Spring 2020 Course Offerings

Instructor: Chad Levinson
CRN: 19375 or 15353
Offered: W 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: Social science theory and research on the distribution of power in the US, especially as it shapes important national policy outcomes. Institutional and class bases of power will be examined, including membership on corporate boards and in policy-shaping think tanks. Implications for democracy in society will be drawn. Taught by a GIA professor. Graduate standing. 

Instructor: Giselle Datz
CRN: 21198
Offered: R 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Course Description: Interplay between democratic politics upon economic relations, with special focus on the intellectual foundations of capitalist development and consequences of financial disruption to economic policy making. Evolution of state-market interactions and of global governance institutions. Case studies of financial crises and their political implications. Pre: Graduate Standing.

Instructor: Gerard Toal
CRN: 15357
Offered: (ARR)
Delivery Mode: Lecture (online course)
Course Description: Examines theoretical issues in the study of global conflicts. Reviews theories of nationalism, states and territory as factors. Examines dynamics of contemporary conflicts from different regions of globe as case studies illustrating theoretical issues. Reviews role of leaders in conflict processes. Graduate standing. Cross listed with PSCI 5254. 

Instructor: Ariel Ahram
CRN: 20935
Offered: T 7:00PM- 9:45PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Course Description: Examines the philosophies and procedures guiding various qualitative methods used in the social science fields, such as global studies, planning and policy. Exploration of alternative understandings of normal science and consideration of the merits of adopting qualitative research approaches to disciplined analysis, including ethical issues in research. Graduate standing. 

Instructor: Joel Peters
CRN: 20934
Offered: M 7:00PM- 9:45PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: Examination of the norms, institutions and practices developed by the international community to address systemic global governance problems: genocide, failed states, transnational corruption, displaced persons, AIDS, poverty. Role of United States in world community examined. Power of international organizations versus states. Capacity problems of both. Future of United Nations and global governance considered. Graduate Standing

Instructor: Giselle Datz
CRN: 21198
Offered: R 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Course Description: Interplay between democratic politics upon economic relations, with special focus on the intellectual foundations of capitalist development and consequences 18 Graduate Course Descriptions Spring 2020 of financial disruption to economic policy making. Evolution of state-market interactions and of global governance institutions. Case studies of financial crises and their political implications. Pre: Graduate Standing. 

Instructor: Rosa Krewson
CRN: 17962
Offered: Saturday 10:00 AM-3:00 PM (meets every other week)
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: Covers the origin and development of the administrative state. Surveys major theoretical approaches to public administration. Discusses the problem of values in administration, the political environment of bureaucracy and questions of ethical behavior in administration. Particular attention given to the local government context and the local public manager's role. Graduate standing required. 

Instructor: Adrienne Edisis
CRN: 17979
Offered: W 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Research
CPAP Students only by permission of instructor. 

Instructor: Stephanie Smith
CRN: 20985
Offered: M 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the study and practice of public policy making. The content emphasizes the institutions and political forces at work in the process of making, remaking, and even unmaking public policy at all levels of government in the U.S. It is grounded in what we know about the complex dynamics of the policy process, as confirmed through scholarly research and practitioner experience. The process can vary considerably from one policy issue to the next in terms of the actors involved and the resources they can bring to bear in influencing the outcomes of the process. The course offers an understanding of the policy process primarily from the perspective of the public administrator. MPA only

Instructor: Matthew Dull
CRN: 18039
Offered: T 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: The general purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the process by which policy is formulated, analyzed, implemented, and evaluated. The focus will be on such actions as undertaken by policy analysts in and out of government. The methodological issues and techniques used to accommodate the major social, economic, political, and behavioral aspects of policy analysis in an organizational context will be discussed. PHD Only. 

Instructor: Adrienne Edisis
CRN: 20986
Offered: W 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: This course examines the theory and practice of public policy design and decision-making. The course combines an introduction to the basic concepts and tools of policy analysis with consideration of the conflicting values and limitations on rationality that define policy decision making in the real world. Prerequisite PAPA 6514. MPA Only. 

