Undergraduate Courses

Public Administration and Politics

PMAP 3801 is an introductory course that explains public administration in its political context. It examines bureaucratic polities and behavior in the political process; bureaucrats’ relations with other executive agencies, the legislature, the president, the judiciary, and clientele groups; the role of bureaucrats in policy making and implementing agency strategies, and the political and public implications of administrators’ actions in policy implementation.

Critical Policy Issues

This course provides an overview of the process involved in public policymaking. In class, students examine how policy ideas are identified, how they get on the political agenda, as well as how they are formulated and ultimately passed. This course also reviews what occurs as policy is implemented and evaluated. Using this understanding of the public policy process, students examine a number of broad policy arenas as well as specific policies that are currently under debate. Students have the opportunity to think critically about how the policy process influences policy and its outcomes and whether a given policy is delivering what it should.

Policy Politics and the American City

PAUS 3011 is designed to introduce students to the study of cities and urban policy issues. It draws upon a variety of the social sciences to answer questions such as how cities have changed over time, what kinds of people live in cities, why are people and things located where they are in cities, how people in cities earn a living, and how cities are governed. Often, Atlanta will serve as a case study for illustrating many of the issues that will be considered.

International Development

The main objective of this course is to create an opportunity for students who have an interest in international aid/development to learn about the process abroad (Ghana), to explore the complexities of this concept, and how the work of NGOs, government, and the private sector are sharing resources/ efforts to build sustainable communities.