Masters
in Public Policy (MPP) Course Descriptions
Graduate Courses: This is not
a comprehensive list of all possible courses. It includes only those
courses specifically noted in the Program Definition. For additional
courses please see the course offerings in Political Economy, Political
Science, Economics, Political Economy and Public Affairs.
PSCI 5306 The
American Legal System and the Practice of Law (3 semester hours) The American legal system will be
examined through seminar presentations by speakers experienced in judging and
in legal practice. (3-0) Y
PSCI 5307 Legal Reasoning and Writing (3 semester hours) The process of reaching legal decisions
by relying on precedent, history, policy concerns, and tradition will be
studied. Additionally, techniques for researching and citing case law and
statures will be examined. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6300 Proseminar in Democratization,
Globalization, and International Relations (3 semester hours) Studies major
theories of democracy, democratization and globalization, relationships between
democratization and globalization, and their implications for citizen politics,
government performance, and regime legitimacy. (3-0) Y
CRIM 6300 Proseminar in Criminology. (3 semester hours) Introduction
to graduate study in criminology through exposure to issues surrounding
concepts of crime, criminals and societal response. Students learn to examine
critically the theoretical, methodological and policy issues in criminology and
criminal justice. (3-0)
Y
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law (3 semester hours) This
class addresses the evolution of the American Constitution. The course
will examine major constitutional concepts that are important to an
understanding of American Government. Additionally, major interpretations
of the Constitution and the role of courts in the American legal system will be
explored. (3-0) Y
POEC 6301
Political-Economic Theories (3 semester hours) A critical analysis of theories of
politics and economy. Focuses on such
thinkers as Smith, Marx, and Keynes, and on bodies of theory about political
and economic systems. Explores the controversies that
have shaped the development of political economy and their implications for
interdisciplinary policy analysis. (3-0) Y
CRIM
6305 Law and Social Control. (3
semester hours) Addresses the legal and theoretical basis of social
control and the use of criminal sanctions to deter and punish criminal conduct.
Students will learn to critically assess alternative punishment and sentencing
models. (3-0)
Y
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies (3 semester hours)
Students will undertake a major research topic on a law-related matter which
will develop skills in legal research and writing, quantitative research, or
field research. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law (3 semester hours) This course explores international
agreements and their effects on individual rights in a variety of contexts such
as international conflicts, civil wars, and oppressive political regimes. (3-0)
R
PSCI 6307 Proseminar in Decision Making and Public
Management (3 semester
hours) Examines current scholarship on decisions made by public managers and
associated efforts to calculate and examine the relative risks involved with
the outcomes of management decisions. Considers
management decisions that are internal to organizations, such as human resource
decisions, and external decisions such as environmental management. Examines the mathematics and science
of risk management.(3-0)
Y
CRIM 6309 Communities and Crime (3 semester hours) Examines the trends
and sources of crime and social disorder across communities. The course
emphasizes relationships among crime, fear of crime, neighborhood change,
neighborhood responses to crime, and public policies. (3-0) R
CRIM
6310 Delinquency and Juvenile Justice (3 semester hours) Examines youth
crime, child victimization, and juvenile justice. Students learn the processes by
which specific behaviors are identified as delinquent, the historical evolution
of juvenile justice, and current policies and practices. (3-0)
R
CRIM
6311 Crime and Justice Policy. (3 semester hours) An
introduction to crime and the efforts to control crime through public policy. (3-0) Y
POEC 6312 (SOC
6312) Social-Economic Theories (3 semester hours) A critical analysis of theories of
society and economy. These include class, culture,
solidarity, rational choice, transaction cost theory, principal agent theory,
ideology and hegemony, network theory, collective action, bureaucracy, and
American exceptionalism. (3-0) Y
POEC
6323 (PA 6313 and PSCI 6313) Public Policymaking and
Institutions (3 semester hours) Surveys the major institutions associated
with policymaking, including Congress, the Presidency, the bureaucracy, and
interest groups. These institutions are studied by linking them to the
decision-making theories of organizations, social choice and incrementalism. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6314 Policy Processes, Implementation and Evaluation (3 semester
hours) Applies models of the policy system to the analysis of legislative,
administrative and judicial processes at different points in the policy cycle. Uses
case studies, empirical analysis, direct observation, and group projects. Prerequisite: PSCI 5303 or consent
of instructor. (3-0) Y
CRIM 6314 Policing (3 semester hours) Provides
