Civic Leadership

About the civic leadership major

Civic leadership is one of IUPUI’s designated pre-law majors. Your coursework will include political science, law, public policy, leadership, ethics, and nonprofit organization. You can help run a city or state, turn community or political activism into a career, and make a difference in the place where you live. This major gives you the option to tailor electives to your specific interests, including politics, international affairs, or nonprofit management.

Skills and abilities this major develops: management, negotiation, strategic planning, and team building.

Engaged learning experiences

Regardless of your major or future career, engaged learning is vital to your present and future. It makes you more marketable for jobs and professional schools upon graduation, it enables you to build deeper connections with faculty and staff in your field of study, and it makes your learning personal by connecting your interests and values with the curriculum from your classes. Check out the three ideas below for places to get started, or learn more at IUPUI’s Institute for Engaged Learning website.

Student organizations

O’Neill’s student organizations engage the community at all levels and give students the resources and tools they need to succeed during and after college.

Career services

O’Neill’s career services office is designed to help you build your job-search skills and find full-time employment or an internship. They can also help you connect with alumni!

Study abroad

Enrich your academic experience by studying important public policy and criminal justice issues at a global level.

Opportunities after graduation

Employment of urban and regional planners is projected to grow 4% from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 3,800 openings for urban and regional planners are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as retirement (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022).

According to the IUPUI First Destination Survey in 2021, the average starting salary reported for the O'Neill School of Public and Environment Affairs graduates with a bachelor's degree was $45,726, and the median was $45,500.

The national median annual salary for urban and regional planners was $78,500 in 2021 (Occupational Outlook Handbook).

(This section is intended for informational purposes, not prediction of actual salary.)

Civic leadership majors often pursue advanced degrees in the following areas:

Business administration
Health administration
Law
Public administration

Quick facts

Sample coursework

Introduction to public affairs
Law and public policy
Political action and civic engagement
Public management
Urban structure and policy

Possible careers

Attorney*
City manager
Fundraiser
Legislative researcher or analyst
Nonprofit program manager
Urban or regional planner

*This career requires additional training or education.

Where could I work?

City agencies
Environmental agencies
Federal government
Nonprofits
State government

Complementing interests

EEnterprising

SSocial

IInvestigative

Get your interest code

Where to get more information

O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

American Planning Association

O'Neill Career Services

Enterprise, Policy, and Planning Cluster

This major is part of the Enterprise, Policy, and Planning (EPP) cluster. The EPP cluster is the academic home of University College students pursuing or interested in business; economics; labor studies; organizational leadership; public and environmental affairs; sport management; and tourism, conventions, and event management.

Learn about the EPP cluster

Learn about other clusters

Meet with an advisor or career consultant

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