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2015-2016 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Public Administration |
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PUBADM 622 WPPP Fall Internship
In close consultation with the instructor, students in the WPPP Certificate Program develop and begin to work at an internship placement in a city, state, or federal government agency, in a lobbying or research organization, or in a non-profit organization whose work is directly related to public policy. Interns spend 16-20 hours per week in the placement, keeping a record of work activities, skills development, and relationship between course curriculum and learning at the internship. Students also meet regularly with the instructor to discuss the progress of their internship placement.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 623 WPPP: Women in American Politics and Policy Making
Spring seminar in Program for Women in Politics and Public Policy. This course explores how politics and government affect American women’s lives today and examines the ways that women participate in the political process in order to influence the course of public policy. Readings bridge the disciplinary perspectives of sociology and political science; newer feminist theoretical perspectives on public policy issues are included.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 624 WPPP: Spring Internship
The internship placement begun in the fall is completed and evaluated. Students in the WPPP Certificate Program prepare and present a paper integrating the theoretical knowledge and practical skills based on their internship.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 625 Public Budgeting and Financial Management
The public budgeting process in theory and practice. Students are introduced to contemporary approaches to public budgeting as well as to the difficulty of planning in the public sector, the dilemmas of choice and of priority setting, the results of incrementalism, and the nature of budgetary “rationality.” In addition, the course examines the nature and scope of public financial management at the state and local level. It familiarizes students with state and local government financial reporting and accounting, current operating expenditures, techniques for evaluating capital expenditures and products. It explores borrowing and debt management, evaluation of municipal credit quality, managing cash assets and liquid securities, simulations and financial forecasting, and evaluating and controlling financial management practices.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 626 WPPP: Case Study Methodology for Policy Analysis
This course is required preparation for AMST 625. The first part of the course focuses on the political and economic context in which policy disputes are raised and resolved through various political processes. Subsequent course work examines policy conflicts with emphasis on relative strengths and weaknesses of contending political forces. Students in the WPPP Certificate Program complete a case-study exercise based on readings, library research, and interviews that concentrate on a contemporary public policy controversy.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 627 WPPP: Case Study Seminar
The case study provides an opportunity for students in the WPPP Certificate Program to design and complete a substantial research paper, analyzing in detail one example of public sector decision-making, and integrating theoretical perspectives from the seminars. In close consultation with the instructor, student teams choose a controversial policy decision/area in which they wish to develop expertise-often these topics are related to the student’s internship placement. Students will make oral presentations from the case studies.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 628 Research Methods for Policy Analysis
The purpose of this class is to provide a survey of research methods and the use of evidence to build persuasive arguments. The course is divided into three sections; (1) quantitative methods; (2) qualitative methods; and (3) community-based participatory action research, providing an overview of each group of research methods. Throughout all three sections, the course will include feminist research methods and scholarly work. Each section of the course culminates int he submission of a policy brief on a topic of the student’s choosing. Each policy brief will highlight the research methods from that portion of the course.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 629 Leadership and Organizations: Gender, Power and Authority
This course offers students the opportunity to develop an in depth understanding of authority, leadership, and organizational dynamics, and to learn about their own behavior in groups. We will also be looking at organizations from both feminist and systems psychodynamics perspectives. We will unpack terms such as authority, power, leadership, boundaries, role and task to deepen students’ understanding of their own experiences in groups, organizations and communities. The impact of social identity (gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age, etc.) on how roles are taken up or allowed to be taken up, in groups and organizations will also be explored.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 631 Theories and Concepts of International Relations
This course provides students with a critical assessment of the major theories and concepts which define international relations as a field of study. It has two primary goals: (1) in-depth analysis of explanatory theories (e.g., realism, idealism, structuralism, neo-liberalism, interdependence, functionalism) and of core concepts (e.g., sovereignty, national interest, collective security, balance of power); and (2) examination of the historical evolution of international systems, with focus on the modern state system and the Cold War period. Special attention is given to the processes and institutions (e.g., international law, United Nations, NGOs, international civil society) that contribute to conflict resolution and international cooperation. Ultimately, this course provides the foundations (conceptual, historical, theoretical) that graduate students in International Relations need as a preparation for the curriculum’s more specialized and advanced courses.
Prerequisite(s): PAF G 631-36
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 632 Contemporary Issues in World Politics
This seminar focuses on current, major issues with an international dimension and/or global impact and with salience for the emerging patterns of world politics. While engaging in critical analysis of current issues, it examines the broader conceptual context and analytic framework which explain interactions among nations. Weekly reports based on assigned readings as well as a major research paper pursue distinct goals: the critical utilization of concepts; the refinement of analytic tools; the examination of different perspectives (national, international, global community); policy analysis.
Prerequisite(s): PAF G 632
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 633 Research Methods and Analysis in International Relations
This course introduces students to basic concepts and skills for research, both academic and practice-based, in international relations areas. It discusses the stages of research, from identifying appropriate questions and assessing existing literature, through framing questions in researchable fashion, identifying the best research approaches for those questions, identifying existing data resources, creating research agenda for gathering new quantitative and qualitative data, analyzing and weighing different forms of data, and drawing defensible conclusions while identifying further areas for research. Specific international relations concepts and major geographic regions are used as foci for readings and major international data sets.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 634 International Political Economy
The course engages students in a study of the relationship between economics and politics in the public affairs of humankind as influenced by global institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization; non-governmental organizations such as multinational corporations, local business partnerships, workers unions; and political entities such as national, regional, and global governance systems. The course also includes an interdisciplinary focus on the role of theory; the structures of knowledge, technology, and security; the behavior of consumers; and the mobilization of values as well as opinions expressive of those values.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 635 Globalization and International Development
This course provides a comprehensive study of the major concepts and theories necessary for a critical understanding of the socio-political-economic problems and possibilities facing Third World countries in their quest for development. While examining the domestic determinants of development, the course focuses on the role of international institutions and the dominant countries (United States, European Union, Japan) in shaping the policy options in developing countries, with particular attention to the process of globalization as a recent contributor to the problem of underdevelopment.
