UW Bothell Course Descriptions
UW Tacoma Course Descriptions
Glossary
Detailed course offerings (Time Schedule) are available for
PUBPOL 101 Public Administration and Democracy (5)
Provides overview of the role of public administration and public policy in American democratic institutions.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 101
PUBPOL 201 Introduction to Public Policy and Governance (5) SSc
Provides an introduction to policy analysis, governance, and public service. Students learn how individuals organize for common purposes, and design, implement, analyze, and evaluate policy. Students examine how policy decisions emerge and how the values of public, nonprofit, and private sector leaders and institutions affect decisions and implementation.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 201
PUBPOL 299 Special Topics in Public Policy (5, max. 10) SSc
Examines selected topics in public policy. Focuses on in-depth analysis of vital public policy issues and integration of economic, political, and administrative perspectives. Recommended: PUBPOL 201. Offered: SpS.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 299
PUBPOL 301 Truth, Evidence, and Public Policy Analytics (5) SSc, RSN
Sound public policy and governance decisions rely on having evidence to support conclusions, as well as having an understanding of the extent of certainty regarding the available evidence. Students will learn qualitative, statistical, experimental, and mixed methods to evaluate: the origins of policy; the management, implementation, and administration of public programs; and the intended and unintended impacts of public policies. Prerequisite: either STAT 220, STAT 221/CS&SS 221/SOC 221, or STAT 311; recommended: PUBPOL 201.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 301
PUBPOL 302 Public Service Leadership (5)
Examines how communities work with governments, businesses, and nonprofits to solve complex problems. Explores ways to assess values trade-offs between profit, people, planet, and purpose. Recommended: PUBPOL 201. Offered: AWSpS.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 302
PUBPOL 303 Methods of Policy Inquiry (5) SSc
Examines how evidence is gathered in the public sector and used to generate policy research. Explores how research informs policy process. Recommended: PUBPOL 201.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 303
PUBPOL 313 Evidence-Based Policy Implementation (5) SSc
Explores the multidimensional challenge of turning policy and program intentions into valued results on the ground. Understanding why implementation can fall short of expectation requires an understanding of how public/nonprofit organizations work; including their mission, resources, collaborators, and results measurement. Examines the role that evidence can play in service of democratic governance and policy effectiveness. Recommended: PUBPOL 201
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 313
PUBPOL 321 Decision Making, Behavior, and Policy Design (5) SSc
Provides a foundation in the application of decision theory and behavioral science to study public policy problems. Students learn how cognition, heuristics, biases, emotion, and social dynamics interact in decision-making, and how context and framing shape decisions. Students learn how decision making influences the effect of public policies on the equity and efficiency of the production and distribution of goods and resources. Recommended: PUBPOL 201.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 321
PUBPOL 355 Special Topics in Nonprofits (5, max. 15)
Covers various topics regarding nonprofit essentials. Recommended: PUBPOL 201.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 355
PUBPOL 400 Public Policy and Governance Seminar (1, max. 4)
Examines emerging issues in public policy, public service, administration, governance, democracy, and equity. Credit/no-credit only.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 400
PUBPOL 402 Ethics, Leadership, and Policy Implementation (5)
Examines complex ethical challenges and pressures facing public administrators in policy implementation and public service. Recommended: PUBPOL 201.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 402
PUBPOL 403 Leadership in Action (5)
Cultivates practical skills required to lead within various organizational contexts: managerial strategies for public, nonprofit, and business organizations are developed through case studies and guest speakers. Focuses on analytical and ethical approaches to problem solving and the communication skills needed for effective leadership in any career.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 403
PUBPOL 496 Policy Lab (5)
Provides support for undergraduate public policy research project. Students develop, implement, and deliver project for a professional client. Prerequisite: PUBPOL 201.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 496
PUBPOL 497 Internship (1-5, max. 15)
Enhances students career readiness through guided self-reflection, peer dialogue, and employer feedback. Recommended: PUBPOL 201. Credit/no-credit only.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 497
PUBPOL 498 Undergraduate Research (1-5, max. 15)
Independent research in selected areas of public policy and public management under faculty supervision. Recommended: PUBPOL 201. Credit/no-credit only. Offered: AWSpS.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 498
PUBPOL 499 Topics in Public Policy (5, max. 15) SSc
