With fall enrollment approaching, the Admissions team is sharing helpful tips to help you course plan in preparation for application to Batten. You can watch the full video below, but we have recapped the key points of the session.
 
First, focus on completing program prerequisites! These are the only classes you MUST take prior to enrolling at Batten, so make taking these courses a priority. Prerequisite courses can be taken all the way up until enrollment at Batten, so if you are applying to one of our programs for next year, you have through the summer to complete them. For the major and minor, the prerequisites are microeconomics (ECON 2010) and social psychology (PSYC 2600). Additionally, students applying for the major should enroll in LPPP 2200: Introduction to Public Policy (previously LPPP 3200); this course is only offered in the fall and spring–there is no summer option. For the Accelerated MPP program, you will need to take microeconomics (ECON 2010) and a calculus-based math course. We like to see you take a math course at UVA to demonstrate proficiency and readiness for graduate level quantitative work, so if you intend to bring in the calculus pre-req using AP or transfer credit, consider taking STAT 1100, STAT 1601, STAT 2120, or additional quantitative coursework. We will accept any prerequisite coursework with a C or higher (or a grade of CR if taken under the UVA pandemic grading policy). Finally, students interested in the Social Entrepreneurship Minor should enroll in ENTP 1010: Startup - An Introduction to Entrepreneurship. 

Outside of the prerequisites, students are welcome to take Batten courses before applying; however, this is NOT required for evaluation. Rather, it is a way for you to see if our programs could be a good academic fit as you explore various options. It could also free up space further down the road for things like study abroad, double majoring, or picking up a minor (or two!). 

For those looking to get a taste of Batten, consider LPPL 2100: Resilient Student: Transition, Thriving and Leadership or LPPP 2200: Introduction to Public Policy (fulfills the BA prerequisite and also a course in the core curriculum for the Minor). Students interested in exploring a policy area of interest through Batten special topics courses have many options– you might consider LPPS 3240: Terrorism and Counterterrorism, LPPP 3250: Global Development Policy, LPPS 3310: Police-Community Relations, or LPPS 3500-001: Equity by Design - Transformative Social Entrepreneurship (this last class also counts toward SE minor requirements). Any courses taken at the 3000-level or higher count towards elective requirements if you end up joining the BA or Minor! 

For a complete list of our fall offerings, you can check Lou’s List for a general list of courses or SIS for the most up-to-date information on remaining seats in a course. We also are posting the full list of open courses for the fall below (updated as of April 1, 2022). And if you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office at BattenAdmissions@virginia.edu or make an appointment with our undergraduate admissions team, Anne and Courtney!
 

​​Fall 2022 Batten classes open to students outside of the BA, Minor and Accel MPP

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. *An elective course for building key skills for college success. Note: this 2000 level course does NOT fulfill a special topics requirement in the Batten BA or minor.

LPPP 2200: Introduction to Public Policy: 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. *A prerequisite course for the Batten BA and a core course for the Batten minor; this course is a great way for students to gain an understanding of Public Policy and the Batten School.

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.

LPPP 3250: Global Development Policy: This course studies global development and the interdependent responsibilities of global citizens to alleviate poverty and foster shared prosperity. Course tackles key questions of our time: Why have some countries escaped poverty while others have failed or seen poverty worsen? What role do governments, aid agencies and private sector actors have to play in alleviating poverty? Why is foreign aid so hotly contested? Does it help or hurt? How do power dynamics and implicit biases impact development efforts? *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum.

LPPS 3295: Global Humanitarian Crises Response: The recent unbearable events in Ukraine, continuing crises in Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia, and many other contexts, the growth of private sector involvement in humanitarian response, the challenges of providing accountability to affected populations, the complexity of addressing migration and refugee flows, are only some of the policy questions being faced in the humanitarian aid sector. Taught by a former United Nations official with two decades of experience working in humanitarian aid, this course looks at critical questions defining global humanitarian action and policy. Using historical & critical analysis and case studies; the foundations, dilemmas, and operational realities of providing humanitarian aid will be explored. Includes practical and professional assignments, as well as guest lectures from other humanitarian responders and practitioners currently serving in crisis zones. *An elective course in the Batten BA and 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 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 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.

LPPL 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 and 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 and negotiation skills) and decision making. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum. 

LPPS 3460: Introduction to Policy and the Legislative Process: Study how landmark social policies have shaped this nation, its laws, and its peoples. Students will analyze current policies that strive for equitability, protection, and prevention with respect to those whose access to justice and human privilege has been compromised. Learn about legislative process and how to influence the course of this process, and determine how to work within that context to achieve change in real-world social policy. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum. 

LPPP 3500-001: Equity by Design: Transformative Social Enterprise: Explore the process of creating transformational social enterprises from a foundation of human-centered design, historical and social context, and empathy-building to achieve lasting equity. Learn how to build community wealth through developing social enterprises as new gateways for building access to opportunity to build equity. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum as well as for the Social Entrepreneurship minor. 

LPPS 4220: Comparative Budgeting and Economic Policy: This course examines how the world’s major states and regions manage their public finances and economic policies through their budgetary processes and institutions. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum

LPPS 4320: Elections and Policy: This class explores the intersection between how we perform elections and how we craft public policy. We investigate two broad questions (1) the effect of policy on elections – how rules around voting, funding, and the organization of elections influence election outcomes and larger policy discourse, and (2) the effect of elections on policy – how elections shape elite motivations and citizen expectations around the development and passage of policy. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum

LPPS 4735: Experiential Social Entrepreneurship: This experiential learning course applies basic principles of social entrepreneurship to real-world problems that social entrepreneurs are facing. Students will work in teams on challenges proposed by a set of local and international social entrepreneurs. This is a design-thinking-centric course for students interested in investigating how our world is adapting to solve the greatest social and environmental challenges of this century. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum as well as a core course for the Social Entrepreneurship minor. 

LPPS 5360: Imagining Equitable Policy: What does it mean to prioritize equity in policy? Equity must be operationalized and incorporated into all policy stages: agenda setting, design, implementation and evaluation. Consider frameworks and tools for centering equity in policy design: engage disadvantaged communities; evaluate the degree current policies promote equity; examine policy histories and differential impacts; surface apparent tradeoffs in elevating equity over other analytic concerns. *An elective course in the Batten BA and minor curriculum.