Public Policy
Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy
Office: 2607 Hearst Avenue, (510) 642-4670
Dean: Henry E. Brady, PhD
School Website: Richard and Goldman School of Public Policy
Overview
The Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) is one the nation's premier graduate institutions for education and research on the most pressing contemporary policy problems in American society and throughout the world. GSPP is an eclectic community of students, faculty, staff and visitors, all committed to the highest standards of policy analysis, intellectual rigor, and energetic policy debate.
GSPP was one of the first institutions in the United States established for the analysis and development of public policy. For almost four decades, it has been a leader in the teaching of methods of policy analysis using microeconomic, statistical, political, management, legal and information technology skills to help solve real-world problems.
The School is consciously multidisciplinary in its outlook and orientation. Its faculty is drawn from economics, political science, law, social psychology, demography, architecture, physics, and engineering. In addition, students can study with leading scholars in a variety of other disciplines and fields throughout the Berkeley campus.
Great emphasis is placed on team projects, on sharpening oral and written communication skills, and on creative thinking. Students have opportunities to work on policy problems for real clients and also to address scholarly and methodological issues in depth. The result is an exceptional learning experience, both inside and outside the classroom.
Our graduates have risen to leadership positions as policymakers, analysts, and managers at all levels of government, in the non-profit sector, in private institutions and in international organizations.
Undergraduate Courses
The undergraduate courses in public policy deal with the substance of public policy, how it is made, how its effects can be gauged, and what the purposes of policy should be. The courses consider both the policy process and particular policy issues. By examining different policy problems in their political and social contexts, students gain a greater sensitivity to the forces which shape and carry out public policies and to the impact of social, political, economic, and legal power.
Courses are designed for students in diverse disciplines and professional schools. There are no prerequisites for enrollment in the undergraduate courses unless specifically noted otherwise in the course descriptions. The training provided by the courses is useful to those interested in combining the substantive perspectives of the social sciences with the immediacy of contemporary problems; to those considering professional study; and to the informed and politically aware citizen.
Undergraduate Minor in Public Policy
The undergraduate minor in public policy introduces students from other departments and colleges to the field and practice of policy analysis. The minimum requirements are five courses in public policy, at least three of which must be upper division. All classes must be taken at the School of Public Policy or from the approved list of courses outside of the School.
PP 101 is required of all students in the minor. Students must achieve at least a C average (2.0) in the five courses. When students complete the minor, the school notifies the Office of the Registrar. Completion of the minor will be noted on the students' transcripts of Berkeley work.
Graduate Programs
Graduate Courses
Through an examination of domestic and international policy areas, graduate courses enable students to conduct systematic work in the design and assessment of public policies. Among the skills emphasized are those facilitating the application of political, organizational, economic, quantitative, and legal analysis to the full range of the policy process—from policy initiation through policy adoption, implementation, and evaluation. By developing these skills, students should find their strengthened analytical capabilities of direct use when applied to their own field of concentration.
Master in Public Policy
The MPP degree is earned in a two-year, full-time program consisting of a core curriculum, a policy internship in the summer after completion of the first year, a second-year policy analysis project, and elective courses chosen from those available on the campus and at GSPP. The program emphasizes practical and applied dimensions of policy-making and implementation, encouraging students to develop skills in:
- Defining policy issues to make them more intelligible to officials in the public, private or non-profit sector;
- Providing a broader perspective for assessing policy alternatives;
- Examining techniques for developing policy options and evaluating their social consequences; and
- Developing strategies for the successful implementation of public policies once they have been adopted.
Given the relatively small class size, the School's approach to teaching emphasizes teamwork, cooperation, and interaction among students and with the faculty. Students work, either as individuals or in small groups, on real policy problems for real clients under close faculty supervision.
Coordinated Degree Programs with Other Berkeley Colleges and Schools
The MPP may be earned in combination with an advanced degree from only the following Berkeley schools and colleges under a coordinated program:
- MPP/JD with the UC Berkeley School of Law;
- MPP/MPH in health policy and administration with the School of Public Health;
- MPP/MA in international and area studies with the College of Letters and Science; or
- MPP/MS with the College of Engineering
PhD in Public Policy
GSPP offers a doctoral degree program for students who seek careers in policy research with universities or research institutes. Usually only three or four PhD applicants are admitted each year, including those admitted from the School's MPP students. Non-GSPP applicants who seek a policy research career and have completed graduate work in public policy comparable to our MPP are also eligible for admission consideration.