Examines selected issues of importance in all areas of public policy. Focus on in-depth analysis of vital public policy issues and the integration of economic, political, and administrative perspectives on them. Recommended: PUBPOL 201.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 499
PUBPOL 500 Public Policy and Governance Seminar (1, max. 4)
Examines emerging issues in public policy, public service, administration, governance, democracy, and equity. Credit/no-credit only.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 500
PUBPOL 501 Legislative Relations (4)
Studies role of legislative bodies in American public policy making. Builds on case studies and focuses on tactics, constraints, and options involved in working within a legislative process to achieve public policy goals.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 501
PUBPOL 502 Strategy for Public Leaders (4)
Explores the design and execution of strategy in public life. Covers concepts and practical tools for making strategy, including situational assessment, strategy design, implementation, and reassessment and revision.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 502
PUBPOL 503 Executive Leadership (4)
Cultivate the practical skills required to lead within various operational contexts. Managerial strategies for addressing problems in public, not-for-profit and business organizations will be examined through case studies, general readings, class-exercises, presentations by practitioners, and self-reflection. Throughout this course, students will practice the core skills required for their success as future leaders.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 503
PUBPOL 504 Leadership Ethics in the Public Interest (4)
Addresses the moral challenges facing leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors. Examines the values and virtues important to sustained ethical leadership as well as strategies to build strong institutional cultures and support ethical practices in institutions.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 504
PUBPOL 505 The Law of Public Administration (3)
Legal framework of public administrative action in the United States, emphasizing constitutional requirements; operation of the administrative process; management of personnel, funds, and contracts; and judicial review of administrative activity.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 505
PUBPOL 506 Ethics and Public Policy (3/4)
Teaches students to identify moral issues in public life. Special focus on the integration of moral concerns into public discussion in a manner which contributes to good policy and does not polarize issues. Discusses moral and political theory by focusing on contemporary cases and issues.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 506
PUBPOL 507 Mediation and Negotiation (4)
Possibilities offered by mediation and negotiation methods using a mixture of cases, readings, discussions, lectures, and guest speakers. Use of negotiation and mediation techniques to resolve disputes and disagreements over public-policy issues.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 507
PUBPOL 509 Managing People in Public and Nonprofit Agencies (4)
Explore the fundamentals of managing people with a specific emphasis on managing people in nonprofit and public agencies. Covers theoretical and practical aspects of management such as: learning how to motivate a team for results; understanding key aspects of human resource law and practice; exploring how lean management can be utilized in nonprofit and government agencies; managing a diverse workforce, and managing in a union environment.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 509
PUBPOL 510 Foundations of American Democracy (4)
Examines the fundamental values such as equality, liberty, dignity, freedom, and autonomy that individuals justify and shape American political culture and institutions. Focuses upon the philosophical and religious foundations of these values and examines the relations among them as well as how they influence American political culture, institutions, and conflict.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 510
PUBPOL 511 Managing Politics and the Policy Process (4)
Examines broad aspects of organizational life and orients students to key internal and external challenges and opportunities of managing public and nonprofit organizations. Main topics include organizational mission, values, communication, culture, organizational environment and the policy process.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 511
PUBPOL 512 Managing Organizational Performance (4)
Addresses questions of organizational design, personnel, and operations management to equip students with skills to perform effectively in mission-driven organizations. Core topics include organizational design, inter-organizational networks, human resources and staff management, improving service delivery and production flows, measuring and managing for performance, and ethical leadership. Prerequisite: permission of instructor; recommended: PUBPOL 511
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 512
PUBPOL 513 Public Policy Analysis (4)
Equips students to rigorously assess policy responses to public problems, through defining problems, devising alternative solutions, clarifying stakes in choices, predicting impacts of choices. Skills developed by working on specific policy problems. Assumes familiarity with statistics, microeconomic theory, and institutions and processes of American government. Prerequisite: permission of instructor; recommended: PUBPOL 516 , PUBPOL 517
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 513