Prerequisite(s): PAF G 631-36
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 636 Political Economy of Regional Systems
The general goal of this course is to examine the distinct patterns of regional groupings (Western Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, North Africa and Mediterranean, Sub-Sahara Africa): the inter-state relations which define the region, with primary focus on political-economic issues; the interplay between regional issues and the broader context of international relations; and the impact of globalization on the political, economic, and cultural aspects of each region. For any one semester, however, within the broader analysis of regional systems, the focus will be on one single region-e.g., the European Union.
Prerequisite(s): PAF G 631-36
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 638L Global Governance
“Global governance” refers both to something empirical – “what (limited) world government we have” – and to an approach to the study of global problems, one that highlights the economic and cultural contexts of political globalization and foregrounds the questions of whether and how current processes can be made more effective. Students will become familiar with the variety of theoretical approaches to global governance and knowledgeable about its context, including the globalization of industrial capitalism in which global governance emerged, and about its empirics, what it is today. Students’ final papers and in-class presentations will investigate the prospects for reform of global governance in an issue area of their choice. CONRES 638L and PUBADM 638L are the same course.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 639L Global Environmental Governance
This course examines the development and functioning of global environmental governance as the system for design and execution of environmental policy at the global level. The course will employ key theories and analytical frameworks from international relations as well as empirical studies across several environmental issue areas. The goal is to present a broad overview of key concerns in global environment problems. The questions that guide the work throughout the semester include: Why is global environmental governance necessary? How has it performed and why? What new approaches have emerged? What would an optimal institutional structure for global environmental governance look like and how could it be created? CONRES 639L and PAF G 639L are the same course.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 640L International Organizations and the Environment
This course examines the role and performance of international organizations with environmental portfolios. The focus will be on the United Nations Environment Programme, and the secretariats of environmental conventions in the areas of biological diversity and conservation, climate change, and chemicals. The goal is to develop an understanding of the history and operations of international environmental organizations in order to measure and explain performance and propose analytically grounded policy interventions. CONRES 640L and PAF G 640L are the same course.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 642 Public Policy Analysis of Women’s Issues: A Global Perspective
This course is designed to develop an understanding of the importance of research in policy development. Women will learn fundamental research concepts and principles and will become acquainted with significant case studies about policies affecting women. The course introduces women to the general methods used in formulating and analyzing policy and then gives them the opportunity to design and conduct independent research on a policy issues relevant to their home country. Topics in this course cover the history of policy analysis, theories of the policy process, the role of social construction, institutions, interests and values in policy, organizational theory and leadership, the determination of policy goals and objectives, and various analytical and empirical frameworks for analyzing policy and its implementation worldwide. We will use international case studies extensively in order to give student exposure the real-world policy issues. Case studies produce in-depth knowledge of a policy within a narrowly defined framework.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 643 Gender & Dispute Resolution around the World
This course engages women in a systematic examination of conflict resolution theories, drawing from a broad range of academic disciplines, including economics, law social psychology, and anthropology, as well as dispute resolution. Throughout the course, the students will be challenged to apply the material to real-world situations. The students will also practice how to use the information to deal with conflict between men and women in political arenas. The course will consider conflict in a variety of organizational settings including formal, voluntary, and community organizations and focuses on the emergence, manifestation, and resolution of disputes.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 645 Program Evaluation
This course explores the issues involved in and techniques applicable to evaluation of programs in the public sector. The course focuses on how to define programmatic objectives and output measures and how to develop evaluation methods and instruments. It further addresses how to implement such studies and demonstrate their worth.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 647 Women Gaining Appointed/Elected Office: A Global Perspective
This course prepares women from a variety of countries to gain an appointed or elected office by providing the tools necessary given their political system and context. Part 1 presents an introduction to running for office; including questions about whether to seek an appointed or elected position and how to develop a plan. Part 2 provides the practical skills necessary to run a successful campaign. Part 3 addresses the challenges female candidates may face in their run for office; including ethical dilemma and coping with crisis including campaign management, fundraising, and communication. Students will be given the opportunity to tailor the information to suit their political situations and realities.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 650 Organizations, Social Change, and Public Policy
Organizations are at the heart of societal governance; they develop, contest, implement, and evaluate public policy. Organizations are also frequent targets of public policy, as sites that generate, reproduce, or sustain social and economic inequality. Some organizations, such as government agencies, are where public policies are enacted. Other organizations, such as community-based nonprofit organizations or advocacy groups, can act as agents of resistance and social change in the policy process. An understanding of organizations, their sources of power, role in governance, and structures and processes, is fundamental for public policy scholars. A wide ranging inter-disciplinary literature has applied organizational theory to the study of a variety of policy arenas. In this course we will read classic statements of organizational theory along with examples from contemporary empirical research that apply the theories. These examples are drawn from an array of disciplines including sociology, political science, and public administration, and cover a variety of policy arenas including education, health, housing, drugs, and the environment.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 651 Policy Workshop
A workshop in a series of weekend workshops that address public policy issues of concern to the Commonwealth.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
1 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 653 Policy Workshop
A workshop in a series of weekend workshops that address public policy issues of concern to the Commonwealth.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
1 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 654 Policy Workshop
A workshop in a series of weekend workshops that address public policy issues of concern to the Commonwealth.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
1 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 655 Policy Workshop
A workshop in a series of weekend workshops that address public policy issues of concern to the Commonwealth.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
1 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 670 Human Resource Management for Municipal Managers
