Public economics uses the tools of microeconomics and empirical analysis to study the impact of government policies on economic behavior and the distribution of resources in the economy. The course begins with a review of market failures and preferences for income redistribution to answer questions such as: When should the government intervene in the economy? How might the government intervene? And, what are the effects of those interventions on economic outcomes?

Students will have an opportunity to learn about fundraising, as well as philanthropy more broadly. This introductory course will examine the range of ways to raise funds from government, individuals, foundations and corporations. The importance of stewardship, program evaluation, and the role of the board and staff in developing effective fundraising strategies will be addressed.

This course builds on the material from the core Financial Management class to further develop skills in managerial and financial accounting. The course covers the recording process (journal entries, T-accounts, adjusting entries, and closing entries), financial statement modeling, and financial statement analysis. In addition, students will learn more about for-profit accounting and corporate structure, as well as how financial management differs across the government, not-for-profit, and for-profit sectors.

This course examines the inner workings of successful international public service projects and gives students the opportunity to design one or more themselves. Students will then study the characteristics of effective programs, which bring together a series of projects for mutually supportive and concerted action. Particular attention is paid to programs selected from the five areas where international public sector entities are most active: peace building, relief, development, advocacy and norm-setting.

The United States is a very law-driven society, with many of the most important issues and disputes of the day ending up in the courts -- and in the newspapers. This course is designed to help public service students understand key aspects of the U.S. legal system.

This course will help students understand the nuances, complexities and challenges of leading the delivery of services for a public purpose. Through the use of case studies, students will view challenges from the point of view of how various leaders (the President of the MTA in NYC; the Chair of the EEOC; the Mayor of Indianapolis; the Assistant Director of Airport Security at Logan Airport) have handled the optimization of service delivery in an environment where demand from the public is increasing and resources are scarce.