PUBPOL 514 Psychology for Policy Analysis (4)
Examines basic concepts in social psychology, judgment and decision making, and behavioral economics. Explores how these concepts can be applied to the design, implementation, and evaluation of successful policy.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 514
PUBPOL 516 Economics for Policy Analysis and Management I (4)
Examines the use of microeconomics in policy analysis. Includes a review of supply, demand, and how government actions (e.g., taxes, subsidies) affects economic efficiency in a competitive market. Develops a deeper understanding of consumer choice as a function of preferences and constraints - the building blocks of demand - and examine how changes in constraints or opportunities via public policy affects choices. Recommended: elementary economics
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 516
PUBPOL 517 Economics for Policy Analysis and Management II (4)
Serves to deepen student understanding of microeconomic theory with a focus on understanding the economic analysis of market failures and on developing policies to address them. Prerequisite: PUBPOL 516 or permission of instructor.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 517
PUBPOL 518 Applied Cost Benefit Analysis (4)
Explores the use of benefit-cost techniques for analyzing policy, regulatory, and public investment decisions. Topics to include discounting, estimating demand in primary and secondary markets, risk and uncertainty, and nonmarket valuation. This widely-used applied economics tool will be mastered through lecture, applied problem-solving and a benefit-cost analysis project. Prerequisite: PUBPOL 516 and 517, or permission of instructor.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 518
PUBPOL 519 Law and Economics (2-4, max. 4)
Examines the applications of Law and Economics to: torts, property, contract, and criminal law; intellectual property, tobacco litigation, employment law, human organ sales, and U.S. regulatory design. Offered: jointly with LAW A 561.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 519
PUBPOL 520 Intergovernmental Relations (4)
Comparative study of the issues involved in implementing government programs across multiple jurisdictions. Issues of accountability, feasibility, politics, and constitutional limits are examined by focusing upon various methods used to implement programs across federal, state, regional, and international jurisdictions.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 520
PUBPOL 521 Managing Public Grants and Contracts (4)
Public organizations are increasingly reliant on partners and contractors for the delivery of public services, using a variety of means to engage these partners, including grants and contracts. This course explores how to best design, manage, and evaluate contracts/grants to improve performance, including the process through which contracts and grants are managed, and how to effectively evaluate performance to inform future partnerships.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 521
PUBPOL 522 Financial Management and Budgeting (4)
An introduction to financial and management accounting, and an overview of public and nonprofit budgeting systems. Covers tools and techniques for budget analysis and the use of financial information in managerial decision making.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 522
PUBPOL 523 Advanced Budgeting in the Public Sector (4)
Covers more advanced topics in governmental budgeting. Provides an overview of the functions, expenditures, and revenues of federal, state, and local governments. Recommended: PUBPOL 522, or instructor permission. Recommended: PUBPOL 522
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 523
PUBPOL 524 Public Sector Financing (4)
Covers financial management in public agencies, with the primary focus on state and local government. Prerequisite: PUBPOL 522, or instructor permission.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 524
PUBPOL 525 Qualitative Field Methods and Analysis (4)
Provides a review of qualitative field research methods, exposure to writing from the field, and opportunities to try practicing fieldwork. Emphasizes study design, case selection, interviewing techniques, survey design, and field notes. Addresses coding, analysis, writing, and presenting findings.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 525
PUBPOL 526 Program Evaluation (4)
Introduction to the theory, practice, and politics of program and policy evaluation. Covers the major types of evaluation, including theory of change, implementation and process evaluation, and impact evaluation, as well as quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, the ethics of evaluation, and engaging stakeholders in evaluation.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 526
PUBPOL 527 Quantitative Analysis I (4)
Two-quarter sequence explores how to formulate research questions, gain experience with conducting research, and learn how to assess which statistical tools or research methods are appropriate to answer different types of policy or management questions. Covers probability, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and confidence intervals.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 527
PUBPOL 528 Quantitative Analysis II (4)
Second quarter of a two-quarter sequence aimed at helping students become informed users and critical consumers of research and statistical analysis. Combines material on research design and causal inference methods with tools for multivariate analysis. The multivariate analysis methods include correlation and an introduction to multivariate regression. Prerequisite: permission of instructor; recommended: PUBPOL 527