This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the concepts and principles required for successful management of people within municipal governments in Massachusetts so that the organization can achieve its mission and goals. It is a core course in the municipal manager’s track of the MPA.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 671 Information Management and Technology for Municipal Managers
Information Management and Technology for Municipal Managers is a required graduate-level seminar course in the municipal managers track that introduces students to the essential theory of e-government and to a number of innovative IT practices in municipal government. The course consists of two parts. In the first section, important attributes of Information Society are examined put on a continuum of broader social transformation from Agricultural to Industrial, and to Information Age. The importance of building trust in the Information Society and the changing role of the public sector are discussed. The second section is dedicated to introducing students to various innovative IT practices in municipal government. The potential of these IT applications on municipal administration are examined as well as various institutional factors that enable their successful adoption and operation. This course gives students a well-rounded understanding of the potentials of the emerging technologies and of institutional factors that can leverage these potentials in improving municipal administration. Students are not expected to be (technically) proficient in creating these applications but have necessary knowledge in managing individuals or entities that can, whether it is technology produced in-house or through contracting-out relationships
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 672 Strategic Management and Leadership
This course is a Master’s level course designed to train students in executive management of public and private organizations. Effective leadership and management is characterized by particular skills, behaviors, and thinking models. The purpose of this course is to inform students of these characteristics as well as develop their own leadership capacity. This core course incorporates lessons on sustainability planning, long term organizational and financial planning, succession planning, employee engagement and empowerment strategies, leadership frameworks, and the role of professional management in policy development. This course rests on the assumption that successful leadership is characterized by particular approaches to these subjects and intends to inform students of those approaches as well as develop their own leadership capacity.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 673 Public Accounting and Financial Reporting
This graduate course is required for students in the Municipal Managers track and is an elective for other MSPA students. It provides a more comprehensive understanding of reading and understanding financial reports, financial statements, audits and using this information for managing a local government and communicating financial information to municipal officials and decision makers. The course compliments and builds on the theories and skills presented in PAF G 625 Public Budgeting and Financial Management. Financial management principles can be applied to any level of government; however, this course will specifically focus on the application of those principles at the state and local level. Students will learn how to analyze financial statements and conduct a financial condition analysis of a local government. Students will also explore the data maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and evaluate its usefulness in financial decisions.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 674 Issues in Massachusetts Local Government Law
This course will introduce students to issues in municipal law encountered by local government managers in Massachusetts. After a basic overview of the statutory framework of municipal governance in the Commonwealth, students will explore a series of legal topics that it is essential for municipal managers to understand, including: human resource laws, finance laws, land use laws, procurement laws, and laws governing board procedures and practices. Additionally, department-specific legal issues will be explored, including legal topics relating to police, fire, public works, and inspectional services.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 675 Collaborative Governance
This 3-credit course is intended to build a foundation for understanding the concepts, theories, practices, and competencies of collaborative governance. Actors in local, state, and federal governments must find ways to work collaboratively, manage conflicts, and build consensus with other public actors as well as with private companies, non-profit organizations, citizen groups, and other stakeholders. This is often a challenging task and when practiced poorly can impede rather than promote effective action. On the other hand, collaboration can be vital to creating and implementing sustainable, successful policies.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 676L Public Dispute Resolution: Theory, Research, and Practice
This 3 credit course is intended to build a foundation for understanding the concepts, theories, practices, and competencies of public policy dispute resolution and consensus building. Actors in local, state, and federal governments must find ways to work collaboratively, manage conflicts, and build consensus and other public actors as well as with private companies, nonprofit organizations, citizen groups, and other stakeholders. This is often a challenging task and when practices poorly can impede rather that promote effective action. On the other hand, collaboration can be vital to creating and implementing sustainable, successful policies.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 677 Internship in Municipal Management
This course provides an opportunity for students to foster a broad-based view of public administration by applying theory and concepts in real world practice. Students gain meaningful work experience in public organizations and acquire knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for professional development and advancement. The internship allows students to contribute to the work of the public organization. It is an elective course in the municipal manager’s track of the MPA.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 681 Advanced Studies in International Relations
This course provides students with a critical, in-depth assessment of a distinct and specialized area of international affairs-for example, the impact of multinational corporations, or approaches to international conflict resolution. It is designed for students in the International Relations track who have already completed the required six core courses in the track, and it builds on the body of knowledge so acquired. Structured as an intensive seminar, the course includes: study of the relevant literature on the topic, including a critical review of journals; review of the theoretical debates; participation in coordinated, team-research projects designed to analyze all the major aspects of the topic and share the results through systematic presentations.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 682 US Foreign Policy in the 21st Century
This course focuses on the context and process of US foreign policy, with primary attention to the rapidly changing international system in the 21st century. While engaging in critical analysis of current topics, the course also examines the broader conceptual context and analytic framework that explain interactions among nations and the unique role of US foreign policy.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 683 Emerging Patterns in International Relations
Representative case studies will be utilized to analyze new patterns and to revisit established concepts of International Relations int he light of the rapidly changing context of the emerging multipolar world. Major topics include: the rise of China as the dominant political-economic power; the changing role of post-Soviet Russia; transformative changes in the Middle East; economic-political changes in Latin America, Africa, Asia; changes in the Islamic world; the rise of Turkey; crises and possibilities in the European Union; the impact of global communications, social media, and trade.
