Courses examine special topics in public policy and/or leadership.

In this class, students will learn to critically reflect on one's own situation and perspective in relations to one's expanding knowledge of other human experiences, seeking to cultivate a framework for informed reflection on human diversity and social complexity while developing empathy as a foundation for democratic citizenship.

An introduction to the craft of writing fiction, with relevant readings in the genre. For more details on creative writing courses, see our program website at creativewriting.virginia.edu.

This course will center on exposing students to contemporary pipelines for data analysis through a series of steadily escalating use cases. The course will begin with simple local database construction such as SQLite and evolve to cloud base systems such as AWS or Google Cloud. This progression will include topics such as data lakes and other non-SQL applications as appropriate.

In this class students will learn to reflect upon and evaluate human conduct and character, consider the ethical components of individual and collective behaviors, and engage in the articulation of ethical questions and moral deliberation.

Explores principles and applications of data ethics within a broader social framework that prioritizes conversations about policy, regulatory frameworks, accountability, transparency, and governance models. Will discuss who is responsible for doing responsible data science, question how our work shapes the world around us, and understand the impacts of big data on people and communities.

This integrated and interdisciplinary course provides foundational knowledge on the multifaceted aspects of both problems and solutions related to sustainability, and challenges participants to deepen their understanding of global sustainability issues through a real-world, collaborative Think Global/ Act Local project.

The course analyzes our global cultural condition from a dual historical perspective and follows a development stretching over the last 60 years, beginning with the period just after WW II and continuing to the present day. Of central concern will be the varieties of cultural expression across regions of the world and their relation to a rapidly changing social history, drawing upon events that occur during the semester.

The adjustment from HS to college is filled with turbulent transitions and with opportunities for discovery, growth, and development of critical life skills. Course focuses on development of broad skills to create fulfilling lives and successful careers after college, especially in 4 areas: (1) development of emotional resilience skills, (2) development of life management skills, (3) intro to leadership concepts, and (4) establishment of small communities of students.

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.