UMass Boston

Approaches to Policy Analysis: Epistemology, Theory & Institutions

Course #: PPOL-G 612, Class #: 1097, Section #: 01

Description

This required core course surveys the major epistemological approaches and theoretical foundations used by scholars in the interdisciplinary field of public policy. It is organized into four sections: (1) epistemological foundations; (2) theoretical approaches; (3) defining and emerging debates/considerations within the field with an emphasis on the role of institutions; and, (4) a short section on how students conceptualize themselves as policy scholars and define their epistemological and ontological commitments. The course introduces students to the variety of theoretical and epistemological approaches available to policy researchers, helps students develop both an ability to recognize and critique them in empirical work, and to understand the institutional influences of public policy in the American case.

Prerequisites

Graduate degree student in Public Policy or LIUS