3 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 691 Capstone /Case Study Seminar
Students in the MS in Public Affairs Program have the opportunity to complete a final project under the supervision of a faculty advisor. The project may be a case study of a public policy or significant piece of legislation which involved tracing its history, analyzing the political, economic, and social context in which it developed, identifying and examining roles played by those who were instrumental in its development, and assessing its intended and actual impact. It may also be a critical examination of a policy issue confronting a student at his or her place of employment. While completing their case study project, students participate in a weekly seminar that focuses both on the substantive issues under examination and on case study methodology.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
6 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 692 Capstone in International Relations
Under the supervision of an appointed capston advisor, students complete a policy-related capstone paper.
6 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 694 Independent Study in International Relations
An advanced course of independent readings under the guidance and subject to the examination of the instructor. Areas and topics are chosen according to student needs, as determined by review of the student’s completed coursework and academic goals. The director of the International Relations Track will determine the suitability of the independent study proposal and will guide the student to the appropriate faculty supervisor. The proposed project should provide the student with a critical, in-depth assessment of a distinct area of study within international relations that is not covered by available courses.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 696 Independent Study
These are advanced courses of independent readings under the guidance and subject to the examination of the instructor. Areas and topics are chosen according to student need.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 697 Special Topics in Public Affairs
This is an advanced course offering intensive study of selected topics in public affairs. Course content varies according to the topic and will be announced prior to the advance registration period.
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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PUBADM 699 Master’s Thesis in International Relations
Under the supervision of the appointed thesis advisor, students complete a major research project that makes a substantive contribution to critical understanding about a salient issue in contemporary international affairs. Students are also expected to explore in depth the broader context of the thesis topic. The final product is a substantial paper of approximately 60 pages indicating mastery of pertinent concepts and critical analysis. The thesis is defended before a faculty committee, and also provides the basis for a comprehensive discussion of the broader context.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Administration
6 Credit(s)
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Public Policy |
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PPOL-G 601 Political Economy I
This is the first term of a two-semester, multidisciplinary core sequence exploring the basic philosophical, social, political, and economic underpinnings of public policy development, through a series of discrete units. It is taught primarily from a historical and theoretical perspective. Major units include the theory of scientific inquiry; views of human nature; the history of ideologies and institutions; theories of freedom and justice; the conservative, liberal, and radical paradigms regarding the role of the state, race, ethnicity, gender and class. (Course offered in the fall only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 602 Political Economy II
This core course is a continuation of PPOL G 601. (Course offered in the spring only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 604 Statistics I
This required course is one of five required quantitative and research methods courses. It introduces and develops key notions in probability, statistical inference, and hypothesis testing. The concepts learned in this course form a basis for understanding the statistical methods and models used in research. The focus is both theoretical and applied. The primary goal is to enable students to perform descriptive statistical analysis and to formulate and test hypotheses. Students will also be introduced to the use of statistics software. (Course offered in the fall only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or Gerentology or Nursing
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 605 Stats II: Econometrics
This required statistics course is the second term of the statistics sequence. It is devoted to three widely used regression methods in statistics and social science research: ordinary least squares, probit, and logit regression models. The approach is both theoretical and applied. The focus is on how to formulate a model, specify its mathematical form, and use it to test hypotheses and estimate outcomes. The course also explores some common statistical problems encountered in estimating regression models–including missing variables, multi-collinearity, and heteroskedasticity, and diagnostic procedures that identify these problems. This required statistics lab course is the second term of the statistics sequence. It is devoted almost exclusively to a study of multiple regression and time series analysis methods, focusing on regression diagnostics and remedies. Topics include weighted least squares and non-linear transformations, the special nature of dummy variables,and the particular problems associated with serially correlated errors in time series models. (Course offered in the spring only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or Gerentology or Nursing
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 609L Qualitative Methods and Field Research
This course is designed to introduce students to qualitative research methods; its specific focus is on policy research and aging. Students practice the skills needed to observe the world around them by attending to social phenomena, descriptively and analytically. The course functions as both a seminar and a research workshop, and students learn by engaging in a field work project. GERON GR 609L and PPOL-G 609L and SOCIOL 609L are the same course.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 611 Foundations of Public Policy Analysis I
This is the first term of a two-semester core sequence that makes use of both theory and case study to examine various approaches to public policy analysis, evaluation, and implementation. The course seeks to introduce students to the general methods used in formulating and analyzing policy. Major units in this course cover the history of policy analysis; theories of the policy process; the role of social construction, institutions, interests, and values in policy; organizational theory and leadership; the determination of policy goals and objectives; and various analytical and empirical frameworks for analyzing policy and its implementation. (Course offered in the fall only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or LIUS
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 612 Foundations of Public Policy Analysis II
This core course is the continuation of PPOL G 611. (Course offered in the spring only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or LIUS
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 621 Econ Pub Policy I
This is the first term of a two-semester core sequence devoted to exploring the basic economics of policy analysis from both a microeconomic and macroeconomic perspective. The course is taught from both a theorectical and case study perspective. As with traditional graduate economics offerings, the micro/macro sequence begins with the foundations of household and firm behavior. Units in this course include production decisions; the theory of consumer choice; market structures; discrimination; the simple analytics of welfare maximization; public sector economics, including expenditure analysis, taxation, and regulation; theories of externalities and public goods; tax incidence; and the principles of cost-benefit analysis. The macroeconomic units include theories of income determination and income distribution and the problem of unemployment; the workings of financial markets and interest rate structures; the impact of macroeconomic policy on state and local government; and the constraints placed on domestic policy as a result of the internationalization of the economy.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 622 Econ Pub Policy II
