Covers the fundamentals of probability and stochastic processes. Students will become conversant in the tools of probability, clearly describing and implementing concepts related to random variables, properties of probability, distributions, expectations, moments, transformations, model fit, sampling distributions, discrete and continuous time Markov chains, and Brownian motion.

Introduction to regression modeling. Topics will be discussed first in the context of linear regression, and then revisited in the context of logistic regression, ordinal regression, proportional hazards regression, and random forests. Students will be required to fit the models (both MLE and Bayesian) and use the strategies discussed in class.

The first part of a two-semester sequence in research methods and tools used to evaluate public policies. This course reviews basic mathematics and statistics used by policy analysts, and introduces regression methods for empirical implementation and testing of relations among variables. The purpose of this course is to develop skills that can be used throughout your profession and civic life.

An overview of the fields of social psychology and behavioral science. We will explore behavioral research in basic social psychology, leadership and organizational behavior, and the ways in which social science methods and research are currently being used in public policy and to solve major societal problems. The ultimate goal is to teach students how to think like behavioral scientists.

This course focuses on the basics of financial reporting, to include key vocabulary & concepts, emphasis on understanding direct impact of recording transactions on financial statements. Students will gain an understanding of how to read, interpret, & analyze the balance sheet, income statement, & statement of cash flows. Students will also be introduced to managerial decision making (fixed vs. variable costs).

The 9-11 attacks ushered in a new era of international terrorism. Over the course of the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, experts have grappled to employ an effective strategy for countering Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates. This course explores the lessons of this long, troubled chapter, especially through our engagement in Afghanistan, and seeks to apply those lessons to countering future terrorist threats at home and abroad.

This course presents the simplest economic models explaining how individuals and organizations respond to changes in their circumstances and how they interact in markets, and it applies these models to predict the effects of a wide range of government programs. It also analyzes justifications that have been offered for government actions.

In this course, students will learn the fundamental building blocks of valuing streams of cash flows whether from a financial asset or investment project. Topics to be covered may include the time value of money, discounting, compounding, investment rules including estimating the net present value of a project, and the basics of capital budgeting.

This course will provide an overview of research methods and data analysis in public policy, integrating basic statistical modeling. The class will promote a critical understanding of what good research is, how people sometimes lie with statistics, and how flawed research can be identified, and an appreciation of the relationship between researchers and the rest of society, and how researchers can most suitably deal with the existence of skeptics

This course will introduce students to both the process of public policy and the tools of policy analysis. The first part examines the actors, institutions, and procedures involved in the adoption, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. The second part introduces students to the basic concepts and tools of policy analysis including problem definition, specification of alternatives, and solution analysis.