Overview

The Political Economy Program from Williams College is the study of political and economic forces as they combine to produce public policy. These outputs of the political system are shaped by social forces, nongovernmental organizations, state institutions, markets, knowledge structures, political ideologies, normative goals, and moral values.

Learning Objectives

Master basic principles of economics and political science and be able to integrate them in the analysis of questions about public policy and societal institutions.
Understand the intellectual roots of economic liberalism and critiques thereof.
Understand the ethical and philosophical dimensions of questions about public policy and how they interact with economic and political considerations.
Be able to understand, interpret, and critically evaluate empirical evidence on economic, political, and public policy questions, including qualitative, quantitative, and formal statistical and econometric evidence.
Gain some exposure to and expertise in some U.S. domestic public policy and political issues, the comparative study of policies, politics, and institutions across countries, and questions of international political economy and globalization.
Gain an understanding of the history and institutions of American politics, how these and other factors (such as interest groups, coalitions, and framing of issues) influence which policies get adopted through the political system, and be able to formulate a persuasive argument about what an effective political strategy would be based on that knowledge.
Gain a real-world perspective on the making of or effects of public policy through an experiential learning exercise, such as a course with a significant community service or field work component, or a policy-related internship.
Be able to convincingly define a public policy problem, investigate a range of possible alternative solutions to that problem, and construct a persuasive argument about the best approach to addressing that problem, drawing on all of the elements noted above, and the best and most relevant scholarly literature on the topic. Develop the skills to do this effectively working together in a team of other students, to produce a well-written report on it, and to successfully communicate this work to an audience of students and faculty in an oral presentation.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Empirical Methods in Political Economy

Econometrics

Economic Liberalism and Its Critics

Contemporary Problems in Political Economy

Political Economy of Public Policy Issues

Economic Perspectives on Racial Inequality

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-10 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-05 00:00:00

Language

English

Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

North Adams, United States

Disciplines

Economics Political Science View 1422 other Bachelors in Political Science in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Other requirements

General requirements

Common Application, Coalition Application, or QuestBridge Application

School Report

Counselor Recommendation

Two Teacher Recommendations

Mid-Year Report (Due February 5 or for schools on a trimester, when 2nd trimester grades are available)

$65 Application Fee or Fee Waiver

Early Decision Agreement Form (Early Decision applicants only)

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

72170 USD / year

≈ 72170 USD / year
Out-of-State

72170 USD / year

≈ 72170 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

72170 USD / year

≈ 72170 USD / year

Living costs

North Adams

United States

876 - 1815 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Political Economy.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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