Social Policy

The Social Policy program acquaints students with the relevant history and institutions of social policy, develops their quantitative skills for program evaluation and the analysis of large data sets, and helps them grapple with the moral issues raised by inequality. Four required courses (Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues, Foundations of Social Policy, Introduction to Policy Analysis and Evaluation, and the Project Course) anchor flexible master's degree programs for pre-career and mid-career students who may select courses in health, education, poverty, criminal justice, housing, and social services management, among others. A resident faculty with nationally-renowned expertise in various fields is complemented by a broader menu of relevant course offerings across other units of the College Park campus.
                  

 Social Policy Alumni Jobs 

• Asst . Director, Resource Management, Office of CFO, US Dept of Homeland Security
• Assistant Director, U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Program Examiner, Office of Management and Budget
• Manager, Performance Assurance, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
• Vice-President, IBM
• Chief Government Affairs Officer, Investment Corporation Institute
• Policy Analyst, New York Governor's Office of Regulatory Reform
• Program Officer Chief, U.S. Agency for International Development - Mali
• Director, Charter School Leadership Council
• International Programs Specialist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Director, Environmental and Policy Education, Urban Land Institute
• Vice-president, Policy and Strategic Partnerships, LRG, Inc.
• Deputy Executive Director, Housing Authority of Monterrey County
• Director, Finance and Administration, BWI Airport
• Chief, Food Protection Program, Prince George's County Health Department

 

Social Policy Program Curriculum

In addition to meeting the overall requirements of their degree program, ALL students electing to specialize in social policy take the following courses:

Foundations of Social Policy (PUAF 734) gives an overview of government's role in social policy and the development of federal and state policies with respect to welfare, aging, education and housing. Analyzes current federal institutions and legislation in these policy areas and the demographic history of the U.S. and its influence on social policy. Develops skills in analytic writing and presentation of descriptive data.

Introduction to Policy Analysis and Evaluation (PUAF 798E) [For students entering Fall 2012 or later] “Provides an overview of program evaluation and emphasizes the main approaches to data collection used in: (1) designing programs and policies, (2) assessing program and policy impacts, including cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit results, and (3) monitoring the ongoing operations of existing programs and policies.”

Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues (PUAF 611) provides a grounding in a variety of statistical methods used in the analysis of social policy and programs, including techniques for survey data, in both cross-sectional and panel form; multiple regression for both continuous response and binary data; demographic models and analytic techniques; project evaluation and survey data collection methods; and instrumental variable estimation, time series analysis and simultaneous equations techniques.

All MPP Social Policy students are required to take the Social Policy Project Course (PUAF 790) in the final Spring semester in which they are enrolled at the School of Public Policy. The Project Course is the capstone of a student’s experience at the School. Students are assigned a real-world client for whom they prepare a policy analysis of a social policy issue of the client’s choosing. Past clients have included, among others, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Montgomery County Public Schools, the State of Maryland Department of Human Resources, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Social Policy students are also required to take at least one Social Policy elective.  Popular social policy electives include:

Crime Control (PUAF 698F)

Demography (PUAF 699Q)

Education Reform (PUAF 732)

Health Economics & Analysis (PUAF 798G)

Health Policy (PUAF 735)

Housing Policy (PUAF 770)

Managing Social Services (PUAF 698V)

Poverty Measurement and Alleviation (PUAF 698x)

Strategies of Equality (PUAF 737)

Urban Policy (PUAF 698D)
                       

Social Policy MPP/MPM Program Specializations in Health and Education

Social Policy Program students wishing to focus intensively on health or education may do so via the Focused Specialization plans of study described below.

General SOC Specialization (available to any student wishing a broad Social Policy focus)

• PUAF 611 “Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues”
• PUAF 734 “Foundations of Social Policy”
• PUAF 798E “Introduction to Policy Analysis & Evaluation” (taken in the first year)
• PUAF 790 “Project Course” (required only for MPP students in the second year)
• One other SOC elective

Focused Specialization in Education Policy

• Same four required courses as for General SOC above plus two additional courses:
• PUAF 732 “Policy and Politics of Education Reform”
• EDPL 615 “Economics of Education”

Focused Specialization in Health Policy

• Same four required courses as for General SOC above plus two additional courses:
• PUAF 735 “Health Policy”
• One other health policy course, including (for example):

0. PUAF 698K “Comparative Health Policy”
0. PUAF 699D “Disease, Disasters & Development”
0. PUAF 798G “Health Economics & Analysis”
       
   

