General Information and Courses

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs offers the Master of Global Policy Studies, the Master of Public Affairs, and the Doctor of Philosophy with a major in public policy. Information is given in the Graduate Catalog  about these programs and about the requirements for admission to graduate study.

In addition to the graduate courses described in the Graduate Catalog, the faculty has approval to offer the following courses in the academic years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018; however, not all courses are taught each semester or summer session. Students should consult the Course Schedule  to determine which courses and topics will be offered during a particular semester or summer session. The Course Schedule may also reflect changes made to the course inventory after the publication of this catalog.

A full explanation of course numbers is given in General Information .  In brief, the first digit of a course number indicates the semester hour value of the course. The second and third digits indicate the rank of the course; if they are 01 through 19, the course is of lower-division rank; if 20 through 79, of upper-division rank; if 80 through 99, of graduate rank.

Public Affairs: P A

Lower-Division Courses

P A 310C. Public Policy.

Skill topics, including economics, quantitative methods, public financial management, policy development, and public administration. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Public Affairs 310C and 330C may not both be counted unless the topics vary. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

P A 310S. Public Policy Seminar.

Seminar with topics related to domestic or international public policy. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Public Affairs 310S and 330S may not both be counted unless the topics vary. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

Upper-Division Courses

P A 325. Topics in Policy.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

Topic 1: Advanced Seminar in Ethical Leadership. Public Affairs 325 (Topic: Advanced Seminar in Ethical Leadership) and 325 (Topic 1) may not both be counted.
Topic 2: Defense Policy. Only one of the following may be counted: Government 360N (Topic: Defense Policy), 360N (Topic: Defense Policy: Honors), Liberal Arts Honors 350 (Topic: Defense Policy), 350 (Topic 1), Public Affairs 325 (Topic: Defense Policy), 325 (Topic: Defense Policy: Honors), 325 (Topic 2).

P A 326. Topics in Policy.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.

P A 330C. Public Policy.

Skill topics, including economics, quantitative methods, public financial management, policy development, and public administration. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Public Affairs 310C and 330C may not both be counted unless the topics vary. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

P A 330S. Public Policy Seminar.

Seminar with topics related to domestic or international public policy. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Public Affairs 310S and 330S may not both be counted unless the topics vary. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

P A 150. Public Service and Practice.

Restricted to sophomore, junior, and senior-level undergraduates. Topics related to public service fields and the skills used by effective leaders. One lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional hours for some topics. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

P A 150S. Issues in Public Service.

Topics in issues and decision-making that arise in the practice of public service. One lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional hours for some topics. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

P A 159R. Public Policy Issues.

Current issues in public policy. The equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the pass/fail basis only.

P A 159S. Public Policy Issues.

Current issues in public policy. Hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

P A 159T. Public Policy Issues.

Current issues in public policy. Hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.