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 528
PUBPOL 529 Advanced Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis (4)
Teaches students more advanced quantitative methods applied to program evaluation and policy analysis. Students develop ability to do independent research by developing skills in assessing data qualities, research design, and appropriate application of a variety of quantitative methods. Prerequisite: permission of instructor; recommended: PUBPOL 527, PUBPOL 528
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 529
PUBPOL 531 Development Management and Governance (4)
Addresses the connections linking governance systems, the management and implementation of public policies, and policy and program outcomes, with focus on capacities and strategies of a broad array of actors engaged in international development. Covers management challenges faced by government bureaucracies and civil society actors, the changing landscape of development assistance, public sector reforms, and human rights in development context.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 531
PUBPOL 532 International Development Capstone (2)
Provides students the opportunity to interact with professionals in the field during panel discussions. Students produce a short summative paper as a final project. Students will have completed the preceding International Development Certificate Program (IDCP) core courses: PUBPOL 531 and PUBPOL 533.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 532
PUBPOL 533 Economics of International Development (4)
Economics of International Development critically examines the validity and reliability of most common economic development indicators of poverty, growth and inequality, and provides an overview of, and basic literacy around, international macroeconomic topics including debt, aid, trade and financial markets.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 533
PUBPOL 534 Food and Agricultural Policy in Developing Countries (4)
Provides an understanding of the role of agriculture in economic development. Examines frontier policy issues in developing countries related to food security and agricultural production. The emphasis is on developing a nuanced understanding of contemporary food and agricultural policy issues, with a firm grounding in theory and history.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 534
PUBPOL 535 American Foreign Policy (4)
Examines how the U.S. foreign policy process works, emphasizing formation, content, and implementation of post-Cold War U.S. foreign and national security policy, with emphasis on current foreign and national security policy.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 535
PUBPOL 536 Diagnosing and Reforming Corrupt Systems (4)
Corruption - one of the greatest obstacles to social, economic, and political development around the world - has become a focal point for efforts to improve public sector performance. This course explores strategies for the prevention and mitigation of corruption across a range of contexts and takes an action-oriented approach, drawing lessons from corruption cases and focusing on what approaches might be undertaken under different circumstances.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 536
PUBPOL 537 Topics in International Affairs (3-5, max. 20)
Examines selected topics of interest and import in foreign policy and international affairs or development. Focuses on an in-depth analysis of policy issues considering economic, institutional, and political dimensions.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 537
PUBPOL 538 International Organizations and Ocean Management (3)
Survey of the manner in which international regimes and organizations attempt to manage and regulate the uses of the ocean. Primary emphasis is on the analysis of the effectiveness of regimes and of processes that support or constrain these organizations. Prerequisite: SMEA 500 or permission of instructor. Offered: jointly with SMEA 507.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 538
PUBPOL 539 Values in International Development (4)
Examines and clarifies international development values, including underlying theories of justice on which they seem to be built, the ways in which they are justified to stakeholders, the general public, and impacts they have upon people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 539
PUBPOL 540 Advanced Policy Analysis (4)
Provides a more critical view of policy analysis by taking a deep dive into topics related to policy analysis and questioning underlying assumptions while conceptualizing policy analysis within societal structures. Recommended: PUBPOL 513.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 540
PUBPOL 541 The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in International Development (4)
Explores issues faced by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working in developing and transition countries, including perspectives from international and indigenous NGOs and community-based organizations. Topics covered include relationships between NGOs and the state, the market, intended beneficiaries, and funder relationships. Key issues discussed include the challenges of funding, participation, advocacy humanitarianism, and social change.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 541
PUBPOL 542 Computational Thinking for Governance Analytics (4)
