Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Online

This course provides students with a basic discussion of the history and principles of public policy. Public policy is a large and diverse topic of scholarly and applied study covering a number of academic disciplines including but not limited to political science and government, economics, sociology, anthropology, public administration and management, organizations and institutions. The central purpose of any investigation of public policies is to understand the socioeconomic and political processes behind their formulation and implementation as well as to evaluate their consequence.

The course introduces the student to the basic economic principles and analytical techniques that are necessary to understand how the market economy functions and what market efficiency means. It explains why the government intervenes and how such intervention affects the market. It focuses on the study of the behavior of individual economic units, which include consumers, investors, business firms, workers, and other entities that play a role in the functioning of the economy. The course examines how and why these units make economic decisions, and how they interact to form larger units — markets and industries. As an introductory course, it is designed to equip the students with the basic tools of economic analysis that will help them understand better the world we live in.

This course in economics is designed as part of the University's Core Curriculum. This course examines the fundamental principles that govern the workings of the overall economy. It covers topics such as demand and supply analysis, national income accounting, economic growth, business cycles, inflation, unemployment, fiscal and monetary policies, as well as an introduction to international trade and exchange rate markets. It also explores various contemporary economic policy issues. The course is designed for both Business and Economics majors/minors and non-majors, and fulfills the social science requirement in the core curriculum.

This course provides sociology/public policy majors and others with the tools for understanding, evaluating & conducting social science research. Students will acquire a better understanding of the relationship between the theoretical and substantive questions germane to the discipline & the diverse empirical work addressing those questions. Analytic objectives consistent with MSV & sociology department learning goals include: 1. developing rudimentary statistical skills 2. linking theoretical problems to hypothesis testing & statistical inference 3. exploring major types of empirical research and their implications for problem solving (e.g., experiments, surveys, participant observation) (4) applying and refining knowledge of sociological methods through diverse readings in both the sociological literature (e.g., American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, Sociological Methodology) and in non-academic publications (e.g., The New York Times). This course also serves as an introduction to fundamental ideas in multivariate statistics using case studies. It will cover descriptive, exploratory, and graphical techniques in multivariate statistics. It will cover the assumptions, limitations, & uses of basic techniques such as cluster analysis, principal components analysis, factor analysis, multivariate regression, and multivariate analysis of variance, as well as how to implement these methods on available public domain policy & economic data sets.

This course will examine the scientific method both in terms of its abstract structure and the technical details required to carry out research. Special emphasis is placed on survey research design as well as the development of a research design to actually be applied in the SOC 416, Senior Seminar. Additionally, the class will be a survey class that also provides a comprehensive background of methodological knowledge.

This course develops students’ understanding of social and political theory through the examination of a variety of classic texts. Among the themes treated in this course are authority, freedom, equality, justice, law, community, natural right, power, government, and social construction. The effect of social and political structures upon individuals will be considered. Major thinkers studied will vary but may include Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, Arendt, Foucault, Rawls, and Nozick.

Students will select a topic in one of the areas of concentration and develop it into a major paper including an original research study, presenting their findings in a formal oral presentation.

Public policy analysis serves as an intermediate /advanced seminar designed to explore the principles of public policy decision-making. Public policy is a large and diverse topic of scholarly and applied study covering a number of academic disciplines including but not limited to political science and government, economics, sociology, anthropology, public administration and management, organizations and institutions. The central purpose of any investigation of public policies is to understand the socioeconomic and political processes behind their formulation and implementation as well as to evaluate their consequences. To do so, public policy analysis will provide the intermediate to advanced student knowledge and tools with which to: understand the nature of cooperation and joint action; assess and evaluate the efficacy of public policies and programs to achieve social, political and economic objectives; formulate and evaluate normative and ethical ramifications of policy, including equity and justice, and; apply these tools to decision-making practice, not simply as a matter of theoretical understanding. While some of these objectives parallel those of foundation-level courses in public policy, the intermediate to advanced student will be expected to achieve competency rather than simply gaining familiarity with the topics of discussion.

This course investigates social responsibility from a philosophical perspective. Among the themes treated in this course are marginalization, discrimination, genocide, anger, justice, moral obligation, human rights, love, service, and charity. Students will examine the connections between philosophical theory and social action and will explore their ethical obligations to others. Students will be required to participate in community service projects outside of class.

This course will examine survey research design, execution of sampling, field, data processing. Special emphasis is placed on survey research design, although qualitative research and desk research will also be covered. Additionally, the class will be a survey class that also provides a comprehensive background of methodological knowledge for the senior research project.

The course introduces students to some of the major policy initiatives and programs in the U.S. and beyond and encourages them to think about major conflicts and debates in social welfare today in 21st century priority practice areas like disability, welfare, hunger, healthcare, education, employment, services for children and elders, mental health, and substance abuse through the lenses of diversity in practice, human rights, and justice. There is a strong focus in the class on antipoverty policy.

This course is an application of anthropological and sociological methods and theory in the comparative analysis of illness, medical practices and health systems.

This course is a theological and ethical investigation of selected moral problems of our time such as truth in government, violence, economic injustice, human trafficking, and racism. Student suggestions and discussion of additional moral issues will be considered