historical, social and political analysis of the roles and functions of
policing in
CRIM 6315 Violent Crime (3 semester hours) Examines the sources and patterns of violent
offending across time and space. Topics include conceptions and typologies of
violent crimes and offenders, victim-offender relationships, and efforts to
predict and control violent offending. (3-0) R
EPPS
6310 Research Design I (3 semester hours) This course is
the first in a two-course sequence devoted to the research enterprise and the
study of data development strategies and techniques to facilitate effective
statistical analysis. Topics generally covered include: (1) issues and
techniques in social science research with emphasis on philosophy of science,
theory testing, and hypothesis formulation; (2) measurement and data collection
strategies, reliability and validity of measures and results, sampling,
surveys; and (3) examination of qualitative versus quantitative research
techniques, working with observational data, field research issues, and
triangulation. (3-0) Y
EPPS 6313 Introduction to
Quantitative Methods (3 semester hours) This introductory
graduate-level statistics course is geared to the consumption of statistical
methods commonly used in social science research. Topics include creating and interpreting
graphical and tabular summaries of data, descriptive statistics, basic
probability theory, sampling distributions, basic hypothesis testing (t-tests,
chi-square tests, and analysis of variance), estimation
of population parameters, confidence intervals and correlation. An introduction
to regression analysis will also be provided. Topics are supported by
computer-supported data analyses. (3 semester hours) (3-0) Y
EPPS 6316 Applied Regression (3 semester
hours) This course provides a survey of the bivariate
and multiple regression models estimated using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS),
with an emphasis on using regression models to test social and economic
hypotheses. This application-focused course presents examples drawn from
economics, political science, public policy and sociology, introduces the basic
concepts and interpretation of regression models, and basic methods of
inference. Topics are supported by computer-supported data analyses.
Prerequisite: EPPS 6313. (3-0) Y
CRIM 6322 Crime Prevention (3 semester hours) Examines
situational, social, and legislative approaches to the prevention of crime and
delinquency. Emphasis on theories, protective factors, implementation and
consequences of these approaches.
(3-0) R
PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics (3 semester hours)
Examines public policy institutions and processes at the local and state levels
in the
PSCI 6325 Decision Theory (3 semester hours) Explores the development of decision-making
models and theories across organizational and institutional environments. Includes
details analysis of decision making under conditions of certainty, risk and
uncertainty.
(3-0) T
PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy (3 semester hours) An investigation of the role played by executives and
legislatures in shaping public policy in the
PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations (3 semester hours) An
institutional perspective on political parties, interest groups, and other
organizations such as labor unions and non-profit organizations that are
important actors in political and civic affairs. The emphasis is on
internal operations of organizations, their strategic behavior, and
interactions with government, including both regulation by the state and
attempts to influence public decision makers. (3-0) T
PSCI 6336 (PA 6336) Bureaucracy and Public Policy (3 semester hours)
Examination of processes involved in arriving at administrative decisions
within the structure of the regime. Reciprocal ties
of influence and control between official organizations and other public and
private organizational actors, as well as organizational dynamics such as
communication, power, and decision making in administrative agencies. (3-0) T
EPPS
6342 Research Design II (3 semester hours) This course is
the second in a two-course sequence devoted to the study of data development
strategies and techniques to facilitate effective statistical analysis. Topics
generally covered include: the logic of causal inquiry and inference in the
Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, the elaboration paradigm and model
specification, anticipating and handling threats to internal validity,
hierarchies of design structure (experimental, quasi-experimental and
non-experimental): linking design structure to effect estimation strategies and
analyzing design elements in published literature. Students will be required to
select a research topic in consultation with the instructor and prepare a
written comparative design analysis. EPPS 6310, EPPS 6316 or equivalents
recommended. (3-0) Y
EPPS
6346 Qualitative Research Methods (3 semester hours) this course
provides an overview of qualitative research in the Economic, Political and
Policy Sciences. Students will investigate the assumptions underlying
qualitative research approaches and critically assess the strengths and
weaknesses of such approaches. Possible topics may include participant
observation, ethnographic interviewing, ethnomethodology,
conversation analysis, case study, and the analysis of historical documents.
