PhD Studies
Interdisciplinary Core Courses
Political Economy I & II (PPOL-G 601 & 602)
This two semester multi-disciplinary course explores the basic philosophical, psychological, political, and economic underpinnings of public policy development. It is taught primarily from a historical and theoretical perspective. Topics 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 in social science; applied ethics; and a synthesis of paradigms regarding the race, ethnicity, gender, and class.
Foundations of Public Policy Analysis I & II (PPOL-G 611 & 612)
This two-semester course makes use of both a theoretical and a case study approach to examine various approaches to public policy analysis, evaluation, and implementation. The course introduces the student to the general methods used in formulating and analyzing policy. 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.
Economics for Policy Analysis I & II (PPOL-G 621 & 622)
This two-semester course sequence explores the basic economics of policy analysis from both a microeconomic and macroeconomic perspective. The course is taught from both a theoretical and case study perspective. Topics include the foundations of household and firm behavior, 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; the principles of cost benefit analysis, theories of income determination, income distribution, 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 globalization.
Policy Planning and Program Development I & II (PPOL-G 780 & 781)
This course is taught as a team practicum. Students provides professional consulting services to public or non-profit clients. The course focuses on the acquisition and application of techniques for policy planning, evaluation, and program development Students gain applied skills in problem definition; goal setting; developing, evaluating and 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, implementation, and evaluation are also considered.
Political Institutions (PPOL-G 740)
This course introduces students to the American political system at the national, state, regional, and local levels. Course readings bring together research and analysis concerning specific topics and theoretical reflection concerning conceptual and analytic approaches. Objectives of the course are to show how a variety of 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.
Learning to Build an Equitable Society
Contact us by e-mail at public.policy@umb.edu for more information on PhD Studies in the Public Policy program or see our PhD Program contact page for additional ways to contact us.
PhD STUDIES TESTIMONIAL
“I tend to take a big picture view of the world, which feeds my interest in the different fields that comprise public policy in theory and in practice. In this program, I can explore ways in which we can better integrate the worlds of direct service and public policy to help ensure that each is actively and purposefully complimenting the other while working to protect people in need.
I came in with a background in international relations and human rights and a focus on food security issues, then shifted toward labor issues– the program allowed me that flexibility.”
--Barbara Hamilton, post-residency student