Master of Science in Public Policy Courses (MSPP-GP)

Open only to students in the MSPP program. This intensive course will provide students with: 1. An understanding of basic statistics principles 2. Familiarity with Stata 3. Experience manipulating data and reading outputs in different formats 4. A working knowledge of basic microeconomics concepts This course is pass/fail.

Introduction to Public Policy covers a wide range of topics, from the norms and values informing democratic policymaking to the basics of cost-benefit and other tools of policy analysis. Though emphases will differ based on instructor strengths, all sections will address the institutional arrangements for making public policy decisions, the role of various actors-including nonprofit and private-sector professionals-in shaping policy outcomes, and the fundamentals (and limits) of analytic approaches to public policy. Note: Students who have not taken an American Government course, or have not taken the course in many years, are strongly encouraged to brush up on knowledge of the basic design and functions of the governmental units in the United States.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. Communication Skills for Policy Analysts is a seminar course that simulates a fast-paced public policy environment where different stakeholders require a constant flow of written and oral communication work products. Each work product assignment will be treated as a case with a specific audience, background information and real-world situation and will require outside research and collaboration. MS in Public Policy students will draw on knowledge and techniques being learned in their other Fall coursework. There are five graded revised assignments, but a new work product will be due every week that the seminar meets and will include: 1) Issue Briefs; 2) Memos; 3) Oral Presentations; 4) Press Releases; 5) A Social Media Campaign; 6) Research Grant Intent Letters; and 7) Professional Email Communications.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. The goal of this course is to provide students with an introduction to key methods of quantitative policy analysis. We develop the statistical toolkit of regression analysis, reviewing the bivariate regression model and then continuing with multiple regression, and explore how these methods are applied to policy analysis in five benchmark techniques: randomized trials, direct regression analysis, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, and difference in differences. We emphasize the distinction between regression as a statistical tool and the additional context knowledge (and occasionally assumptions) that are required to address causal policy questions.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. This course will provide students with an opportunity to engage in policy analysis in situations that mimic the real world practice of the craft of policy analysis. In practice, policy analysis requires drawing inferences from limited information, under time pressure and data constraints. It requires asking the right questions, finding the right data, assessing the quality of the data and analyses, and communicating results effectively in writing and in person. Your coursework up to this point has given you the skills you need to do much of this – in this course, you will refine those skills and put them to work.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. Policy and Data Studio builds on the core courses, your advanced coursework, and is specifically meant to deepen your data and data analytic skills, in the content of a policy issue. Studio is a unique end event where you will use data to shed light on a policy question of your choice using the technical skills and specialized knowledge gained from the program. Guided by the Studio instructor, you will identify data sources, perform data cleaning and analyses, create an issue brief, and present draft iterations of your project to your cohort for feedback and revisions. At the end of the Studio experience, you will present your findings to a panel of faculty and experts.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. Students will learn the fundamentals of budgeting and accounting for public, health, and nonprofit organizations. Through readings, lectures, real-world case studies, and assignments, students will gain an understanding of how to use financial information in organizational planning, implementation, control, reporting, and analysis. In addition, students will have the chance to develop their spreadsheet skills by using Excel to perform financial calculations and create financial documents. The course focuses on managerial accounting, a set of tools used by managers for planning, implementation, and control. Topics include operating budgets, cash budgets, break-even analysis, indirect cost allocation, variance analysis, the time value of money, capital budgeting, and long-term financing.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. This course provides MS in Public Policy students with an overview of contemporary public management. We review important intellectual and constitutional foundations of the administrative state and construct a theoretical approach to the study and practice of public management. A major objective of the course is to develop skills in critical analysis necessary for practice.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. This course provides MS in Public Policy students with an overview of contemporary public management. We review important management and leadership concepts that are required to approach public management. The course will focus on specific problems that leaders may face and tools that you can use. A major objective of the course is to develop skills in critical analysis necessary for practice.

Open only to students in the MSPP program. The title of this course is meant to evoke a double meaning. First, the “practice” of work refers to the idea that it is important to practice something, to rehearse, to try things out. Being an intern* in an organization is a required element of this course. And while interns can accomplish a great deal and deliver a lot of value to their organization, they are also understood to be learning, to be practicing. But a “practice” can also mean a craft or a skill, something one works hard at in order to become expert and polished. We are using the word practice in that way as well, in becoming skillful at individual, interpersonal and organizational effectiveness. In this course, you will be doing a lot of practicing or experimenting. You will be conducting a “personal experiment” that allows you to explore and sharpen your skills interacting with others. You will also be gaining experience with managing a project appropriate for your current level of work experience. And you will conduct an analysis of the organization in which you are interning. So you will be practicing at three different levels. The class will also ask you to think about how those levels interact and influence each other.