This core course is the continuation of PPOL G 621. (Course offered in the spring only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 630 Research Methods I
This required course provides the conceptual and practical foundation for policy research. Students develop an understanding of the fundamental concepts and problems involved in designing research. (Course offered in the fall only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 641L Organizations, Institutions and Social Change
Organizations are at the heart of societal governance; profit-seeking corporations mobilize and allocate economic resources, governmental agencies deliver services and regulate other organizations, while numerous non-governmental organizations, from unions to churches to advocacy groups, constitute the realm of civil society. In structuring our society in particular ways, organizations represent a form of structural power; some groups systematically benefit relative to others as a result of how organizations function. Organizations are frequently the target of public policy, as they are sites that generate and reproduce inequality, discrimination, pollution, and other social and economic problems. Organizations can also serve as agents of resistance and change; they are thus the vehicles of public policy. Policy regimes emerge through the interaction of many organizations of different types, with conflicting interests and differential access to power and resources. An understanding of organizations, their sources of power, their role in governance, and their structures and processes, is therefore highly relevant for policy analysts, for activists, and for public and private-sector managers. MBAMGT 641L and PPOL-G 641L are the same course.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 697 Special Topics
This course offers study of selected topics within this subject. Course content and credits vary according to topic and are announced prior to the registration period.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 704 Research Methods II
This required course assists students to become critical consumers of policy research and to apply specific quantitative and qualitative techniques in policy analysis. Both generic and policy-specific aspects of various techniques are discussed and demonstrated through background readings and examination of concrete policy reports. Students are required to apply and present analyses in their field of interest. (Course offered in the spring only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 716 Pro-seminar
This course will provide students with skills that will help them to succeed in the PhD program. Some materials complement discussions in other classes and others reinforce those discussions. About half of the class will focus on policy relevant academic research, while the other half will emphasize professional skills.
1 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 723L Cost Effectiveness: Theory, Methods & Applications
This course introduces students to the theoretical underpinnings of cost-effectiveness analysis and the alternative methods for measuring costs and outcomes of health interventions. Through many practical applications, students gain a familiarity with how to apply cost effectiveness, cost benefit, and cost utility methods to actual research situations. GERON GR 723L and NURSNG 723L and PPOL-G 723L are the same course.
Prerequisite(s): NU 703 Health Economics or equivalent
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 740 Political Institutions
This core course is designed to introduce students to a number of issues in the study of the American political system at the national, state, regional, and local levels. The readings bring together research and analysis concerning specific topics and theoretical reflection concerning conceptual and analytic approaches. The course’s objectives are to show how a variety of the theoretical, methodological, substantive, and political presuppositions condition research and analysis; and to encourage students to acquire both substantive knowledge of the American political system and a critical attitude toward ways in which social scientists produce this knowledge. Both the subject matter and the ways in which it is analyzed are characterized by multiple conditions and contexts. Awareness of these relations is crucial for policy analysts. (Course offered in the fall only.)
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 743 Social Welfare Policy
This course is a study of social welfare policy narrowly defined as the alternative plans, decisions, choices, and actions of the public sector that have a direct impact on the material welfare of socially and economically disadvantaged citizens by providing them with services and/or income. The central core of programs discussed under this definition include social insurance, public assistance, and housing services.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 745 Advanced Quantitative Methods
The goal of this course is to extend the student’s knowledge of statistical techniques beyond that acquired in PPOL-G 604 and PPOL-G 605, by offering additional statistical estimation methods that apply in data or modeling situations in which the regression methods taught in PPOL-G 605 are either not appropriate or are not the best. The selection of methods may change over time,depending on students’ needs, or developments in the field of statistics. Like the two prior courses in this sequence, the course combines both theory and practice. The course deepens the student’s understanding of multiple regression estimation by further examination of problems associated with choosing a proper model and estimating its parameters. As with other methods labs, the course has a strong practical bias, with attention to statistical and econometric theory kept to a minimum.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 746 Geographic Information Systems for Public Policy
The purpose of this course is to learn principles and applications of GIS to support doctoral-level research in public policy, public administration, public affairs and urban and regional planning, with a particular focus on spatial data collections and analysis for urbanized regions within the greater Boston area. The goal of this course is to enable students to identify spatial characteristics of diverse application areas, to build maps that integrate diverse data sources, formats and displays, to perform spatial analyses, and to integrate spatial thinking and GIS analysis into their own research topics.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 748L Contemporary Issues in Health Politics and Policy
The course studies the determinants of health policy in the US, including the decisions and non-decisions made by the institutional and political actors at all levels of government and by private sector actors. The course covers the failure of health care reform in the US; the marketing, corporatization, and commodification of health care; comparisons with Western European nations; and topics in the assessment of health care quality.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 749L Scientific & Political Change
Although relatively few Americans have backgrounds in science or engineering, they are increasingly confronted with issues that are technically complex. This course explores the resulting tensions and asks how the needs for scientific expertise and democratic control of science and technology are reconciled. The first half of the course traces the historical development of American science policy and situates this development comparatively. The second half focuses on contemporary controversies, including those over the nature of university-industry relations, patent policy, and the cases of expert/lay disagreements over risk. CRCRTH 649L and PPOL-G 749L are the same course.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 751 Public Policy Challenges Facing Urban Nonprofit Organizations
Through theoretical readings and case studies, this course considers a variety of public policy issues related to the role of nonprofit organizations in American cities including: tax exemption, the increasing commercialization of the nonprofit sector, charitable choice provisions guiding the distribution of federal funds, and the role of nonprofit organizations in political advocacy.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 752 Public Policy, Organizations, and Social Change