(3-0) T
CRIM 6348 Drugs and Crime (3 semester hours) This course provides
students with a survey of the historical context of the legislative initiatives
that have been attempted to combat the use of drugs, the relationship between
drug use/abuse and crime, and the public policy problems surrounding the
control of drugs. (3-0)
R
PA
6351 Introduction to Homeland Security (3 semester hours) This course provides a comprehensive overview of the
structure of Homeland Security, its origins and developing trends and
challenges. Selected material from Congress, FEMA, Department of Justice,
local, state, and other government and non-government agencies will be studied.
Examines both historical and contemporary Homeland Defense
and Security issues. (3-0) Y
EPPS 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Economic, Political and Policy
Sciences (3 semester hours) A review of research methods used in program
evaluation, with an emphasis on public and non-profit social programs. Issues
to be addressed include research design, appropriate performance standards,
measurement and selection of indicators, sampling, data collection, and data
analysis. (3-0) T
POEC 6361 (PSCI 6361) Political Violence and Terrorism (3 semester
hours) In
this discussion-based seminar, we will cover the topics of terrorism, political
violence, and civil war. We will examine concepts, causes, and
consequences of different types of political violence. Additionally, we
will discuss topics relevant to research, including discussions of different
approaches (quantitative, qualitative, and formal) and a perusal of different
data sources. We will take advantage of literature from multiple
disciplines. (3-0) T
POEC 6363 (PSCI 6363) Conflict and Development (3 semester hours) This module will explore the nexus
between violent intrastate conflict and development. It will examine some of
the key conceptual frameworks advanced to understand conflict and will explore
specific themes which have preoccupied researchers and policy practitioners in
recent years. In addition to assessing the economic costs of the conflicts,
this course will also examine the traditional factors that have been purported
to explain the prevalence of insurgency. (3-0) T
POEC 6366 International Economics (3 semester hours) The course focuses on international
trade theory and the ongoing process of regional integration in the
POEC 6367 Topical Issues in Conflict and Conflict Resolution (3
semester hours) This course will examine in detail three
recent international or ethnic conflicts and the national and international
efforts to resolve the conflicts and/or mitigate their effects. The
course will examine theories of conflict including ethnic conflict and just war
theory. It will examine the historical sources of the conflicts, the
regional and international dimensions, the precipitating causes and the
intensification of the conflicts. Examples of conflicts that could be
used include: the former
POEC 6369 National and International Security Strategies and Policies (3
semester hours) With the end of the decades long Cold
War, the
PA
6371 Pre-emptive Strategies and Tactics (3 semester hours) Provides a
comprehensive study of formulating pre-emptive strategies and tactics related
to terrorist attacks and certain man-made disasters, such as a chemical plant
explosions. This course is a field-based application. Explores current
published pre-emptive strategies and tactics, means and methods for improving
current plans and explores new pre-emptive strategies and tactics driven by new
intelligence assessments. (3-0) Y
PA
6380 (SOC 6380) Non-Profit
Organizations
(3 semester hours) This course examines issues related to the rise, scope,
development and impact of non-profit organizations. The course explores both
the unique missions of non-profit organizations and the management challenges
posed by this expanding sector of the organizational environment. (3-0) T
PA
6381 (SOC 6381) Non-profit Management (3 semester hours) This course examines issues, strategies, and techniques
related to executive leadership and management in non-profit
organizations. (3-0) R
POEC 6V47 (PA 6V47) Policy Research Workshop in Health Care Policy (3-9
semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. (May
be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 hours.) ([3-9]-0) T
POEC 6V62 Policy Research Workshop in Social Policy (3-9 semester hours)
Students join a faculty member in a group research project. (May
be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 hours.) ([3-9]-0) T
POEC 6V76 Policy Research Workshop in Development Studies (3-9 semester
hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. Topics vary
from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a
maximum of 6 hours.)
