Still looking for a fall class?

Have room in your schedule and looking to try out a Batten class? First, read our guidance on what you should prioritize when selecting classes. Then, check out some of Batten’s open coursework below! If you have any questions about our programs, please email us at BattenAdmissions@virginia.edu or make an appointment with the admissions team!

Fall 2023 Batten classes open to students outside of the BA, Minor and Accel MPP 

ALL COURSES WITH AVAILABLE SEATS as of July 15

LPPL 2100: The Resilient Student: Transition, Thriving, and Leadership

The adjustment from high school to college is filled with turbulent transitions and with opportunities for discovery, growth, and development of critical life skills. The 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) introduction to leadership concepts, and 4) establishment of small communities of students. *This course is an elective for building key skills for college success, but because it’s at the 2000-level, does NOT fulfill a special topics requirement in the Batten BA or PP&L minor.

LPPL 2600: Foundations of Behavioral Science: 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 fulfills the Batten BA and minor prerequisite for Social Psychology.

LPPP 2700 Outdoor Leadership: Building a Team: Outdoor environments are dynamic, fluid & unpredictable. Leading teams in these spaces requires a strong foundation. Course teaches how individuals develop trust & fear & discusses interpersonal & group dynamics. Practice these transferrable skills through facilitation & teambuilding opportunities. The outdoors can be an intimidating place & by building the right type of teams, leaders can help people push past seemingly insurmountable boundaries. *This course is an elective for building team leadership skills but does NOT fulfill a special topics requirement in the Batten BA or PP&L minor.

LPPS 3050: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship: Social entrepreneurship is an approach to creating system-level change through the application of entrepreneurial thinking to social ventures, non-profit organizations, government institutions, and NGOs to create economic, environmental, and social value for multiple stakeholders. In this course you will be introduced to a range of entrepreneurial approaches aimed at solving social problems - from the non-profit to the for-profit. *An elective course within the Batten BA and minor curriculum, for students interested in social entrepreneurship (this is a required course for the social entrepreneurship minor).

LPPS 3240: Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Explores the various ways our federal government, primarily the Department of Justice and the FBI, have responded to the threat of terrorism, in the US and abroad. The modern terrorist threat, electronic surveillance authorities, US detention authority, terrorist debriefing, cooperating witnesses in terrorism cases, enhanced interrogation techniques, the differences between the intelligence and law enforcement approaches and other topics will be covered. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum.

LPPS 3280 Lessons in Leadership: JFK and the Most Personal Office: This course introduces students to the history, politics and leadership legacy of John F. Kennedy. From topics as wide-ranging as tax policy and space exploration to the war in Vietnam, dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, the class will trace the impact of a brief Presidency over nearly sixty years and focus on how Kennedy’s life, presidency and tragic assassination influenced the leadership styles and impacted public policy. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.

LPPS 3310: Police-Community Relations: Problems and Prospects: The current state of US police-community relations is in a precarious condition. Recent incidents of negative police-citizen encounters resulting in deaths of unarmed citizens & police officers has affected public trust & confidence in local law enforcement. Class focuses on problems of police-community relations & deliberates prospects for policy solutions. Students develop & present policy proposals to address a particular problem. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum. 

LPPS 3330: Education and Conflict: This introductory course will explore various relationships between education and conflict—education in conflict zones, propaganda, military training, nationalist curricula, etc.— through a series of case studies of real-world examples as well as policy and theoretical literature on these topics. We will critically analyze the external and internal factors that impact the relationship between education and conflict, including resource scarcity and climate change, economic disparities, and political instability and extremism. The course will provide students with a working knowledge of the field of global education and the relationship between education policy and lived experiences in global contexts. By the end of the course, students will have gained a broad theoretical and practical understanding of education and conflict in Africa (Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Sudan), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Palestine), and China, England, and Australia. No prerequisites are required. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum. 

LPPS 3340: Innovating for Defense: Defense Innovation and Problem-Solving: Hacking for DoD Innovation offers students the opportunity to work directly with the US Department of Defense (DoD). Student teams are provided real-world national security problems sourced from DoD agencies. Through stakeholder interviews and engagements, student teams develop a solution that addresses the actual needs of their DoD problem sponsor. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum. 

LPPP 3450: Resilient Leadership for Teams and Teammates : This course builds students' skills in "the art of getting things done". Students will establish the critical leadership & team-building competencies that distinguish highly effective leaders. We will introduce frameworks that will enhance student's: resilience; team leadership skills; capacity for thriving in times of adversity; emotional intelligence; interpersonal skills (including conflict resolution & negotiation skills) & decision making.*An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum.

LPPP 3460: Poverty and Policy: This course explores how landmark social policies have impacted how we live, work, and die and how to use the legislative process to change these policies to ensure their relevance in today's society. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum.

LPPP 3370: Trauma & US Public School System: This course explores trauma in the context of child development and how the United States public school system serves to address this issue from a policy perspective. Applied policy will be a unique focus of this course with case studies.  School based mental health services, educational supports, and the historical context of education will be covered. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum.