollment capacities and enroll in the course if a seat becomes available.
Discussion Sections
Students can change discussion sections via MyUCLA without a fee or petition through Friday of week 2 of the quarter. Section changes during week 3 and no later than Friday of week 3, are possible with department approval. All discussion section changes must be completed by Friday of week 3. Students can change discussion sections for open courses on their own via MyUCLA through Friday of week 2. If the student’s preferred discussion section is full and the wait list is open, dropping their current section and adding themselves to the wait list will not automatically enroll the student in the course. Discussion section changes during week 3 require department approval. If a course is full, students cannot change discussion sections as this will over-enroll their preferred/intended section. Students can submit a PTE request for their preferred discussion section but approval is not guaranteed. If the student’s preferred discussion section is full and the wait list is open, dropping their current section and adding themselves to the wait list will not automatically enroll the student in the course. Discussion section changes during week 3 require department approval. Please note that swapping sections with another student is possible only if both students are fully enrolled in the course (i.e.
Contract Courses
Contract courses are any courses numbered 95, 99, 188, or 195-199. The Luskin School of Public Affairs offers undergraduate contract courses in Public Affairs, Urban Planning, Gerontology, Social Welfare, and Public Policy. Students who wish to enroll in a contract course must have a faculty sponsor. We recommend that you begin contacting potential faculty mentors the quarter prior to your intended enrollment in a contract course. The deadline to enroll in a contract course without a fee is Friday of Week 2. You may enroll in a contract course during Week 3 with department approval. After Friday of Week 3 you are required to submit a Late or Retroactive Add Petition to enroll in any course, and approval is not guaranteed. To enroll in a contract course, students must create the course via MyUCLA and the department hosting the course must processes the final enrollment step.
Steps to Enroll in a Contract Course
- Identify your faculty mentor/sponsor.
- Meet with your faculty mentor to outline their expectations for the contract course, the assignments you are expected to complete, and the frequency of your meetings. You will need this information in order to create the contract course.
- Create the contract on MyUCLA > Classes > Contract Courses. Follow the prompts to select the correct term/year, department, course number, instructor, unit value, grading basis, and course proposal.
- A Luskin undergraduate academic counselor will review your course contract and enroll you in the course. If enrolling in the contract course will cause you to exceed the 19 units for the term (or, 18 units for the summer), you must petition and be approved to receive excess study list units before your contract can be processed by the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program.
Public Affairs Capstone Series (PUB AFF 187AX/BX/CX)
Enroll in the Public Affairs Capstone Series (PUB AFF 187AX/BX/CX) The Public Affairs three-course experiential learning capstone series (PUB AFF 187AX, 187BX, and 187CX) occurs during Fall, Winter, and Spring of a Public Affairs student’s final year at UCLA. Students who are eligible to enroll in the Public Affairs major three-course capstone series (PUB AFF 187AX, 187BX, and 187CX) will receive enrollment instructions from the Public Affairs Capstone Advisor & Coordinator.
Auditing and Bruin Learn Guest Access
Auditing and Bruin Learn Guest Access for Public Affairs CoursesMost Public Affairs instructors do not allow students to audit courses. Some instructors may grant Bruin Learn guest access to students who are not enrolled in the courses or who are not on the wait list but who are attempting to enroll in the course. If you are granted Bruin Learn guest access your guest access will expire on Friday of Week 2 of the quarter.
Unit Limits and Petitions
Students can enroll in up to 19 units per quarter (fall, winter, spring). Submit the Excess Study List Units Petition to the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program beginning the first day of the quarter and no later than Friday of Week 2 of the quarter. A student in academic difficulty is not permitted to enroll in more than 19 units unless the academic difficulty is from lack of progress. Permission to enroll in excess units does not change the first or second pass policy. Students can enroll in up to 18 total units in the summer. Submit the Summer Excess Study List Units Petition to the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program after your official winter quarter grades are posted on MyUCLA and no later than Friday of Week 1 of the summer session in which you are enrolling. A student in academic difficulty is not permitted to enroll in more than 19 units unless the academic difficulty is from lack of progress.
Exceeding the 216 Unit Maximum
Public Affairs majors who wish to take additional units beyond the 216-unit maximum must submit an Exceed Limit Unit Max Petition to the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program.
Late Add/Drop and Grading Basis Changes
- Weeks 4-10: Petition to late add a course by submitting the Late or Retro Add Petition. There is no guarantee of approval. If approved, a $20 fee applies.
- After Week 10: Petition to retroactively add a course by submitting the Late or Retro Add Petition. There is no guarantee of approval.
- Weeks 5-10: Petition to drop the course by submitting the Late or Retro Drop Petition. A $20 fee applies and there is a transcript notation. You are restricted to three (3) Late Drop Petitions during their academic career.
- After Week 10: Petition to drop the course by submitting the Late or Retro Drop Petition. There is no guarantee of approval. If approved, a $35 fee applies and there is a transcript notation.
- Weeks 3-10: Petition to drop the course by submitting the Late or Retro Drop Petition. There is no guarantee of approval. If approved, a $20 fee applies and there is a transcript notation. The petition will not be considered if you attempted the final for the course.
- After Week 10: Petition to drop the course by submitting the Late or Retro Drop Petition. There is no guarantee of approval. If approved, a $35 fee applies and there is a transcript notation.
- Weeks 1-2: Change the grading basis for student option courses via MyUCLA.
- Weeks 3-6: Change the grading basis for student option courses via MyUCLA.
- Weeks 7-10: Petition to change the grading basis for student option courses with a Change in Credit Detail Petition.
- After Week 10: Petition to change the grading basis for student option courses with a Change of Credit Detail Petition.
Benefits of Pursuing a Minor
If you have a lot of interests, want to enhance your major or want to focus on a second area of study, a minor might be the way to go. By declaring a minor, you can study things that interest you on a more personal level, broaden your skills and become more diverse. Minors can also give you a leg up on the competition when it comes time to look for a job. UCLA offers more than 100 minors, many of which you can pair in unexpected ways with majors. For instance, the food studies minor can be a nice complement to majors in chemistry, biology, communication and many more things.
The Value of a Public Affairs Education
The world needs agents of social change whose passion to improve people’s lives is matched by the knowledge and skills to deliver results. The B.A. in Public Affairs offers an in-depth and engaged educational experience with a clear public service ethos.
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