Graduate Courses

Social Policy

PMAP 8010 serves as a broad introduction to social policy in the United States. The course focuses on the theoretical, ideological and practical explanations of policy problems and alternative social policy choices, and delves into specialized topics in the contemporary social policy discourse, including education, poverty and welfare, health, housing, and crime. The course readings include journal articles, selected book chapters, and other published works.

Race and Public Policy

PMAP 8921 is an introductory course that focuses on the theoretical, ideological and practical explanations of policy problems and alternative social policy choices, with a specific emphasis on the complex relationship between race and social policies in the United States. The goal of this course is not to identify victims or oppressors or critique racial groups, but instead to establish the historical facts that are a part of the nation’s political, economic, and social reality and decide the role these factors have played, should have played, or will play in current and future public policies. Students examine the role of race in the policy process and the theories and philosophies that inform or help construct such policies, as well as the manner in which public policy has been used to address race and alleviate disparities in the U.S. They also learn about the relationship between race and substantive policy domains such as affirmative action, immigration, criminal justice, and housing.