Program Overview

Public Policy Analysis (PPA)

Overview

The Public Policy Analysis (PPA) program offers a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to analyze and develop effective public policies.

Courses

• PPA 401. Data Analysis I. 3 or 4 hours. Statistical inference for the social sciences, with an emphasis on univariate and bivariate statistics. This course is also offered as POLS 401. 3 undergraduate hours, 4 graduate hours. Prerequisites include POLS 200 and POLS 201, or graduate standing.
• PPA 501. Data Analysis II. 4 hours. Interpretation and application of multivariate methods of analysis in the social sciences, including regression specification and diagnostics, limited dependent variable models, and measurement issues. This course is also offered as POLS 501. Prerequisite: POLS 401 or PPA 401.
• PPA 541. Policy Formation, Implementation and Evaluation. 4 hours. Introduction to political science theories of how elections, interest groups, and state structure affect the formulation of public solutions to societal problems. This course is also offered as POLS 541. Prerequisite: Consent of the department required for nondegree graduate students.
• PPA 584. Methods of Policy Analysis. 4 hours. Analytic, allocative, and evaluative techniques in public policy analysis, including the preparation of case studies in problem analysis and policy recommendation. This course is also offered as UPP 584. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
• PPA 590. Advanced Public Policy Workshop. 4 hours. Interdisciplinary workshop on preparing a dissertation proposal for public policy analysis students. This course is also offered as POLS 590. Prerequisites include advanced standing in the Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis program and completion of core P.P.A. courses.