Combines data science and computational social science in a policy studies structure. Introduces algorithmic thinking and develops good practices in reproducibility for professional work in policy research.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 542
PUBPOL 543 Visual Analytics for Policy and Management (4)
Provides students with visualization tools to show insights to political or scientific communities, while presenting different strategies to avoid biased interpretations. Emphasis on the building of templates to produce information.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 543
PUBPOL 544 Tax Policy and Analysis (4)
Provides theoretical and empirical tools to analyze current tax policy and proposed tax reforms. Prerequisite: either PUBPOL 517 and PUBPOL 528, or permission of instructor
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 544
PUBPOL 545 Advocacy for Social Change (4)
Examines different components of advocacy, including: role of and opportunities for advocacy in the policy process; relationship between advocacy, social movements, and public policy; organizations leading advocacy in the U.S. and their regulatory environment; and tactics and strategies used for advocacy. Offered: W.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 545
PUBPOL 546 Geographic Information System for Public Policy (4)
Focuses on use of geographic information systems in public policy analysis with particular attention to the tools widely used by social scientists, public policy scholars, urban planners, and environmental scientists. Offered: W.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 546
PUBPOL 547 Water Resource Economics (4)
Explores the economics of water resources, including static and dynamic efficiency for consumers and producers and other topics concerned with water quality. Explores effects of climate change on water resources, and economic approaches to mitigate these effects.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 547
PUBPOL 548 Public Policy and Program Implementation (4)
Examines the implementation of public policy and programs. Introduces multi-level implementation analysis and focuses on understanding how the core policy or program is understood at the policy field, organizational, and frontline levels. Offered: Sp.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 548
PUBPOL 549 Redesigning Public Services (5)
Focuses on practices that support redesign of public services. Explores how public, nonprofit, and philanthropic structures create operational realities that must be navigated to lead change across institutional boundaries.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 549
PUBPOL 550 Managing Nonprofit and Philanthropic Organizations (4)
Focuses on the roles and practices of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Provides an overview of topics relevant to nonprofit and social sector organizations, including theoretical foundations, legal forms, governance and leadership, cross-sector relationships, revenue streams and fundraising, and policy advocacy.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 550
PUBPOL 551 Impact Evaluation (4)
Examines how to understand impact evaluations from both a methodological perspective and a body-of-evidence perspective. Offered: W.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 551
PUBPOL 552 Philanthropy and Society (4)
Provides students a holistic background of the philanthropic sector. Begins with an in-depth analysis of history and context and ends with a discussion of current strategies and approaches to giving by foundations. Builds in sequence: history, context, sub-sectors, accountability, and results.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 552
PUBPOL 553 Nonprofit Financial Management (4)
Provides an understanding of the financial framework on nonprofit organizations. Focuses on the financial principles of management of nonprofits, with an emphasis on financial reporting, strategic financial planning, managerial decision-making and budgeting.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 553
PUBPOL 554 Social Enterprise: New Models for Mission Based Business (4)
Examines the changing landscape for social investments. Covers the tools to become an effective social entrepreneur or practitioner working in the social enterprise and mission-based business space with a focus on race and equity.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 554
PUBPOL 555 Topics in Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise (3-5, max. 20)
Covers a range of topics applied to nonprofit, philanthropic, and social enterprise organizations.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 555
PUBPOL 556 Public-Private Partnerships (4)
Provides a comprehensive overview and examination of partnerships and their implications for public policy and nonprofit and public management. Examines the diverse array of partnerships in the UW and abroad and the management challenges involved in the development and implementation of different partnership strategies.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 556
PUBPOL 557 Financial Modeling for the Public Sector (4)
Covers financial modeling concepts at the core of public sector finance including: cash flow (or revenue) forecasting and proforma financial statements, capital life-cycle cost analysis, portfolio valuation and risk management, debt sizing, structure, and refinancing.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 557
PUBPOL 558 Collaboration and Management Across Sectors (4)