The PhD program emphasizes the generation of knowledge, theories, methodologies, and applications appropriate to the advancement of public policy analysis and management. Doctoral students pursue highly individualized programs of study and typically work closely with school faculty members who share the student's subject matter interest.
Further Information
Brochures and information on admissions procedures and student financial assistance are available from the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, 2607 Hearst Avenue #7320, Berkeley, CA 94720-7320.
PUB POL 24 Freshman Seminar 1 Unit
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Hours and format: 1 hour of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
The Freshman Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 freshmen.
Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 39B Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 2 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Hours and format: 2 hours of seminar per week for 10 weeks.
Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower-division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty, but the suggested limit is 25.
PUB POL 98 Group Study in Public Policy 1 - 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
Hours and format: 1 to 4 hour of Directed group study per week for 15 weeks.
Group study on selected public policy topics. Open to freshmen and sophomores.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 101 Introduction to Public Policy Analysis 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
A systematic and critical approach to evaluating and designing public policies. Combines theory and application to particular cases and problems. Diverse policy topics, including environmental, health, education, communications, safety, and arts policy issues, among others.
PUB POL 103 Wealth and Poverty 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week.
This course is designed to provide students with a deeper understanding both of the structure of political economy and of why the distribution of earnings, wealth, and opportunity have been diverging in the United States and in other nations. It is also intended to provide insight into the political and public policy debates that have arisen in light of the divergence as well as possible means of reversing it.
Instructor: Reich
PUB POL C103/L & S C180U Wealth and Poverty 4 Units
Department: Public Policy; Letters and Science
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of Lecture and 2 hours of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
This course is designed to provide students with a deeper understanding both of the organization of the political economy in the United States and of other advanced economies, and of why the distribution of earnings, wealth, and opportunity have been diverging in the United States and in other nations. It also is intended to provide insights into the political and public-policy debates that have arisen in light of this divergence, as well as possible means of reversing it.
Students will receive no credit for C103 after taking 103. Instructor: Reich
PUB POL 117AC Race, Ethnicity, and Public Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
The objective of this course is to use the tools and insights of public policy analysis as a means of understanding the ways in which policies are shaped by and respond to issues of race, ethnicity, and cultural difference. The course is organized around a series of discrete policy problems involving issues of race and ethnicity. It is designed to allow for comparative analysis within and across cases to explore the variety of ways in which policy intersects with different racial and ethnic groups.
Satisfies the American Cultures requirement
PUB POL C142/ECON C142/POL SCI C131A Applied Econometrics and Public Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy; Economics; Political Science
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture and zero to 1 hour of discussion/laboratory per week.
Prerequisites: 140 or 141 or consent of instructor.
This course focuses on the sensible application of econometric methods to empirical problems in economics and public policy analysis. It provides background on issues that arise when analyzing non-experimental social science data and a guide for tools that are useful for empirical research. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of the types of research designs that can lead to convincing analysis and be comfortable working with large scale data sets.
PUB POL 156 Program and Policy Design 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
Studio/laboratory in the design of nonphysical environments. Complements courses in policy analysis, public management, economics, and political science; especially intended to integrate elements of professional programs in public policy and related areas. Students will design, in groups and individually, programs and policies that create value in the public sector, including statutes, regulations, and implementation projects. Comparative reviews will feature invited guests. Undergraduate level of 256.
Instructor: O'Hare
PUB POL 157 Arts and Cultural Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Survey of government policy toward the arts (especially direct subsidy, copyright and regulation, and indirect assistance) and its effects on artists, audiences, and institutions. Emphasizes "highbrow" arts, U.S. policy, and the social and economic roles of participants in the arts. Readings, field trips, and case discussion. One paper in two drafts required for undergraduate credit; graduate credit awarded for an additional short paper to be arranged and attendance at four advanced colloquia throughout the term. Undergraduate level of 257.