Instructor: Stephanie Smith
CRN: 18042
Offered: R 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: Which health and environmental policy issues are prioritized and which neglected? How do we know? This course will explore the answers to these questions in national and global settings. We will survey existing research on policy agendas and outcomes nationally and investigate what it means for these issues to be on the agenda globally. Participants will conduct empirical research investigating the status of health and environmental issues in national and global contexts. 

Instructor: Laura Jensen
CRN: 20972
Offered: T 1:00 PM- 3:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: Seminar examines the issues, problems, and politics surrounding the provision of social benefits in the contemporary welfare state. This reading-intensive course is intended to ground students in a particular area of public policy and to link social policy-specific developments to knowledge about the policy process and design, implementation, and evaluation. Completion of PAPA 6214 and PAPA 6224 prior to taking seminar is recommended. 

Instructor: Jeffrey Glick
CRN: 21145
Offered: W 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: This course examines the vexing question as to why the United States, having experienced a wide variety of disasters and terrorism, is often underprepared for these events. The theory and practice of prevention, protection and mitigation within and between the federal, state, local, and private sectors will be examined. Focus will be on the interplay between theory and practice, and the development of policy, strategy and programs. Both successes and failures will be studied, with the goal of providing a set of concepts and techniques for understanding and analyzing these important program areas, their impacts on the nation and the individuals that reside within it. Required course for the graduate certificate in homeland security policy.

Instructor: Eric Malczewski
CRN: 21147
Offered: R 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: Capstone A and Capstone B support the transition from advanced coursework to the development of dissertation research. Specifically, the capstones support the articulation of a sophisticated research question that engages a theory or conceptual framework, the development and implementation of a research strategy, the application of an appropriate methodology, and completion of a paper to be submitted to a conference or for peer review in a journal in the field of public administration and policy. Ideally, this work will provide a starting point for dissertation research. Capstone A focuses on the development of a research question, identification of a relevant theory, articulation of an appropriate methodology, and initial empirical research leading to completion of a draft paper that will be the basis for work in Capstone B. Registration by Instructor Permission Only. 

Instructor: Staff
CRN: 18045
Offered: M 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: Surveys the public budgeting processes of public organizations. The contrasting norms and behaviors of participants, their impacts on policy, and their implications for democracy are examined. Processes studied include the work of budgeteers, decision making processes, control and financial accounting, and intergovernmental interaction.

Instructor: David Bredenkamp
CRN: 21006
Offered: W 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Course Description: In this course we first examine perspectives on what management and leadership are and the practical, theoretical, and normative aspects of managing and leading. We draw on the management and leadership literature in the fields of both public administration and management in general to explore the conceptual and theoretical bases for understanding managing and leading in the context of the public sector. The second half of the course is designed around the various processes and functions important in contemporary public organizations

Instructor: Robin Lemaire
CRN: 20971
Offered: W 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: The purpose of this course is to explore key network concepts and their contribution to understanding inter-organizational relationships and organizational networks in the public sphere. The use of the network concept in research is quite varied and diverse. This course cannot cover all the literature or concepts relevant to the diverse research areas; nonetheless, the course will be useful for those who wish to build a basic foundation in network theory, network analysis and some of its applications in the study of public management (networks, multi-organizational collaboration, collaborative governance, etc.). 

Instructor: Cecily Rodriguez
CRN: TBD
Offered: T 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Course Description: An examination at an advanced level of a selected managerial process in the public sector (civil and military), the norms and participant behavior associated with the process, its efficacy in planned change, and its overall impact on policy making and implications for democracy

Instructor: Staff
CRN: 20990
Offered: (ARR)
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: Applied research and/or evaluation study in cooperating government agency as part of a team of advanced graduate students and faculty.

Instructor: Staff
CRN: 18090
Offered: Meeting time TBA
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Research
DMP Reg for course semester in which student reaches 15 credits.

Instructor: Datz Giselle
CRN: 21222
Offered: R 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture/Zoom
Course Description: Interplay between democratic politics upon economic relations, with special focus on the intellectual foundations of capitalist development and consequences of financial disruption to economic policy making. Evolution of state-market interactions and of global governance institutions. Case studies of financial crises and their political implications. Taught by a GIA professor. Pre: Graduate Standing. 