A wide ranging interdisciplinary literature has applied organizational theory to the study of a variety of policy arenas. In this course we will read classic statements of organizational theory along with examples from contemporary empirical research that apply the theories. These examples are drawn from an array of disciplines including sociology, political science, and public administration, and cover a variety of policy arenas including education, health, housing, drugs, and the environment.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 753L Epidemiological Thinking and Population Health
Introduction to the concepts, methods, and problems involved in analyzing the biological and social influences on behaviors and diseases and in translation such analyses into population health policy and practice. Special attention given to social inequalities, changes over the life course, and heterogeneous pathways. Case studies and course projects are shaped to accommodate students with interests in diverse fields related to health and public policy. Students are assumed to have a statistical background, but the course emphasizes epidemiological literacy with a view to collaborating thoughtfully with specialists, not technical expertise. CRCRTH 653L and NURSNG 753L and PPOL-G 753L are the same course.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 760 Sociological Perspectives on Public Policy and Social Justice
This course introduces students to sociological perspectives relevant to the study of public policy with a focus on the relationship between public policy and social justice. We will focus on theoretical and empirical work from core aspects of the sociological discipline that are pertinent to these concerns, including urban sociology, political sociology and stratification. The course will cover the following topics: + How do various sociological traditions understand the role of the state and public institutions in relation to structures of inequality in society? Under what conditions do public institutions reproduce social inequality, act as agents of social control, work as a force for greater equity and inclusion, or otherwise support or oppose movements for social justice? + How have contemporary processes of social inequality, such as concentrated poverty, educational failure, mass incarceration and undocumented peoples, presented new challenges to equity-oriented policy-makers? + In what ways have marginalized populations organized to influence public policy to address inequality and to advance equity and social justice? + What models exist for researchers and policy-makers to collaborate with community-based organizations and for citizens to participate in the formation and implementation of public policy more generally? This course is designed as a seminar, where the professor serves as a guide and commentator on a set of texts that students examine. We will work to build a learning community in the classroom where students support and challenge each other. Students will be required to explore a theoretical or policy issue relevant to the course through a piece of original research. The course will primarily (although not exclusively) focus on the public policy/social justice relationship in eh U.S. context. But students, in their research projects, are welcome to pursue their own interests internationally or comparatively.
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 780 Policy Planning and Program Development I
This is the first in a two-semester course sequence and is taught as a practicum. Students work in teams providing professional services to public and non-profit agencies. The course focuses on the acquisition and application of techniques for policy planning, program development, and policy evaluation of both a technical and political nature. Depending on the year taught, students use a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods. The course begins with an examination of the substantive topic to be addressed, which varies year to year depending on the arrangement made with the partnering organization and develops various models of planning, program development and evaluation. Through participation in carefully selected consulting projects, the course covers techniques of problem definition; goal setting; evaluating an selecting programmatic options; predicting social economic and fiscal impacts; designing and testing pilot programs; implementation planning; and developing models and methods for public participation and constituency development. Ethical issues arising from policy planning and implementation are also considered. The specific focus and tasks vary from year to year. The course is designed to be an applied policy analysis experience that integrates theory, practice, and methods.
4 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 781 Policy Planning and Program Development II
This is the secondin a two-semester course sequence and is taught as a practicum. Students work in teams providing professional services to public and non-profit agencies. The course focuses on the acquisition and application of techniques for policy planning, program development, and policy evaluation of both a technical and political nature. Depending on the year taught, students use a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods. The course begins with an examination of the substantive topic to be addressed, which varies year to year depending on the arrangement made with the partnering organization and develops various models of planning, program development and evaluation. Through participation in carefully selected consulting projects, the course covers techniques of problem definition; goal setting; evaluating an selecting programmatic options; predicting social economic and fiscal impacts; designing and testing pilot programs; implementation planning; and developing models and methods for public participation and constituency development. Ethical issues arising from policy planning and implementation are also considered. The specific focus and tasks vary from year to year. The course is designed to be an applied policy analysis experience that integrates theory, practice, and methods.
Prerequisite(s): PPOL-G 781
4 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 795 Independent Study
Study of a particular area of this subject under the supervision of a faculty member. Students wishing to register must do so through the department.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 797 Special Topics
This is an advanced course offering intensive study of selected topics in public policy. Course content varies according to the topic, which will be announced prior to the advance registration period.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 891 Dissertation Wrkshp
This course is the fifth in the required five-semester “laboratory sequence” in quantitative and research methods. This course is divided into the two broad areas of research and writing, a distinction that is only conceptual; in reality, it is very difficult to divorce one from the other: good research is the product of both solid reasoning and clear communication. The research aspect of the course covers defining a proposal and a thesis, selecting a topic, literature search and data collection, alternative methodologies, an selecting an advisor and a thesis committee. The writing aspect covers organizing research materials and developing an outline, avoiding writer’s block, and professional and impact writing.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 898 Internship in Public Policy
Students carry out supervised internships in such settings as state and local governments quasi-public and non-profit organizations, and some areas of the private sector. Students are given credit for their internships on the basis of a detailed research or evaluation paper written about their experience.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Public Policy or graduate student with permission of instructor
3 - 9 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 899 Dissertation
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1 - 12 Credit(s)
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PPOL-G 9000 Departmental Transfer
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.25 - 12 Credit(s)
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School Psychology |
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SPY G 601 Issues and Ethics in School Psychology
This course addresses the professional identity and function of the psychologist in the public school setting. An intensive analysis of philosophical, technical, and administrative issues is conducted. The organization and operation of schools, federal and state educational laws, ethical issues and dilemmas, APA standards, and nondiscriminatory assessments are explored in depth. The course also examines contemporary educational issues that go beyond the role of the individual psychologist. The most current issues in the field are discussed. A pre-practicum field component is required.
