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, make an appointment with the admissions team, or drop by our final Open Office Hours of the semester on December 2nd to speak with a current student about academics at Batten!

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.

LPPP 2559-001 Outdoor Leadership Team Building

Outdoor environments are dynamic, fluid, and unpredictable, and leading teams in these spaces requires a strong foundation. This course teaches how individuals develop trust and fear while discussing interpersonal and group dynamics. You will practice these transferable skills through facilitation and team building opportunities. The outdoors can be an intimidating place; by building the right types 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.

LPPP 3230: Public Policy Challenges of the 21st Century

This survey course introduces students to the history, politics, and economic and social significance of the major challenges facing 21st century U.S. policymakers. Examples of topics that may be explored include: the federal deficit and debt, the rise of China and India, health care costs, climate policy, energy security, economic opportunity in an era of globalization, the future of public higher education, and U.S. foreign policy. *This is a core course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum; this course is a great way for students to gain an understanding of public policy and the Batten School.

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. *This is an elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.

LPPS 3290: Social Innovation in Emerging Markets: India and Southeast Asia

This introductory course is aimed at exposing students to modern Indian and South Asian society, culture, business, and policy through a variety of materials. The course may be particularly important due to the rising stature and importance of India and more generally, South Asia, in the global economy. *This is an elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum AND fulfills requirements for students interested in the Social Entrepreneurship minor.

LPPS 3390: Special Education Policy and Practice

This course will examine special education policy in the United States as it relates to practice, policy, and research. Students will understand the historical context of special education, the development of IDEA policy and relevant case law, as well as the changes that have been passed and proposed regarding the current law in recent years. This class will be a mixture of lecture and discussion and will be taught from an equity in education lens. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.

LPPS 3410: Innovation and Social Impact

This course introduces students to the strategies and processes required in the contemporary economy to leverage innovation in order to maintain overall competitiveness and make a difference. Students will examine several firms, and individuals who have catalyzed positive social change through different organizational platforms in the market, in government, within the nonprofit sector, and increasingly in the space between these three sectors. *This is an elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum AND fulfills requirements for students interested in the Social Entrepreneurship minor.

LPPS 3420: International Law and Policy

This class serves as an introduction to public international law & policy. It will explore the “operating system” of international law & policy: how the law frames conduct of international relations, including sources, actors, and institutions. Part two of the course focuses on the “normative system,” addressing policies and rules. While the operating system provides the structure of global governance; the normative element provides laws or policies as outputs of those structures. Topics will include use of force, human rights, and environmental protection. *This is an elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.

LPPS 3559-001 Community-Based Research: Charlottesville Housing

This experiential-learning course is oriented toward learning and applying skills to help students better understand a policy problem at the community level. The class will take students out of the traditional classroom and into the community with a focus broadly on issues related to housing within the Charlottesville community. *This is an elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum and is a great choice for students interested in community engagement.

LPPS 4260 Politics of Development

Why are some places rich and others poor? To what extent can politics help us understand this variation? And how can we make politics a force for good in people’s lives? This course tackles these questions, and in doing so, will help students understand the relationship between politics and development. The course assumes no prior knowledge of development and is accessible for students of all years. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum, this class is great for students interested in development work.