([3-9]-0) T
EPPS
7304 Cost-Benefit Analysis (3 semester hours) Examines methods for measuring costs and
benefits of public projects and policies, and the application of cost-benefit
analysis to areas such as economic development, water resources, recreation,
transportation, regulation, and the environment. (3-0) T
PA
7308 Social Networks and Intelligence Led Policing (3 semester
hours) Provides a comprehensive study of concepts and
methods for adopting intelligence as a foundation of law enforcement business
operations for sound decision-making. Exploiting social networks is a primary
means for preventing terrorism and crime. The course explores how intelligence
led policing depends on creating strong community social networks to enhance
policing of criminal networks. (3-0) Y
PA
7309 Protecting Critical Resources and Infrastructure (3 semester
hours) Includes a comprehensive study of the current
plans and policies in place for protecting critical resources and
infrastructure, both public and private. The class will consist of a thorough
review of the current literature pertaining to critical infrastructure
protection policies, methods, plans, and identify new technology driven
critical infrastructures. (3-0) Y
POEC 7317 Economics for Public Policy (3 semester hours) Economics for
Public Policy is a doctoral-level course designed to introduce students to the
use of economic methods of the analysis of public policy. While the primary
theoretical framework for the course is microeconomics, the course also
includes macroeconomics. A variety of public policy topics is covered in the
course such as education and education reform, employment and the labor market,
taxes and redistribution, health and health care, poverty and inequality, and
public assistance programs. A central theme in the course is the role of the
government. (3-0) Y
POEC 7318 (PA 7318) Ethics, Culture and Public Responsibility (3
semester hours) This course provides a general consideration of traditions of
ethical thought, the interactions between personal behavior and cultural
groups/norms, and the implementation of public responsibility. Topics to be
considered shall include tensions between personal and collective goals, the
nature and limits of tolerance, and the role of institutions such as the
family, government, business, churches and interest groups.(3-0)Y
POEC
7320 (PSCI 7320) International Negotiations (3 semester hours) Examines both
the substance and the process of international negotiations. Students study the
theory and analysis of negotiations and identify issues, interests and
positions of the parties. The course covers the substantive areas of arms
control, trade, and environmental negotiations. The course moves from the
analysis of simple, bilateral negotiations with only a few issues in contention
to complex multilateral negotiations. (3-0) R
POEC
7321 Seminar on Business and Government (3 semester hours) Examines the interactions between markets and the state from
a comparative and public policy perspective. Special emphasis will be placed on
issues involving industry regulation/deregulation, antitrust/competition,
innovation/industrial policy, infrastructure investment, intellectual property,
social regulation, and global trade/investment. (3-0) Y
POEC
7323 (ECON 6343) Economic Regulation of Business (3 semester
hours) Studies the rationale for, and the history and political-economic
results of, government intervention in markets in the form of (1) direct
regulation of prices, quantity, entry and exit, and product quality in
industries (utility, communication, and transportation), and (2) indirect
intervention through antitrust laws and the regulation of advertising. Government
deregulation and changes in antitrust institutions also are explored.
Prerequisite: ECON 5321 or ECON 5301 or POEC 5307. (3-0) T
EPPS
7370 Time Series Analysis (3 semester hours) The course
considers several important topics in applied time series analysis including
the specification and testing Box-Jenkins transfer function/intervention
models. Other topics include pooled cross-sectional time series models, VAR,
the LSE Approach, unit-roots, cointegration, error
correction models, encompassing and exogeneity tests,
and ARFIMA models. Students also learn how to use programs such as Eviews and RATS. (3-0) R
POEC
8V01 Independent Study (1-9 semester hours) Provides faculty supervision for
student’s individual study of a topic agreed upon by the student and the
faculty supervisor. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (May
be repeated for credit.) ([1-9]-0) R