Course Descriptions
PBPL 100 INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY
This course provides students with a basic discussion of the history and principles of public policy. Public policy is a large and diverse topic of scholarly and applied study covering a number of academic disciplines including but not limited to political science and government, economics, sociology, anthropology, public administration and management, organizations and institutions. The central purpose of any investigation of public policies is to understand the socioeconomic and political processes behind their formulation and implementation as well as to evaluate their consequences (3 credits).
Cross-listed with SOC 260 Introduction to Public Policy
ACCT 205 PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING I
MATH 212 BIOMEDICAL STATISTICS (C)*
PBPL 350 APPLIED STATISTICS
This course provides sociology/ public policy majors and others with the tools for understanding, evaluating and conducting social science research. Students will acquire a better understanding of the relationship between the theoretical and substantive questions germane to the discipline and the diverse empirical work addressing those questions. Analytic objectives consistent with Mount Saint Vincent and sociology department learning goals include: (1) developing rudimentary statistical skills (2) linking theoretical problems to hypothesis testing and statistical inference (3) exploring major types of empirical research and their implications for problem solving (e.g., experiments, surveys, participant observation) (4) applying and refining knowledge of sociological methods through diverse readings in both the sociological literature (e.g., American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, Sociological Methodology) and in non-academic publications (e.g., The New York Times).
This course also serves as an introduction to fundamental ideas in multivariate statistics using case studies. It will cover descriptive, exploratory, and graphical techniques in multivariate statistics. Also, it will cover the assumptions, limitations, and uses of basic techniques such as cluster analysis, principal components analysis, factor analysis, multivariate regression, and multivariate analysis of variance, as well as how to implement these methods on available public domain policy and economic data sets, using statistical software such as RPSS and SPSS (3 credits).
Cross-listed with SOC 350 Social Science Research Methods
PBPL 360 PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS AND CASES
Public policy analysis serves as an intermediate /advanced seminar designed to explore the principles of public policy decision-making. Public policy is a large and diverse topic of scholarly and applied study covering a number of academic disciplines including but not limited to political science and government, economics, sociology, anthropology, public administration and management, organizations and institutions.
The central purpose of any investigation of public policies is to understand the socioeconomic and political processes behind their formulation and implementation as well as to evaluate their consequences. To do so, public policy analysis will provide the intermediate to advanced student knowledge and tools with which to: understand the nature of cooperation and joint action; assess and evaluate the efficacy of public policies and programs to achieve social, political and economic objectives; formulate and evaluate normative and ethical ramifications of policy, including equity and justice, and; apply these tools to decision-making practice, not simply as a matter of theoretical understanding. While some of these objectives parallel those of foundation-level courses in public policy, the intermediate to advanced student will be expected to achieve competency rather than simply gaining familiarity with the topics of discussion (3 credits).
PBPL 375 SURVEY INTERNSHIP
This course will examine survey research design, execution of sampling, field, data processing. Special emphasis is placed on survey research design, although qualitative research and desk research will also be covered. Additionally, the class will be a survey class that also provides a comprehensive background of methodological knowledge for the senior research project (3 credits).
PBPL 460 RESEARCH PROJECT
Students will select a topic in one of the areas of concentration and develop it into a major paper including an original research study, presenting their findings in a formal oral presentation (3 credits).
PHIL 320 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
RELS 430 CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES*
This course is a theological and ethical investigation of selected moral problems of our time such as truth in government, violence, economic injustice, human trafficking, and racism. Student suggestions and discussion of additional moral issues will be considered (3 credits).
Prerequisite: RELS 208
PHIL 369: PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
This course investigates social responsibility from a philosophical perspective. Among the themes treated in this course are marginalization, discrimination, genocide, anger, justice, moral obligation, human rights, love, service, and charity. Students will examine the connections between philosophical theory and social action and will explore their ethical obligations to others. Students will be required to participate in community service projects outside of class (3 credits).
Prerequisite: PHIL 110
SOC 321 SOCIAL POLICY
The course introduces students to some of the major policy initiatives and programs in the U.S. and beyond and encourages them think about major conflicts and debates in social welfare today in 21st century priority practice areas like disability, welfare, hunger, healthcare, education, employment, services for children and elders, mental health, and substance abuse through the lenses of diversity in practice, human rights, and justice. There is a strong focus in the class on antipoverty policy (3 credits).
SOC 335 CULTURE, HEALTH, AND ILLNESS (WE)*
This course is an application of anthropological and sociological methods and theory in the comparative analysis of illness, medical practices and health systems (3 credits).
(C)* May be taken to meet Core Requirements
(WE)* Writing Emphasis