Students will enroll in this course when they have been matched through the Public Policy Undergraduate Research Engagement Program to assist faculty with their research. The course will allow students and faculty to establish common goals that are substantive and measurable, ensuring opportunities for meaningful learning. Completing research in the field of public policy is an opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding of how the process of research occurs, develop knowledge within an area of interest, and expand skills in communication, critical thinking, analysis, and more.

Students will enroll in this course when they have found an internship in public policy that they would like to complete for academic credit. The course will allow students and a supervising faculty member to establish common goals that are substantive and measurable, ensuring opportunities for meaningful learning.

Between news stories and tv shows, attention to policing in the United States is typically high. However, since 2013 the diversity of reasons why attention has turned to the police and policing and the nature of that attention has varied widely. For example, beginning in 2015, the Washington Post began tracking the number of people the police kill each year: on average, around 1000 people are.

What are the problems associated with developing equitable and just policy? Why does social policy in the United States continue to be marked by tensions between the principle of equality and the reality of inequalities in social, political, and economic realms? How might policy subvert or reinforce these differences and inequalities? This class examines the history of social policy in the United States, particularly those policies affecting concerns of gender, race, and class.

Introduction to Environmental Policy and Administration in the United States, with a focus on the Federal level. Topics include: Defining a "Public Problem"; understanding what Public Policy is; understanding what Public Administration is; and understanding what Policy Analysis is. Much of the course will be focused on reviewing major historical environmental legislation and policies (e.g., Clean Air, Clean Water; Endangered Species; Superfund; Wind Energy, etc.).

This course will encourage you to reflect on what you have learned thus far - in your courses, extracurricular experiences, jobs, internships, life - and consider how it will shape your journey forward into your career. It will teach you needed skills to advance your career including networking, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, negotiating, and embodying professionalism. Ultimately, by looking at your core values and what you have accomplished thus far, you will craft a plan for how to move forward both during your time at UMass and beyond.

This course is designed to help students become better communicators by strengthening their skill as writers since writing is integral to all phases of the policy process. Public policy is concerned with identifying problems, coming up with solutions to those problems, and getting those solutions adopted and implemented. For that to happen, students must be experts in communicating with a variety of audiences. There are three basic ways to do so: speaking, writing, and showing. This course is designed to enable students to do all three, although the focus is on writing.