Organizations from different sectors (public, business, nonprofit) increasingly work together to achieve unique, collaborative outcomes. Managing cross-sector relationships presents dynamic process and governance challenges that go well beyond the difficulties of managing within an organization. Explores the opportunities and risks involved in working across organizational boundaries.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 558
PUBPOL 559 Advanced Performance Management: Quadruple Bottom Line Lab (4)
Examines the Quadruple Bottom Line as a conceptual framework and emerging set of tools for a more comprehensive and balanced accounting of organizational and institutional behavior and outcomes related to economic efficiency, social equity, environmental sustainability, and creative cultural vitality.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 559
PUBPOL 560 Inequality, Governance, and Policy in the Metropolitan Region (3/4)
Explores national/local urban policy concerning the major problems confronting cities and metropolitan regions today. Economic globalization, income inequality, and metropolitan decentralization shape the urban agenda, the context for urban policy, and the analytic focus of the course. A project allows the exploration of strategies for intervention. Offered: jointly with URBDP 560.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 560
PUBPOL 561 Urban Economics and Public Policy (4)
Examines the rationale for and consequences of public intervention in urban land, housing, and transportation markets through land use regulations such as zoning and growth management, infrastructure investments, and fiscal policies to manage urban development and traffic. Prerequisite: successful completion of an introductory microeconomics course or permission of the instructor. Offered: jointly with URBDP 561.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 561
PUBPOL 562 Immigration Policy (4)
Builds foundational knowledge of American immigration policy, providing students with the conceptual and analytical tools required to critically evaluate any and all arguments made in current policy debates, and to move toward making unique and original contributions to those debates.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 562
PUBPOL 563 Intergroup Relations and Public Policy (4)
Explores how social psychological research on intergroup relations is pertinent to various aspects of public policy. Includes historical and current perspectives. Examines how the literature describes how individuals perceive, judge, and feel about individuals from various social groups. The groups discussed ranges from minimal groups to classic social groups.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 563
PUBPOL 564 Housing and Social Policy (4)
Provides an overview of the field of housing policy and its interrelationships with social problems in the United States. Explores various dimensions of housing problems with an emphasis on housing affordability and examines the primary policy tools used to respond to housing problems.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 564
PUBPOL 565 Topics in Urban Affairs (3-5, max. 20)
Examines various topics of public importance in urban policy. Integrates the political, managerial, economic, and technical dimensions of these issues.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 565
PUBPOL 566 Community Economic Development (4)
Explores the relationship between local community economic development, environmental sustainability, cultural vitality, and trend in regional and national economics, with specific focus on how to make community and economic investments that yield development outcomes that contribute to economic, equitable, environmental, and cultural vitality.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 566
PUBPOL 568 Values and Bias (4)
Examines how behavior of non-elite political actors are shaped and guided by cognitive biases, emotions, and ideological motivations. Uses psychological and behavioral sciences perspective to illuminate what Americans think about topics of social and political importance, how opinions are formed, and how individuals transmit ideas to shape public policy.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 568
PUBPOL 569 Race and Public Policy (3-4)
Analyzes the way in which the persistent problem of race is expressed in the formation and implementation of social and public policy.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 569
PUBPOL 570 Foundations of Social Policy (3)
Examines major institutions and programs in social policy including: income maintenance, social services, education, and healthcare. Focuses on American social policy with some attention to comparative welfare state development. Includes extensive discussion of different policy strategies to address social policy problems.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 570
PUBPOL 571 Education, The Workforce, and Public Policy (4)
Examination of policy issues involving education, training, the economy, and the development of the nation's human resources. Relationship between education, training, and work, and among the various levels of the education system, underutilized workers, race and gender issues, and the role of education and training in economic development. Offered: jointly with EDLPS 563.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 571
PUBPOL 572 Race and Equity in Policy and Governance (2, max. 4)