Typical MPP Social Policy Academic Plan 

Fall Semester I	Spring Semester I
Core: PUAF 610 "Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy" OR PUAF 611 "Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues" (by permission)	Core: PUAF 670 “Finance” or PUAF 641 “Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis”
Core: PUAF 620 “Political Analysis” OR PUAF 688A "Topics in Public Policy: Comparative Political Institutions"	Core: PUAF 711 “Public Management & Leadership”
Core: PUAF 640 “Microeconomics and Policy Analysis ” OR (with permission of Professor Ruth) PUAF 698x “Microeconomic Applications of Public Policy”	SOC: PUAF 798E "Policy Analysis and Evaluation"
Core: PUAF 650 "Moral Dimensions of Public Policy"	SOC: PUAF 734 "Foundations of Social Policy"
Fall Semester II	Spring Semester II
Core: PUAF 611 “Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues ” (or elective if took PUAF 611 in Fall Semester I as core)	SOC: PUAF 790 "Project Course"
SOC: SOC elective	Three electives
Two electives

 

Typical MPP Health Policy Academic Plan 

Fall Semester I	Spring Semester I
Core: PUAF 610 "Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy" OR PUAF 611 "Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues" (by permission)	Core: PUAF 670 “Finance” or PUAF 641 “Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis”
Core: PUAF 620 “Political Analysis” OR PUAF 688A "Topics in Public Policy: Comparative Political Institutions"	Core: PUAF 711 “Public Management & Leadership”
Core: PUAF 640 “Microeconomics and Policy Analysis ” OR (with permission of Professor Ruth) PUAF 698x “Microeconomic Applications of Public Policy”	SOC: PUAF 798E "Policy Analysis and Evaluation"
Core: PUAF 650 "Moral Dimensions of Public Policy"	SOC: PUAF 734 "Foundations of Social Policy"
Fall Semester II	Spring Semester II
Core: PUAF 611 “Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues ” (or elective if took PUAF 611 in Fall Semester I as core)	SOC: PUAF 790 "Project Course"
SOC: PUAF 735 "Health Policy"	SOC: PUAF 798G “Health Economics & Analysis”
SOC: PUAF 688P "Health Law and Ethics" or Elective	Two electives
Elective

 

Typical MPP Education Policy Academic Plan 

Fall Semester I	Spring Semester I
Core: PUAF 610 "Quantitative Aspects of Public Policy" OR PUAF 611 "Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues" (by permission)	Core: PUAF 670 “Finance” or PUAF 641 “Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis”
Core: PUAF 620 “Political Analysis” OR PUAF 688A "Topics in Public Policy: Comparative Political Institutions"	Core: PUAF 711 “Public Management & Leadership”
Core: PUAF 640 “Microeconomics and Policy Analysis ” OR (with permission of Professor Ruth) PUAF 698x “Microeconomic Applications of Public Policy”	SOC: PUAF 798E "Policy Analysis and Evaluation"
Core: PUAF 650 "Moral Dimensions of Public Policy"	SOC: PUAF 734 "Foundations of Social Policy"
Fall Semester II	Spring Semester II
Core: PUAF 611 “Quantitative Analysis of Policy Issues ” (or elective if took PUAF 611 in Fall Semester I as core)	SOC: PUAF 790 "Project Course"
SOC: EDPL 615 “Economics of Education”	SOC: PUAF 732 “Policy and Politics of Education Reform”
Two Electives	Two Electives

 

Social Policy Town Hall

Each semester, the chairperson of each specialization holds a Town Hall. At this event, students and faculty discuss course offerings for the upcoming semesters, changes to the specialization and solicit feedback for improvements. Suggestions from previous Town Halls have resulted in new courses. Student led specialization councils also describe their current activities and efforts for student advocacy and engagement. These events are the best way for students to get a comprehensive overview of the specialization and to shape its future direction.

Proposed courses for Fall 2012-Spring 2013 semesters (subject to change).
                    

Primary Social Policy Faculty 

Name	Expertise
Apfel, Kenneth Professor of the Practice	Public management, federal budgeting, entitlement programs, public finance
Besharov, Douglas Professor	Poverty, welfare reform, child abuse/child welfare, family policy
Crocker, David Senior Research Scholar. IPPP	Ethics, development, foreign aid; democratization, and human rights
Feinstein, Fred Senior Research Scholar, Executive Programs	Labor issues
Foreman, Christopher Professor & Director of Social Policy Program	Political institutions; the politics of health, safety, and the environment; African Americans and public policy; environmental justice; government reform
Haaga, John Adjunct Professor	Demography
Levine, Daniel Assistant Professor	Philosophy, moral dimensions of policy problems, policy disasters
Meyer, Jack  Professor of the Practice	Health policy
Reuter, Peter Professor	Economics of crime, illegal drug markets, criminal justice, regulation of vices
Short, Charles  Adjunct Professor	Social Service Management
Thernstrom, Stephan Adjunct Professor	Urban Policy, Immigration

 

Centers Conducting Social Policy Research

Center for International Policy Exchanges (CIPE)

National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education

Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy (IPPP)

UMD Health Collaboration

Welfare Reform Academy

 

Social Policy Program Director

For more information on the social policy specialization, contact:

Office of Admissions & Student Affairs
301-405-6331 
policy-applications@umd.edu