Formerly known as 108. Instructor: O'Hare
PUB POL C157/L & S C180X Arts and Cultural Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy; Letters and Science
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Survey of government policy toward the arts (especially direct subsidy, copyright and regulation, and indirect assistance) and its effects on artists, audiences, and institutions. Emphasizes "highbrow" arts, U.S. policy, and the social and economic roles of participants in the arts. Readings, field trips, and case discussion. One paper in two drafts required for undergraduate credit; graduate credit awarded for an additional short paper to be arranged and attendance at four advanced colloquia throughout the term. Undergraduate level of 257.
Students will receive no credit for Public Policy C157/Letters and Science C180x after taking Public Policy 108 or 157. Instructor: O'Hare
PUB POL C164/DEMOG C164 Impact of Government Policies on Poor Children and Families 4 Units
Department: Public Policy; Demography
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Examination of the impact of policies of state intervention and public benefit programs on poor children and families. Introduction to child and family policy, and study of specific issue areas, such as income transfer programs, housing, health care, and child abuse.
This course may be applied to the Demography major. Instructor: Mauldon
PUB POL 179 Public Budgeting 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Public sector budgeting incorporates many, perhaps most, of the skills of the public manager and analyst. The goal of this course is to develop and hone these skills. Using cases and readings from all levels of American government, the course will allow the student to gain and understanding of the effects and consequences of public sector budgeting, its processes and participants, and the potential impacts of various reforms. Undegraduate level of Public Policy 269. This course can be applied to the political science major.
Instructor: Ellwood
PUB POL 182 Environment and Technology from the Policy and Business Perspective 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
Most environmental issues involve technology, either in the role of "villain" or "hero." This course uses the lens of specific technologies to survey environmental policy and management, with an emphasis on the complexities of policy-making with diverse interest groups. The class includes case studies, guest practitioners, and a group project in which students employ a range of analytic tools and frameworks in order to develop creative, effective, and actionable environmental solutions.
Instructor: Taylor
PUB POL C184/ENE,RES C100 Energy and Society 4 Units
Department: Public Policy; Energy and Resources Group
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week, plus 8 hours of outside readings, research, papers, and work.
Energy sources, uses, and impacts: an introduction to the technology, politics, economics, and environmental effects of energy in contemporary society. Energy and well-being; energy in international perspective, origins, and character of energy crisis.
Instructor: Kammen
PUB POL 190 Special Topics in Public Policy 1 - 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 1 to 4 hours of lecture per week depending on the topic. 2 to 8 hours of lecture per week for 7 weeks depending on topic.
Course examines current problems and issues in the field of public policy. Topics may vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of the semester. Open to students from other departments.
Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 198 Directed Group Study 1 - 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
Hours and format: 1 to 4 hour of Directed group study per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Group study of a selected topic or topics in Public Policy. Meetings to be arranged.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
Hours and format: 1 to 4 hour of Independent study per week for 15 weeks. 1.5 to 6 hours of Independent study per week for 10 weeks. 2 to 7.5 hours of Independent study per week for 8 weeks. 2.5 to 10 hours of Independent study per week for 6 weeks.
Prerequisites: Upper division standing.
For upper division students wishing to pursue special study and directed research under direction of a member of the staff. Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 200 Introduction to Policy Analysis 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy.
This introductory course will integrate various social science disciplines and apply these perspectives to problems of public policy. Throughout the academic term, students will apply knowledge of politics, economics, sociology, and quantitative methods in the analysis of case studies of policymakers and managers making decisions. Students learn to use the techniques of social science to evaluate projects and programs. Course will include the preparation of a major paper for a client.
PUB POL 205 Advanced Policy Analysis 6 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Open only to majors who have completed the core curriculum.
Each student will conduct thorough analysis on a major policy question. In this research, students will apply the interdisciplinary methods, approaches, and perspectives studied in the core curriculum.
PUB POL 210A The Economics of Public Policy Analysis 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture/discussion and 1 hour of session per week.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy.
Theories of microeconomic behavior of consumers, producers, and bureaucrats are developed and applied to specific policy areas. Ability to analyze the effects of alternative policy actions in terms of 1) the efficiency of resource allocation and 2) equity is stressed. Policy areas are selected to show a broad range of actual applications of theory and a variety of policy strategies.
Instructor: Friedman
PUB POL 210B The Economics of Public Policy Analysis 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture/discussion and 1 hour of session per week.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy.