An introduction for understanding race and equity in policy and governance. Power, privilege, and disadvantage are distributed based on race, skin color, and ethnicity. Develop the ability to identify and critique racist or racialized policies and management practices; examine your own experience of race, privilege, and oppression; and learn to use tools for increasing racial equity and inclusion in public, nonprofit, and private sectors. Credit/no-credit only.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 572
PUBPOL 573 Topics in Education and Social Policy (3-5, max. 20)
Examines various issues of public importance in the areas of education and social policy. Focuses on in-depth analysis of relevant issues and the integration of the economic, administrative, and political dimensions of these issues.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 573
PUBPOL 574 Economics of Race and Inequality in the United States (3/4)
Covers the history of racial inequality over the past century, theories of the causes, wage determination and discrimination in employment and pay, inequalities in education and human capital development, and residential segregation and its consequences. Discusses the effectiveness and limitations of policy response to racial inequality.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 574
PUBPOL 575 Taxes and Social Policy (4)
Examines major areas of social policy that interact with the tax system. Prerequisite: either PUBPOL 517 and PUBPOL 528, or permission of instructor.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 575
PUBPOL 576 Poverty and Anti-Poverty in the United States (4)
Examines the nature and extent of poverty in the United States, its causes and consequences, and the antipoverty effects of public policies.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 576
PUBPOL 577 Economics of Health Policy (4)
Uses an economic perspective to examine a variety of issues related to the provision of medical care in the United States. Topics include medical care demand, the role of health insurance, the health and financial consequences of being without insurances, health care spending, and the Affordable Care Act. Prerequisite: instructor permission; recommended: PUBPOL 517
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 577
PUBPOL 578 Asset Building for Low Income Families (4)
Explores assets and finances for low income families primarily in the United States. Identifies programs and policies targeted toward asset building and looks at evidence of their efficacy. Uses a multi-disciplinary perspective to examine the economic, social, and political contexts for these policies.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 578
PUBPOL 579 Child Well-being and Public Policy (4)
Covers the contexts of child well-being, the arguments for government intervention during childhood, and 4-5 specific topics in child policy. Integrates theory and evidence from Developmental Psychology, Economics, Sociology, and Social Neuroscience. Focuses on US Federal, state, and local policies.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 579
PUBPOL 581 Crime and Punishment Policy (4)
Examines how the confluence of politics, culture, ideology, and empirics generates policy related to crime and punishment. Offered: A.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 581
PUBPOL 582 Communicating Climate Change (4)
Surveys climate change communications and their role in achieving climate change policy goals. Assesses the ethics and science of climate change communication. Explores theories and frameworks to evaluate and improve climate change communications. Examines the role of climate change communication as a policy tool.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 582
PUBPOL 583 Science, Technology, and Public Policy (4)
Examines the relationship between the advancement of technical knowledge, the pace of technological change, and public policies designed to induce or respond to these development. Issues of policy formulation, administrative design, and future trends; applications include biotechnology, energy, information technology, global warming, robotics, national security, homeland security, and space exploration.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 583
PUBPOL 584 Local Government Management (4)
Explores a wide range of local government topics. Topics include: inclusive community engagement practices; economic development strategies; current issues in policing; and applying an equity lens in local government decision making. Offered: W.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 584
PUBPOL 585 Topics in Science, Technology, and Public Policy (3-5)
Examines relationship between advancement of technical knowledge and pace of technological change, and public policies to induce or respond to these trends. Generic issues of government research, development, and personnel training programs are addressed. Applications of policy issues involving biomedical, communications, energy, environmental, transportation, and weapons technologies.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 585
PUBPOL 586 Technology, Law, and Policy (4)
Provides a case-based learning experience in the analysis and framing of technology and ethics challenges under debate in public and private sectors. Offered: Sp.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 586
PUBPOL 587 Native Nations, Native Lands, Native Waters (4)
Examines the ways that Native Nations in the US function as self-governing sovereigns and the ways that Native Nations govern their lands and waters. Considers how Native Nations interact with other governments and the consequences of those interactions.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 587
