M.A. in Applied Policy Analysis Curriculum

This course introduces students to the essential tools needed for policy analysis—statistics, hypothesis testing, probability, data management, data visualization, and regression analysis.

This course is a continuation of Introduction to Data Analysis, in which students explore causal inference. This course explores more advanced methods of analysis in order to understand how to infer true causal relationships using both experimental and quasi-experimental methods. Additionally, students learn how to differentiate between correlation and causation. (Prerequisite: Introduction to Data Analysis)

This course will explore ethical issues centered around the use of data. There is an abundance of data in the world and how that data is used is important when answering complex real-world issues. This course will discuss the responsibilities of researchers whose goal is to disseminate information gleaned from proper data analysis to a wide audience.

This course focuses on methods of analysis for data that is tracked over various periods of time—time series. The application of such methods are useful for identifying underlying trends that inform movements of variables, including past and future behavior.
(Prerequisite: Introduction to Data Analysis)

This course will introduce students to data gathering and visualization processes. Real world data can be messy. All data tells a story, and how that story is told depends on how the data is collected, tested, and presented. Being able to properly handle data in various formats and being able to decipher good data from bad data is critically important for any policy analyst. Students will learn how to gather data from various sources to answer real-world policy questions and present their findings in written and presentation form.
(Prerequisite: Introduction to Data Analysis)

This course explores the application of microeconomic theory to real-world policy and social issues. This includes topics such as resource allocation, incentives, opportunity cost, market failure, government intervention, uncertainty, consumer and firm behavior, and constrained optimization.

Policies are enacted in many ways in order to influence the choices people make. This course will explore human behavior and incentives as it relates to policy-related issues, including discussions about education policy, health care policy, and environmental policy among other topics. This course will draw from insights from economics, psychology, biology, sociology, and anthropology.
(Prerequisite: Economics for Policy Analysis)

This course will give students the chance to apply their policy knowledge to real world examples. Students will evaluate policy across various policy areas using the toolkit they have developed in previous courses. Students will be given prompts regarding current policy questions and will be required to critically analyze their efficacy in both written and presentation form to a wide audience consisting of those from both technical and non-technical backgrounds.
(Prerequisites: Introduction to Data Analysis, : Advanced Data Analysis)

This course will require students to conduct original research focused on current policy issues. Students will choose a policy area and come up with a strategy for analyzing a particular question within that policy realm and present the results in written and oral form. This course is intended for students to showcase all of the tools they have learned in previous classes.
(Prerequisites: Introduction to Data Analysis, : Advanced Data Analysis, : Applied Policy Analysis)

This course will explore and discuss current issues surrounding education-related policy. Students will delve into various topic areas as chosen by the instructor. Topics may include educational inequality and opportunity, school readiness, education and the law, instruction policy, higher education policy, and school finance. This course will involve discussion, data collection and analysis, and written and oral presentation on topic areas covered.
(Prerequisites: Introduction to Data Analysis, : Advanced Data Analysis)

This course will cover various topics related to health policy. The topics discussed will be chosen by the instructor. The course will be centered around current issues surrounding health policy such as health care equity, access to health care, insurance, retirement and aging, population dynamics, and access to medical data. This course will involve discussion, data collection and analysis, and written and oral presentation on topic areas covered.
(Prerequisites: Introduction to Data Analysis, : Advanced Data Analysis)

This course will explore issues surrounding environmental-related policy. The topics discussed will be chosen by the instructor. Topics may include environmental protection, natural resource use, energy policy, transportation policy, and national and international climate policy. This course will involve discussion, data collection and analysis, and written and oral presentation on topic areas covered.
(Prerequisites: Introduction to Data Analysis, : Advanced Data Analysis)

This course will explore topics centered around social and public policy. The topics discussed will be chosen by the instructor. Topics may include minimum wage policy, housing policy, social welfare policy, and criminal justice policy. This course will involve discussion, data collection and analysis, and written and oral presentation on topic areas covered.
(Prerequisites: Introduction to Data Analysis, : Advanced Data Analysis)