Theories of microeconomic behavior of consumers, producers, and bureaucrats are developed and applied to specific policy areas. Ability to analyze the effects of alternative policy actions in terms of 1) the efficiency of resource allocation and 2) equity is stressed. Policy areas are selected to show a broad range of actual applications of theory and a variety of policy strategies.
Instructor: Friedman
PUB POL 220 Law and Public Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of lecture/discussion per week.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy.
Focuses on legal aspects of public policy by exposing students to primary legal materials, including court decisions and legislative and administrative regulations. Skills of interpretation and legal draftsmanship are developed. Relationships among law-making agencies and between law and policy are explored through case-centered studies.
Instructor: Kirp
PUB POL C221/DEVP C221/ENE,RES C221 Climate, Energy and Development 3 Units
Department: Public Policy; Development Practice; Energy and Resources Group
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture per week.
Prerequisites: Graduate student standing or consent of instructor.
Graduate seminar examining the role of energy science, technology, and policy in
international development. The course will look at how changes in the theory and practice
of energy systems and of international development have co-evolved over the past half-
century, and what opportunities exist going forward.
A focus will be on rural and decentralized energy use, and the issues of technology, culture,
and politics that are raised by both current trajectories, and potential alternative energy
choices. We will explore the frequently divergent ideas about energy and development that
have emerged from civil society, academia, multinational development agencies, and the
private and industrial sector.
Instructor: Kammen
PUB POL 240A Decision Analysis, Modeling, and Quantitative Methods 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy.
An integrated course on the use of quantitative techniques in public policy analysis: computer modeling and simulation, linear programming and optimization, decision theory, and statistical and econometric analysis of policy-relevant data. The student develops a facility in distilling the policy relevance of numbers through an analysis of case studies and statistical data sets.
PUB POL 240B Decision Analysis, Modeling, and Quantitative Methods 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy.
An integrated course on the use of quantitative techniques in public policy analysis: computer modeling and simulation, linear programming and optimization, decision theory, and statistical and econometric analysis of policy-relevant data. The student develops a facility in distilling the policy relevance of numbers through an analysis of case studies and statistical data sets.
PUB POL 250 Political and Agency Management Aspects of Public Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of lecture/discussion per week.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy.
This course examines the political and organizational factors involved in developing new policies, choosing among alternatives, gaining acceptance, assuring implementation, and coping with unanticipated consequences. Materials will include case studies, theoretical, empirical, and interpretive works from several disciplines.
Formerly known as 230A. Instructor: Ellwood
PUB POL 251 Microeconomic Organization and Policy Analysis 3 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of seminar and 1 hour of conference per week.
Prerequisites: Business Administration 101B or Economics 200A or equivalent, and consent of instructor.
Research seminar to develop public policy analyses based on microeconomic theories of organization, including collective demand mechanisms, behavioral theory of regulatory agencies and bureaucracies, and productivity in the public sector.
Instructor: Friedman
PUB POL C253/A,RESEC C253 International Economic Development Policy 3 Units
Department: Public Policy; Agricultural and Resource Economics
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
This course emphasizes the development and application of policy solutions to developing-world problems related to poverty, macroeconomic policy, and environmental sustainability. Methods of statistical, economic, and policy analysis are applied to a series of case studies. The course is designed to develop practical professional skills for application in the international arena.
PUB POL 256 Program and Policy Design 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
Studio/laboratory in the design of non-physical environments. Complements courses in policy analysis, public management, economics, and political science; especially intended to integrate elements of professional programs in public policy and related areas. Students will design, in groups and individually, programs and policies that create value in the public sector, including statutes, regulations, and implementation projects. Comparative reviews will feature invited guests. Graduate level of 156.
Formerly known as 206. Instructor: O'Hare
PUB POL 257 Arts and Cultural Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Survey of government policy toward the arts (especially direct subsidy, copyright and regulation, and indirect assistance) and its effects on artists, audiences, and institutions. Emphasizes "highbrow" arts, U.S. policy, and the social and economic roles of participants in the arts. Readings, field trips, and case discussion. One paper in two drafts required for undergraduate credit; graduate credit awarded for an additional short paper to be arranged and attendance at four advanced colloquia throughout the term. Graduate level of 157.
