“Mom, I don’t think I want to do veterinary science anymore,” said incoming public affairs freshman Annabella Ruiz after a Texas Girls State trip altered the “chemistry of (her) brain.”
A year later, Ruiz joined the inaugural undergraduate class at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. In two weeks, the 55-year-old graduate school will open its doors to undergraduates for the first time.
The new undergraduate program will emphasize public policy analysis, data analytics, communication, and organizational leadership and management, according to an LBJ School news release. Students will also choose a “policy domain” to specialize in, such as healthcare, education or foreign affairs.
The major welcomed its first cohort at Longhorn Orientation in July, where upperclassman advisers introduced them to campus life and helped them plan their first semester. Incoming public affairs freshman Emma Woods said the experience presented challenges unique to their class.
“There are no students that we can talk to that have necessarily done it, like a lot of different majors have had either sophomores, juniors or seniors as mentors,” Woods said. “That has brought a lot of the students in the LBJ public affairs major together because we’re figuring it out on our own.”
Ruiz and Woods both plan to explore careers in foreign affairs, including the Foreign Service internship. Others are pursuing different policy areas. Christiana Adesanya, an incoming public affairs freshman, said her parents’ careers in healthcare inspired her to focus on healthcare policy.
The LBJ School marketed the program’s specialization feature as a launchpad for careers in public service. JR DeShazo, dean of the LBJ School, framed the degree in terms of employability.
“The Bachelor of Public Affairs program equips students with in-demand skills essential for today’s job market,” DeShazo said in a news release. “With a strong emphasis on data analytics, policy analysis and organizational leadership and management, our graduates will be prepared for high-impact careers in public service and beyond.”
However, the market these students are preparing for is fluctuating. According to the U.S. Department of Labor data released Aug. 1, government employment fell by 12,000 jobs in July and is down 84,000 since January, after cuts from President Donald Trump’s administration aimed at increasing efficiency.
These cuts have meant the loss of federally funded internships at UT, including positions at the National Institutes of Health and the state department. Jocelyn Bridges, an international relations and global studies junior whose Foreign Service internship was cut in March, said the effects have reached beyond government offices.
“If you want a job in the private sector, that’s becoming more competitive, especially if you’re a student,” Bridges said. “Now, if you’re perfectly qualified for an internship as an undergraduate, you’re now competing with people who just got cut from their federal jobs.”
The LBJ School’s first undergraduate class said uncertainty has not dampened their enthusiasm. Some pointed to the school’s career counseling and networking opportunities as advantages in a tight market, while others said the public policy landscape could shift.
“I think by the time we graduate, we’ll be under possibly a new administration, and all those jobs may come back,” Adesanya said. “I think it may be too soon to tell.”