PUBPOL 588 Data Science for Public Policy (4)
Introduction to various data science methods and use of data science in public policy analysis. Topics include machine learning, network analysis, and numerical analysis. Offered: AW.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 588
PUBPOL 589 Risk Assessment for Environmental Health Hazards (4)
Examines context, methodologies, data, uncertainties, and institutional arrangements for risk assessment. Qualitative and quantitative approaches to identification, characterization, and control of environmental hazards to health emphasized through didactic and case studies. Offered: jointly with CEWA 560/ENV H 577; A.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 589
PUBPOL 590 Environmental Policy (4)
Presents background to establish the need for environmental policy. Explores in a comparative manner, examining both successes and failures, various strategies that have been used or proposed to protect the environment. Explores different policy tools for environmental protection, including command-and-control regulation, market-based incentives, third-party certifications, and collaborative partnerships.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 590
PUBPOL 592 Resource Policy and Administration (4)
Study based on understanding of the actors, arenas, issues, and policy communities that form the context for policy development and implementation. Exploration of approaches to policy inquiry. Consideration of implications for both policy and management. Students develop a study design for course project. Offered: jointly with SEFS 571.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 592
PUBPOL 593 Climate Change and Energy Policy (4)
Energy policy formulation and implementation with emphasis on post-1973 developments. Energy conservation programs; changing roles of oil, coal, gas, nuclear, and solar energy; institutional, environmental, and equity considerations; government research and development programs.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 593
PUBPOL 594 Economic Approaches to Environmental Management (4)
Examines the economic tools relevant to natural resource and environmental management. Tools are developed in the context of a series of resource problems, with an eye towards building intuition useful for addressing complex policy problems that do not fit neatly into textbook examples. Prerequisite: PUBPOL 516; PUBPOL 517; PUBPOL 527; PUBPOL 528
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 594
PUBPOL 595 Topics in Environmental Policy and Management (3-5, max. 20)
Examines various topics of public importance in environmental policy and management. Integrates the political, managerial, and economic dimensions of these issues.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 595
PUBPOL 596 Environmental Risks and Values (4)
Explores a range of sources of risk to human health and the environment, and the values that color communication, perception, and decision making about risk. This topic lies at the core of an ongoing conversation between communities, governments, scientists, the media, and others. Topics include energy, climate, water supply, emerging technology, and environmental justice.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 596
PUBPOL 597 Environmental Decision Analysis (4)
Examines how science contributes to decisions that involve the natural environment; how science and scientists help frame debates and decisions; how scientific findings are incorporated into decision-making processes; how scientists and non-scientists deal with uncertainty about scientific questions.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 597
PUBPOL 598 Administrative and Policy Professional Skills Workshop (1-3, max. 12)
Teaches practical administrative, leadership, and analytic skills commonly required of managers and analysts in the public and nonprofit sectors. The workshops emphasize hands-on problem resolution, simulations, and actual practice. Credit/no-credit only.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 598
PUBPOL 599 Special Topics (1-6, max. 28)
Study and analysis of special topics in public affairs. Topics vary each quarter depending on curricular needs and interests of students and faculty.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 599
PUBPOL 600 Independent Study or Research (*-)
Evans School MPA students only. By arrangement with instructor. See current Time Schedule for link to application. Refer to Evans School MPA Student Handbook for details.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 600
PUBPOL 605 Degree Project ([1-8]-)
Evans School MPA students only. By arrangement with instructor. See current Time Schedule for link to application. Refer to Evans School MPA Student Handbook for details.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 605
PUBPOL 608 Capstone Project Seminar ([4-8]-)
Meets the capstone project requirements as part of the Evans School MPA curriculum. Students work in a supportive seminar environment facilitated by peers and faculty to complete team-based capstone degree projects.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 608
PUBPOL 615 Project Leadership Skills Lab (2)
Introduces concepts, frameworks, and practical skills around project management to address technical and adaptive challenges.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 615
PUBPOL 616 Public Innovation Workshop (4)
Focuses on developing strategic leadership development to alter organizational conditions and narrow disparities in public service outcomes.
View course details in MyPlan: PUBPOL 616