Formerly known as 208. Instructor: O'Hare
PUB POL 259 Benefit-Cost Analysis 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of seminar per week.
Prerequisites: Calculus and Intermediate Microeconomics or consent of instructor.
This course discusses and criticizes the conceptual foundations of cost-benefit analysis, and analyzes in depth some important applied aspects such as endogenous prices of other commodities, methods to infer willingness to pay, valuation of life, uncertainty and the rate of discount. The goal of this course is to teach you the theory and practice of cost-benefit analysis, with an eye to preparing you to confidently conduct a CBA for an employer or client starting on day one of your career as a policy analyst. There will be three main components to the course: The textbook, discussion, and the semester project.
Instructor: Acland
PUB POL 260 Public Leadership and Management 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of lecture/discussion per week.
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Graduate School of Public Policy and a select few students at other graduate schools.
This course is designed to help students develop their skills for leading and managing groups, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and public advocacy, with the goal of achieving positive social change. Materials include case studies, analyses, and works from several disciplines. Course is open to first and second year MPP students, but recommended for first year.
Formerly known as Public Policy 230B. Instructor: Reich
PUB POL 269 Public Budgeting 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture/discussion per week.
Public sector budgeting is an activity that incorporates many, perhaps most, of the skills of the public manager and analyst. The goal of this course is to develop and hone these skills. Using cases and readings from all levels of American government, the course will allow the student to gain an understanding of the effects and consequences of public sector budgeting, its processes and participants, and the potential impacts of various reforms. Graduate level of Public Policy 179.
Formerly known as 209. Instructor: Ellwood
PUB POL 270 Kid-First Policy: Family, School, and Community 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
This seminar appraises the critical policy choices that shape the lives of children and adolescents from birth through high school and beyond. The issues are as varied-and hotly debated by politicians and policy-makers-as banning Coke machines in schools to reduce obesity, regulating teenage abortion, providing universal preschool and helping abused children. Students from across the campus-public policy, education, social welfare, business, sociology, political science, economics-bring different perspectives. Discussions and readings draw on insights from across the policy sciences. Problem-solving is the focus in seminar meetings and research projects.
Instructor: Kirp
PUB POL 279 Research Design and Data Collection for Public Policy Analysis 3 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: At least one semester of statistics.
Public policy analysis requires a sophisticated understanding of a variety of types of data. Empirical arguments and counterarguments play a central role in policy debates. Quantitative analysis courses teach you how to analyze data; this course will introduce you to strategies of data collection and principles for critically evaluating data collected by others. Topics include measurement reliability and validity, questionnaire design, sampling, experimental and quasi-experimental program evaluation designs, qualitative research methods, and the politics of data in public policy.
Instructor: MacCoun
PUB POL 280 Ethics, Policy, and the Power of Ideas 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
This seminar brings together two related frames for policy thinking: the ethics of policy, that is, what does it mean to do the right thing? and the intervention of policy, that is, how do new policy paradigms emerge? Those who seek to govern well inescapably confront questions of value in their political, professional, and personal choices. the discussion of ethical dilemmas, which will take up the first half of the semester, is designed to provoke analytic reflection on the moral challenges and responsibilities of public policymaking in a democracy. The focus is on the many and often competing obligations, commitments and values that should guide public actors, as well as on the public principles that guide the design of good public policy. Politics and conventional analytics dominate policy in the short run. But over the longer term, conceptualizations as varied as exit/voice/loyalty, satisficing, the tipping point, memes, winner-take-all, strong democracy, broken windows, and the prisoners dilemma profoundly influence the policy conservation.
Instructor: Kirp
PUB POL 282 Environment and Technology from the Policy and Business Perspective 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
Most environmental issues involve technology, either in the role of "villain" or "hero." This course uses the lens of specific technologies to survey environmental policy and management, with an emphasis on the complexities of policy-making with diverse interest groups. The class includes case studies, guest practitioners, and a group project in which students employ a range of analytic tools and frameworks in order to develop creative, effective, and actionable environmental solutions.
Instructor: Taylor
PUB POL C284/ENE,RES C200 Energy and Society 4 Units
Department: Public Policy; Energy and Resources Group
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week, plus 8 hours of outside readings, research, papers, and work.