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 602 Standardized Assessment and Report Writing
This course focuses on the administration, scoring, and interpretation of standardized cognitive instruments such as Wechsler scale and the Woodcock Johnson. It also lays the groundwork for writing psycho-educational reports based on the data collected. Topics include ethical, professional, and legal aspects of psycho-educational assessment, bias in testing, and issues related to testing linguistic and ethnic minorities.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in School Psychology
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 603 Foundations of Educational Assessment and Data-Based Decision Making
This course focuses on the assessment of core achievement domains (e.g., reading, mathematics) and the use of curriculum-based assessment and measurement procedures. It emphasizes educational assessment as a means of problem solving and on using data from educational measures to inform instructional and entitlement decisions. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the administration and interpretation of achievement tests, in using assessment data to directly inform intervention recommendations and in reporting findings both orally and in writing.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 602 and Graduate degree student in School Psychology
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 604 Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Assessment and Intervention
This course develops competence in administering and scoring selected personality, behavioral, social/emotional, and adaptive behavior measures, and in preparing meaningful interpretations of those test results. Topics include psychological theory and practical issues involved in clinical assessment. Close attention is paid to the psychometric adequacy of various assessment methods, ethical aspects of assessment, and issues of clinical judgment. Emphasis is placed on multi-method, multi-source strategies using approaches such as direct observation, interviewing techniques, rating scales, and self-report measures. The projective hypothesis and projective methods are reviewed, including storytelling and drawing techniques. Special issues in cross-cultural assessment and in assessing minority students and students with disabilities are considered. Links between assessment results and intervention recommendations are stressed.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in School Psychology
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 607 School-Based Interventions and Data-Based Decision Making
Attention is focused on the techniques of synthesizing educational, child development, and psychological information into effective prevention programs as well as individual and group interventions for students at-risk for special education and with disabilities. The course uses a problem solving approach and the theoretical and practical underpinnings of the evidence-based practice movement to facilitate student development, monitoring, and evaluation of effective academic, social, emotional, and behavioral intervention strategies with emphasis on direct and indirect evidence-based interventions. The course will also emphasize data-based decision making pertaining to matching treatments to reasons for problems students are experiencing, progress monitoring, as well as determining student responses to intervention.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 602 and 604 and COUNSL 614
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 608 Systems Consultation, Prevention, and Organizational Change
This course is designed to provide students with competencies regarding system-level prevention programming in schools and organizational change. The course will provide theoretical, empirical, and practical foundations for school prevention programming as it related to the academic, behavioral, socio/emotional, mental health and crisis related problems in grades k-12.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 608
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 610 Neuropsychological Theory and Practice in Education
This course examines neuropsychology, the study of the brain and of nervous-system functions, in relation to adaptive behavior and learning, from a developmental viewpoint. The course looks at organismic versus specific localization theories about normal and dysfunctional conditions that affect moving, sensing, perceiving, assimilating, recalling, and expressing through diagnostic-prescriptive studies. Participants study learning abilities and disabilities from a neuropsychological perspective, allowing them to apply the analysis of learning styles to the implementation of individual instruction methods and education plans.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 602 and COUNSL 608 and Graduate degree student in School Psychology
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 611 Diag&Mgt Neuro Diord
Diag&Mgt Neuro Diord
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 612 Learning and the Curriculum
This course uses theoretical and applied perspectives to explain how children and adolescents develop skills and knowledge in schools. Theoretical perspectives emphasize ecological, behavioral, and cognitive models of learning. With regard to application, theoretical perspectives on learning point to curriculum as a source of learning objectives and goals intended to guide instruction and assessment. Empirical research pertaining to instruction, assessment, and curriculum will be reviewed for purposes o using a rigorous evidence base to evaluate curriculum programs in core content (e.g., English language arts, mathematics).
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 635 Behavior Therapy in Schools
Understanding and managing student behavior is critical for educator to establish a positive and effective learning environment. Research supports the use of positive behavior supports and interventions to address challenging behaviors in order to increase active academic engagement and adaptive behaviors for all students, especially high risk populations. The purpose of this course will be to develop knowledge and skills int he principles of applied behavior analysis and to apply these principles and procedures to individuals and classrooms. Functional behavior assessment procedures covered include indirect assessments, descriptive assessments, and functional analysis. Treatments covered include antecedent intervention, differential reinforcement procedures, extinction, and punishment among others. Mastery in this course will be obtained through readings, participation in lecture/discussions, preparing for exams, and completing assigned projects.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 635
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 653 Cultural Competence for School Practitioners
This course is designed to provide an introduction to cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic variables that impact service delivery by counselors and school psychologists in schools. Students will develop an appreciation for and understanding of their own cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds. From there, they will develop appreciation for and understanding of their clients-children and adolescents in schools, their families, and entities that support them-as well as other educators and professionals in the educational systems.
