Students will learn to analyze issues to determine if there is a role for government intervention, to evaluate public policy options that could address the identified problem, and to design programs that would target the specific issues. The role of political factors in affecting these decisions is also covered.

This class covers diverse modeling tools in public policy, drawing from fields such as economics, geography, demography, spatial analysis, risk analysis. decision theory. The emphasis is on applied analysis to address current public policy issues.

This course provides students with practical knowledge about the budget process and the tools to construct and analyze a public budget. General theories of public finance and the role of the budget as a political document are covered. Assignments will provide practice in the budgeting approaches covered in the readings.

Students will learn the current theories of local economic development, including the role of infrastructure, access to markets, workforce quality (human capital), technology development, the role of universities, and the value of networks among business actors. Students will use these theories to create a metropolitan benchmarking report and strategic plan.

Environmental governance examines the institutions used to manage the environment and natural resources. The class pulls from political, economic, sociological and ecological frameworks to develop an interdisciplinary examination of the management of resources, both in the US and abroad.

An independent study course provides the opportunity for a student to develop knowledge regarding a particular topic of interest, beyond that available in traditional courses. The student will develop a contract with the faculty member who supervises the independent study to specify the topics covered, the tasks to be performed, and the grading criteria. Students are expected to participate in development of a reading list. Regular meetings of the student and the faculty supervisor will occur throughout the semester.

This class covers basic methods of evaluating the impact of public policies. We will read examples of each type of evaluation and discuss the difficulties each case illustrates in doing applied research - including statistical problems, ethical issues, and the potential impact of the evaluation on policy change.

Enrollment is restricted to students in MUAPP program. Students will work with an organization in the public sector (typically nonprofit or government) to apply concepts and skills from the first-year MUAPP curriculum. They will develop a portfolio of work products to demonstrate their competencies and interests to future employers. Students will gain relevant work experience; apply concepts and skills developed in other courses in the MUAPP curriculum; create a portfolio of work products to demonstrate abilities to future employers.

Requirement for MPP graduate students. The class develops professional skills for students to identify and pursue internship and career options. Policy practitioners discuss their experiences, illustrating different work in the policy field. Job search strategies, resume writing, and informational interviews are covered.