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.).

UMass Women into Leadership (UWiL) is a series of hands-on workshops designed to educate participants on the existence and causes of gender disparities in public service, to provide leadership training to prepare participants to enter public service careers, and to offer mentoring and networking programs to help launch public service careers.

We often think about policy as an area where government can be seen to either be effective or inefficient, unbiased or oppressive, too much or too little. But what if the story is that all of these ideas about good or bad governance miss the point? What if even good policy is often the engine of inequality? This class will explore these questions with the ultimate goal of highlighting what policy has been and what it could be. (Gen. Ed. SB, DU)

Focus on how public policies are made in the U.S., including the role of citizens, interest groups, and government institutions. Emphasis on the processes by which policies are made in various institutions, including the Presidency, Congress, bureaucracy, and courts. Examples cover numerous public policies, such as campaign finance reform, foreign policy, and the environment. (Gen.Ed. SB)

This course explores the relationships among reporters, publishers and politicians, and how each uses the media. Using historical biographies and other texts, the class will examine past strategies by politicians and media figures. Topics include campaign strategies, Washington politics, day-to-day effectiveness in office, making arguments through the media, and how those not elected use the media. Taught by Congressman Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the class offers an opportunity for students to hear how elected officials work with the press.

The course will introduce microeconomic theory for policy analysis, applying economic reasoning to public policy questions. Students will evaluate the economic arguments for and against alternative government policies by examining the effects of markets and of public policy on firms, consumers, workers, and families. The overarching course goals are (1) to have students understand basic microeconomic theories used in public policy and (2) to prepare students to apply microeconomic analysis to policy questions in future courses and in real world applications.

This course introduces students to statistical software and visualization methods in the context of applications with high social impact. It is designed for students with limited or no background in statistics, who might be interested in learning more about statistics before deciding about future study. It is vertically-integrated to also show students the potential of more advanced statistical methods.

This course introduces you to how science and policy can create a more sustainable future at the local, regional, national, and international levels. To make sustainable change, it is critical that we understand both the fundamental science and the drivers of policy change.

This course introduces you to several, critical ways public policy successes and failures can shape the life trajectories of young adults. The class helps you expand your critical understanding of important policy issues and debates (in education, housing, labor, etc.), to analyze a broad range of views, and to listen to the perspectives of others in a respectful, inclusive, open classroom. Does a state owe its people stability, social mobility, equal opportunity, freedom, or participation? If it does, how can public policy work to achieve these goals or at least not undermine them?

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