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 685 Practicum I: School-Based Assessment & Intervention
Each student is matched with a practicing school psychologist 1.5 days per week in order to apply the skills consistent with the NASP blueprint. 125 clock hours of field experience are required in addition to the weekly seminar. The twofold purpose of this course it sot provide graduate students in school psychology: 1. A field-based practicum experience in an urban setting with students of diverse backgrounds. Activities focus on individual and systemic variables as well as policies and practices while engaging in the implementation of consultation, assessment, prevention and intervention activities. Formal and informal needs assessments will also be a continuous aspect of this practicum with services determined by the needs identified by students, staff, and administration. 2. A field-based practicum experience that focuses on the assessment of children and adolescents.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 601 and 602 and COUNSL 614 and Graduate degree student in School Psychology
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 686 Practicum II: School-Based Assessment & Intervention
Each student is matched with a practicing school psychologist 1.5 days per week in order to apply the skills consistent with the NASP blueprint. 125 clock hours of field experience are required in addition to the weekly seminar. The twofold purpose of this course is to provide graduate students in school psychology: 1. Field-based practicum experience in an urban setting with students of diverse backgrounds. Activities will focus on individual and systemic variables as well as policies and practices while engaging in the implementation of consultation, assessment, prevention and intervention activities. Formal and informal needs assessments will also be continuous aspect of this practicum with services determined by the needs identified by students, staff, and administration. 2. Field-based school psychology practicum experience that focuses on the assessment of children and adolescents.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 686
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 687 Practicum in School Psychology III
This Practicum is a continuation of Practicum I and II and integrates assessment and intervention services provided. It provides student with the opportunity to attain additional field work hours prior to the 1200 hour internship. Students are assigned to a school site, with a supervising school psychologist, and complete 250 field work hours over the course of a semester. Additionally, they meet with the university supervisor/seminar instructor on a weekly basis after school hours. Student performance on site is assessed via evaluation by the field supervisor; student skills in conducting psychoeducational evaluations and case studies is assessed by the university supervisor/seminar instructor. This course can be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite(s): SPY G 687
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 688 Internship in School Psychology
This full-time practicum/internship placement consists of at least 600 clock hours of full-time fieldwork experience at both the elementary and secondary school levels, under the supervision of a practicing certified school psychologist. The two required repetitions of this course provide the 1,200 clock hours of supervised fieldwork required for state and national certification. The first internship must be in an approved school setting. The second may be in a school setting or a clinical setting (under the supervision of a licensed or certified psychologist). University supervision and the approval of the program coordinator are required. May be taken twice for credit.
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 689 Internship in School Psychology
This internship placement consists of at least 600 clock hours of full-time fieldwork experience at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels under the supervision of a practicing licensed school psychologist. The 2 required repetitions of the course.
6 Credit(s)
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SPY G 691 Seminar in School Psychology
This seminar is taken in conjunction with the Internship in School Psychology (SPY G 688). It includes lectures and discussions about state and national certification requirements, case studies, assessments and multidisciplinary evaluations, legal and ethical concerns, cultural diversity factors, and general topics related to the internship experience. Capstone portfolio and daily log required. May be taken twice for credit.
3 Credit(s)
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SPY G 696 Independent Study in School Psychology
Research and reading in an area of school psychology chosen by the student and approved by the instructor. Open only to matriculants in the School Psychology program. A detailed proposal must be submitted to and approved by the program coordinator before registration for this course.
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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SPY G 697 Special Topics in School Psychology
This course focuses on research and reading in a particular topic in school psychology. Course content varies according to the topic and will be announced prior to the pre-registration period.
1 - 6 Credit(s)
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Sociology |
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SOCIOL 598 Field Experience Project
This course includes site visits and observation time spent in the field at state or social service agencies.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate student in Forensics
1 Credit(s)
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SOCIOL 600 Foundations of Applied Sociology
This course is required for all formally accepted first-year students. The purpose of the course is a) to engage students in the field and substance of applied sociology, in order to strengthen their understanding of how theories, concepts, and sociological research are central to social problem-solving, policymaking, and the skills required in a variety of occupational settings; b) to involve students at the beginning of their graduate education in designing their studies to meet their educational, career, and personal objectives; and c) to maximize and facilitate student utilization of the curriculum, faculty, and departmental/university resources.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Applied Sociology or Sociology PhD
3 Credit(s)
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SOCIOL 601 Complex Organizations
The course acquaints students with studies of complex organizations that throw light on decision-making and conflict in the setting of formal organizations. Students will study how policies emerge and how they are translated into action. They study research illuminating the nature and functions of rules, the initiation and consequences of political processes, the role and problems of street-level bureaucrats, and the impact of social, political, and economic conditions on organizational behavior. Theories and concepts are applied to human service organizations, and their distinctive features are discussed.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Applied Sociology or Sociology PhD
3 Credit(s)
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SOCIOL 605 Applied Sociological Theory
This course examines the nature and aims of applied sociological theory. Of special interest is the bearing of pure or basic sociological theory on applied research and problem solving, the differences between pure and applied sociological theory, and the relevance of applied theory for basic sociological theory. Other topics include the theoretical implications of moral and ethical concerns and restrictions in applied social research and employment and the nature of the values and assumptions involved in efforts to devise and implement policy intended to treat social problems.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate degree student in Applied Sociology or Sociology PhD
3 Credit(s)
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SOCIOL 606 Social Semiotics and Cultural Analysis
This doctoral level sociology seminar is intended to provide participants with an introduction to semiotics and cultural analysis. We will look at modes of expression and expressiveness; explore how culture manifests numerous modes of expressiveness, and how they are also embedded within culture. We will discuss the process through which cultures develop meaningful links in terms of sensibility, understanding, and meaning making. Our discussions will be associated with an in-depth analysis of the role of semiotics in culture and society and in doing so we will analyze the parallel between the function of the sign and the function of the signifying objects.
3 Credit(s)
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