With course enrollment quickly approaching, the Admissions team is sharing helpful tips and classes to consider as you prepare for application to the Batten School.  

Most importantly, you should focus on completing program prerequisites, earning a grade of C or higher. 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 the semester you begin at Batten, so if you plan to apply to one of our programs next year, you have through next summer to complete them. However, it is helpful for the Admissions Committee to see final grades for these classes in your application. If you are a First Year thinking about the BA or PP&L Minor, or a Second Year considering the Accel, your best bet is to take them this fall.  

For the major and minor in Public Policy & Leadership, you must take microeconomics (ECON 2010) and social psychology (PSYC 2600 OR LPPL 2600, which is Batten’s section of social psych looked at through a policy lens). Students applying to the major must also take LPPP 2200: Introduction to Public Policy, a course that is offered only in the fall or the spring (no summer option is available). For the Accelerated MPP program, you will need to take microeconomics (ECON 2010) and a calculus-based math course. It can be helpful take a college-level math course at UVA to build skills and demonstrate readiness for graduate level quantitative work, so if you intend to bring in the calculus pre-req using AP or transfer credit, you might also consider taking STAT 1100, STAT 1601, or STAT 2120 if you have additional room in your schedule. Finally, students interested in the Social Entrepreneurship Minor should take ENTP 1010: Startup - An Introduction to Entrepreneurship. (Remember, Batten’s two minors are “open tracks” that require application to successfully insure you have completed the prerequisites.) 

Students can take additional Batten classes 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 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!). Keep in mind, if you ultimately stay in the College of Arts and Sciences, you must earn 108 credits of coursework in the College, so if you do take additional Batten classes, be sure to course plan to make sure you can meet all your requirements. (And be sure to note, if you are planning on taking LPPL 2600 to fulfill the social psychology prerequisite, that course does not fulfill College credit.) 

For those looking for a taste of Batten, courses to consider include LPPL 2100: The Resilient Student: Transition, Thriving, and Leadership or LPPL 3450: Resilient Leadership for Teams and Teammates. Students interested in particular policy areas can explore them through special topics (elective) courses like LPPS 3050: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship (which counts towards SE Minor requirements); LPPS 3240: Terrorism and Counterterrorism; or LPPS 3310: Police-Community Relations: Problems and Prospects. Any courses taken at the 3000-level or higher count towards curricular requirements if you end up joining the BA or Minor in Public Policy & Leadership!   

For a complete list of our fall offerings, you can check Stellic, SIS, or Lou’s List for the most up-to-date information, we have also listed our fall courses below for reference.  New courses may still be added to our roster, so be sure to check back! 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 Estrella!  

Open Batten Core and Special Topics Courses (as of April 1)  

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: course does NOT fulfill a special topics requirement in the Batten BA or PP&L 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 PP&L minor; this course is a great way for students to gain an understanding of public policy and the Batten School.  

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 PP&L minor prerequisite for Social Psychology.   

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 PP&L minor curriculum, for students interested in social entrepreneurship (this is a required course for the Social Entrepreneurship minor).  

LPPS 3240: Terrorism and Counterterrorism: The 9-11 attacks ushered in a new era of international terrorism. Over the course of the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, experts have grappled to employ an effective strategy for countering Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates. This course explores the lessons of this long, troubled chapter, especially through our engagement in Afghanistan, and seeks to apply those lessons to countering future terrorist threats at home and abroad. *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 PP&L minor curriculum.    

LPPS 3330: Education and Conflict: Through global case studies in regions including Africa, the Middle East, the US, & Australia, course explores relationship between education & conflict: how education systems exacerbate conflict through curricula, inequalities such as access & knowledge gaps; how education systems can alleviate poverty & other factors leading to armed conflict; how external factors (resource scarcity, global climate change, political instability) impact education & conflict. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.    

LPPS 3340: Innovating for Defense: Experiential course where students directly work w/US Department of Defense to address real-world national security challenges, gaining problem-solving and professional skills for any field. Through research, stakeholder interviews, and engagements with outside experts, student teams develop policy recommendations for project sponsors’ organizations. Recent project sponsors: US Strategic Command, Space Security and Defense Program, and National Ground Intelligence Center. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.    

LPPS 3380: Poverty, Learning, and Education Policy: Discussion-based course with a developmental examination of child poverty (multi-layer effects of history, culture, & geographic location). Examines: school reform efforts ("turnaround" schools, charter schools); implications of No Child Left Behind &2015 Every Student Succeeds Act; barriers (social isolation, violence, oppression, etc.) that contribute to failure of previous reform initiatives; education policies and proposals aiming to address these issues. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L 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 PP&L minor curriculum.    

LPPP 3559-001: Designing Environmental Policy: In this course, we will approach environmental policy with an economic lens. The course is divided into three parts. First, we will review core economic concepts relevant for environmental policy. The second part of the course will cover the policy tools used to correct market failures. Finally, we will discuss wrinkles in policy design (imperfect monitoring, political incentives, etc.).  *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.    

LPPP 3559-002: Inequality and Public Policy: Both historically and today, many of the most significant public policies in the US have had, intentionally and unintentionally, profoundly different consequences for different groups in society. In this course, we will examine the long thread of consequential policies in the US from the country’s founding to today. We will consider how public policy both shapes inequality and promotes greater equality across important policy domains including social welfare, housing, education, the labor market, wealth, criminal justice, health, and more. As part of this endeavor, we will learn about core policy institutions, fundamental elements of the policy process, and key policy actors and pressure groups. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.    

LPPP 3559-003: Global Child & Youth Policy: Many policies aim to help children. Are they working & which are critical? How could we design them with children’s needs and perspectives in mind? In this course, we will discuss children’s needs around the world, existing policies to address them, and child participation processes. Policy areas will range from education to health to poverty alleviation. Students will analyze a specific policy and design their own. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum. 

LPPP 3559-004: Strategic Decision-Making: In international politics, the choice is often between bad and worse options, where outcomes are highly uncertain and – in a crisis – the lives and livelihoods of millions of people may hang in the balance.  This course bridges the divide between academic theory and real-world practice. Lectures, primary and secondary source readings, and class discussion will be complemented with participatory exercises designed to allow you to enter into the mindset of a senior decision-maker. We will also be joined by guest speakers who will share their experiences as leaders in government. While the focus of the course is on national security, the concepts and skills you will learn will be applicable to leadership decision-making in a wide range of other fields. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum. 

LPPS 4230: US Mental Health Policy: Explores US mental health policy and analyzes effectiveness of policies to address behavioral health needs. Examine how US Federal government perceives mental illness, impact of science on policy initiatives and why US remains in state of crisis. Topics include: COVID, Social Determinants of Health, institutionalization vs. community-based services, impact of adverse childhood experiences, PTSK and military, brain science, financing mental health services and opioid crisis. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum.   

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 PP&L minor curriculum.   

LPPS 4730: Impact Investing: 'Impact Investing' is the proactive deployment of financial resources to organizations for a positive return on investment and an additional, intentional social impact beyond financial returns. Impact Investing explores how funders (grant funders, investors, and policymakers) deploy capital to support social entrepreneurs. This course provides an introductory understanding of utilizing finance as a tool for solving social problems worldwide. *An elective course in the Batten BA and PP&L minor curriculum, as well as the Social Entrepreneurship minor.