PA 380 Analytic Tools for Public Policy

This course offers an introduction to the role of policy analysis and the analytical concepts and tools that are used in the practice. The first part of the course will introduce students to policy analysis, rationales for public policy, tools for framing policy problems, and the application of key concepts and methods from economics. In the second part of the course, we will apply these concepts and tools through guided hands-on data exercises, interpreting and generating relevant informational graphics, producing a policy memo, and presenting results to technical policy problems and solutions. 

PA 523 Policy, Privacy, and Personal Identity in the Postgenomics Era

Social genomics integrates theories and methods in the genomic, social, and population health sciences to answer questions relevant to public health and social well-being. Research topics in social genomics and their implications for social and public policy are covered in this course. Key concepts in human genetics, population genetics, and statistical genetics are introduced, as well as historical and contemporary policy debates surrounding scientific advances in genomics. Fundamental questions include social repercussions of genomics research, the rationale for government intervention, and how to approach policy analysis in an era where the genomic revolution is changing how we think about privacy and personal identity.