Instructor: Tom Sanchez
CRN: 19378
Offered: R 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: A core aspect of urban planning and public policy-making is the practice of engaging people in order to enhance policies, programs or services at the community level or to respond to pressing public needs that presently are unmet. This course focuses on the vital role that planners and policy-makers play in facilitating such engagement (known as community involvement1). It also examines the roles of activists -- including community organizers -- in fostering grassroots participation. Pre: Graduate Standing

Instructor: Kris Wernstedt
Offered: as a Friday evening and Saturday all-day class
NOTE: offered as one-credit module
Course Description: The Network Analyst extension to ArcGIS allows planners to construct network for travel (e.g., for cars, transit, bicycling, walking) and other (e.g., water) systems to analyze accessibility, best routes, service areas, closest facilities, time and cost and movement between origins and destinations, and other routing challenges. This course will cover the basic concepts of network data modeling in ArcGIS using a local equitable access planning exercise as an example. Students should have completed an introductory course in ArcGIS before enrolling in this module.

Instructor: Shelley Mastran
CRN: 19381
Offered: T 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: The course will build on the first semester’s work on the history of Arlington County’s residential development and its relationship to planning and zoning. It will include several potential projects, including developing a storyline for the Arlington residential history study; a focused case study on affordable housing in Alexandria; and/or research into best practices implementing ADUs. It is anticipated that students will work in several different groups on these and other projects, all related to affordable housing. 

Instructor: Shalini Misra
CRN: 19383
Offered: M 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: The course will provide an overview of key planning theories, planning history, and planning processes and approaches. This course is intended to equip you with a set of conceptual tools that will improve the quality of deliberation and provide you with a critical perspective on the challenges and issues facing contemporary urban planning. Pre: Graduate Standing 

Instructor: Ralph Buehler & Wenwen Zhang
CRN: 20970
Offered: W 7:00 PM 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture/Zoom
Course Description: This course will focus on e-scooters. Students will analyze impacts of e-scooter deployment on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus. The course may add an element of studying e-scooters in Northern Virginia. Please stay tuned. We are still finalizing this studio with our client e-scooter provider Spin. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credits

Still under development. We are planning to offer 3 modules

Instructor: Ariel Ahram
CRN: 20937
Offered: T 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture/Zoom
Course Description: Examines the philosophies and procedures guiding various qualitative methods used in the social science fields, such as global studies, planning and policy. Exploration of alternative understandings of normal science and consideration of the merits of adopting qualitative research approaches to disciplined analysis, including ethical issues in research. Taught by a GIA professor. Pre: Graduate standing. 

Instructor: Elizabeth Morton
CRN: 20932
Offered: T 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: Considers the role of the arts in society, including architecture, music companies, or theater productions to heritage sites, science museums, and art galleries. Effective arts policy in revitalizing urban economies also examined. Graduate standing 

Instructor: Elizabeth Morton
CRN: 20933
Offered: T 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: Historic preservation is a key component of sustainable urban development and an essential investment strategy (and design opportunity) for cities across the world. Historic districts are indeed some of the most exciting contexts in which to explore the ways that environmental, economic, social and cultural qualities come together to produce thriving and resilient communities. Planners and urban designers in any city, and notably the DC metro region, will need to know how to evaluate and respond to existing historic context while accommodating new development. This course will provide an overview of the theory and practice of historic preservation, with a strong emphasis on its relationship to contemporary and local case studies. We will cover issues such as: methods to evaluate architectural character and historic significance; the design review and regulatory processes for historic districts; historic preservation economics and financial incentives; and innovative methods for documenting and promoting the stories of underrepresented groups. The final weeks of the class will focus on the role of historic preservation in initiatives to promote community equity, sustainability and resilience. The class will include at least one site visit; we often do two. 