Energy sources, uses, and impacts; an introduction to the technology, politics, economics, and environmental effects of energy in contemporary society. Energy and well-being; energy international perspective, origins, and character of energy crisis.
Instructor: Kammen
PUB POL C285/NUC ENG C285 Nuclear Security: The Nexus Between Policy and Technology 4 Units
Department: Public Policy; Nuclear Engineering
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
The course will review the origins and evolution of nuclear energy, how it has been applied for both peaceful and military purposes, and the current and prospective challenges it presents. The purpose of the course is to educate students on the policy roots and technological foundations of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons so they are positioned to make original contributions to the field in their scholarly and professional careers.
Instructors: Nacht, Prussin
PUB POL 286 US National Security Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
An extensive examination of contemporary U.S. national security issues and how policy is developed and implemented. Topics include Russia after the Cold War with emphasis on nuclear and biological weapons; crisis decision-making and the key players in national security policy; the struggle against terrorism, especially since 9/11, with some reference to homeland security; the challenges to U.S. policy in the Middle East after the Arab spring; China as the chief great power rival; and the role of unmanned vehicles, cyber, and special operations as key elements of U.S. policy. Students will write policy memos, participate in crisis simulation exercises, and complete a take-home final examination.
Instructor: Nacht
PUB POL 288 Risk and Optimization Models for Policy 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: One course in statistics/probability.
Optimization and simulation models in stochastic and deterministic contexts. Monte Carlo simulation, Bayesian models and decisions, linear and nonlinear programming, queing models, and a review of heuristics and biases in individual risk assessment. Hands-on exploration of tools oriented to management and policy decisions in public and nonprofit organizations. Objective for students: lifelong habit of learning and using new analytic methods.
Instructor: O'Hare
PUB POL 290 Special Topics in Public Policy 1 - 4 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 1 to 4 hours of lecture per week for 14 weeks depending on topic. 2 to 8 hours of lecture per week for 7 weeks depending on topic.
Course examines current problems and issues in the field of public policy. Topics may vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of the semester. Open to students from other departments.
Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 292 Directed Advanced Study 1 - 12 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 1 to 12 hour of Independent study per week for 15 weeks. 1.5 to 18 hours of Independent study per week for 10 weeks.
Open to qualified graduate students wishing to pursue special study and research under direction of a member of the staff.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 295 Supervised Research Colloquium 1 - 9 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Hours and format: Zero hours of Independent study per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Open to qualified graduate students wishing to pursue special research under direction of a member of the staff. Discussion and analysis of dissertation research projects, including conceptual and methodological problems of designing and conducting policy research.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 296 Ph.D. Seminar 3 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of seminar and 1 hour of consultation per week.
Prerequisites: Must be a Ph.D. student in public policy in third year or beyond.
Discussion and analysis of dissertation research projects, including conceptual and methodological problems of designing and conducting public policy research.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 297 Graduate Student Led Course in Public Policy 1 Unit
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Hours and format: 1.5 hours of lecture per week for 15 weeks. 3 hours of lecture per week for 7 weeks.
Prerequisites: Open to graduate students only.
Course examines current problems and issues in the field of public policy. Topics vary from year to year.
Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 298 Directed Advanced Study 1 - 12 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Hours and format: Zero hours of Independent study per week for 15 weeks. 1 to 4 hour of Independent study per week for 8 weeks. 1 to 5 hour of Independent study per week for 6 weeks.
Open to qualified graduate students wishing to pursue special study and research under direction of a member of the staff.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 299 Independent Study in Preparation for the Advanced Policy Analysis 3 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: Zero hours of Independent study per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of faculty.
By arrangement with faculty. Open only to qualified second-year graduate students working toward the M.P.P. degree.
Credit to be awarded on completion of the Master's thesis. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
PUB POL 375 GSI Practicum 2 Units
Department: Public Policy
Course level: Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
This course is directed at Graduate Student Instructors for undergraduate and graduate courses, and reviews the most important elements of effective teaching, especially teaching graduate students in professional programs like the Master of Public Policy. It satisfies the graduate division requirement for a 300 course for GSI's.
Formerly known as Public Policy 300. Instructor: O'Hare
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