Instructor: Elizabeth Morton
Offered: R 4:00PM - 6:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Course Description: Although local governments set policies and requirements for desirable public spaces, in Northern Virginia many of these important community assets are ultimately built and maintained by the private sector. But how do these amenities (usually provided in exchange for increased density) ultimately benefit the public? Do people actually know about them, and are they welcoming to all? How do they work in relation to one another? In this class we will work with Arlington County (and possibly the City of Alexandria) to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation of privately owned public spaces (POPS). The class will involve significant field work (much of it during class time) to photograph spaces, create an inventory of site characteristics, and analyze how the spaces are used and by whom. This data will be used to create an online database, which will be an opportunity to market these spaces to residents and visitors while holding the owner accountable for maintaining them. Models for this project are projects by New York City’s Municipal Art Society and New York City’s own POPS website. We will also have an opportunity to develop proposals or designs for public spaces or networks. In this class you are likely to have a great deal of interaction with local planners and designers, along with some of the developers and community groups involved with creating plans for new public spaces in the National Landing area. 

Instructor: Ralph Buehler & Wenwen Zhang
CRN: 19410
Offered: W 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture/Zoom
Course Description: This course in urban transport planning focuses on concepts, methods, and applications for sustainable transport. Generally all modes of daily urban travel are considered, but the course focuses on policy and planning for bicycling and walking. We cover the following topics: sustainable transport in the United States, data sources for transport planning, introduction to the urban transport planning process, regional travel demand forecasting, traffic calming, as well as planning for bicycling and walking. Guest speakers will highlight aspects of planning for more sustainable transport

Instructor: Margaret Cowell
CRN: 21325
Offered: M 4:00 PM- 6:45 PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Location: Arlington with occasional virtual meet-ups with Blacksburg cohort
Course Description: This course will provide students with an opportunity to conduct a real-world study involving data gathering, analysis, writing and presentation; become familiar with the tools and strategies in economic development; understand project management skills and requirements; and gain experience working in a team for a client. 27 Graduate Course Descriptions Spring 2020 The focus this semester will be on the economic impacts of neighborhoods surrounding HQ2 and VT’s Innovation Campus. 

Instructor: Max Stephenson
0RN: 19029
Offered: M 4:30PM- 6:50PM
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: Roles of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO) in international development. NGO interactions with local governments, community organizations, international governmental organizations, and private businesses. Tensions and collaborations between NGOs and other development actors. Pre: Graduate Standing. 

Instructor: Steven Hankey
CRN: 19035
Offered: T 2:00PM- 3:00PM
Delivery Mode: Zoom
Course Description: Special topics, critical reviews, lectures and discussion of literature in planning and public policy. Presentation and critique of research related to dissertation and other research. Research resources and tools, project management and funding opportunities. Professional development, publishing standards and processes. May be repeated up to eight times, as seminar and presentation topics will change each semester. Pass/Fail only. Pre: Graduate standing 

Instructor: Kris Wernstedt
CRN: 21191
Offered: M 7:00PM- 10:00PM
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Course Description: Doctoral-level seminar that examines contemporary theories of planned societal change.

Instructor: Sheryl Bailey
CRN: 20988
Offered: R 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture
Location: Richmond
Course Description: The second of a sequence of two, teaches the techniques and technology necessary to manage public organizations efficiently and effectively and to be held accountable for administrative actions and programs. Graduate standing required. 

Instructor: Joseph Rees
CRN: 17980
Offered: W 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM
Delivery Mode: Research
Location: Richmond
CPAP Students only 

Instructor: Jeffrey Glick
CRN:21146
Offered: W 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Location: Richmond
Course Description: This course examines the vexing question as to why the United States, having experienced a wide variety of disasters and terrorism, is often underprepared for these events. The theory and practice of prevention, protection and mitigation within and between the federal, state, local, and private sectors will be examined. Focus will be on the interplay between theory and practice, and the development of policy, strategy and programs. Both successes and failures will be studied, with the goal of providing a set of concepts and techniques for understanding and analyzing these important program areas, their impacts on the nation and the individuals that reside within it. Required course for the graduate certificate in homeland security policy. 

Instructor: Cecily Rodriguez
CRN: 20987
Offered: T 7:00 PM- 9:45 PM
Classroom:
Delivery Mode: Lecture-Zoom
Location: Richmond
Course Description: An examination at an advanced level of a selected managerial process in the public sector (civil and military), the norms and participant behavior associated with the process, its efficacy in planned change, and its overall impact on policy making and implications for democracy.