Social Science & Policy Studies | Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Undergraduate Courses

ECON 210X. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS

This course examines the theory of international trade and the policies followed by governments with respect to trade of goods and services among nations. Theoretical considerations will include the gains from trade under classical and modern assumptions and the impact of various measures used by governments to either restrict or promote trade. Policy considerations will include U. S. trade policies and the role of the World Trade Organization. Additional topics may include trade and the environment, NAFTA, U.S.-China trade, international financial markets, and the determination of exchange rates.
Recommended background: ECON 1120.

ECON 216X. ECONOMIC LESSONS FROM THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE

During the 17th century, the Dutch became a world power, laying the foundation for much of our modern world. Despite the region’s scarce natural resources, the people of the Dutch Republic turned their country into the premier manufacturing, trading and financial center. The rich and the rising middle class became the main clients of Dutch artists and influenced a wide array of subjects that provide insight into everyday life in 17th-century Holland. We will use the visual arts to study the economic behavior of individuals, businesses, government, and other institutions and draw parallels to modern economies. We will learn, for example, about the tulip mania, the first documented speculative asset bubble, and discover that the Dutch were not that different from the exuberant traders of the modern stock market. The course will cover relevant topics in economic theory and will provide opportunities for students to conduct basic economic analysis. A major resource for the course will be the Worcester Art Museum’s rich holdings of Netherlandish art. On-campus PowerPoint presentations will be complemented by regular visits to the galleries as well as a visit to the Print Room.
Recommended background: None.

ECON 291X. ECONOMICS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

This course is designed to provide an introduction to economics, an introduction to entrepreneurship, and an understanding of the linkages between economics and entrepreneurship. Students will apply these concepts to the assessment of opportunities that might arise from participation in WPI projects. Students will engage in exploring how economics and entrepreneurship can inform opportunity assessment within an ambiguous and uncertain context. These decisions are always made with incomplete information and there is typically no single correct answer but rather multiple possible answers -- each with pluses and minuses.

ENV 130X. SMART & SUSTAINABLE CITIES

What is a smart and sustainable city? What shapes it? How does its history influence its future? How do physical forms and institutions vary from city to city, and how are these changes meaningful? How are cities changing, and what is the future of cities? This course explores these and other questions, focusing on international cities in the late twentieth century. Two areas of focus in this seminar are the physical patterns and socio-ecological processes underpinning urban change. On the one hand, cities are characterized by spatial patterns of grey and green infrastructure from downtown and inner city to suburb and edge city; on the other, they are driven by a host of social rules and norms, as well as dynamic and increasingly unpredictable ecological processes. These questions and more are explored through lectures, readings, videos, case studies, and guest speakers.

Recommended background: None.

ENV 200X. CLIMATE CHANGE: VULNERABILITY AND MITIGATION

Global environmental change, especially climate change, is already proving to be a grand challenge to societies, ecosystems, and economies. While climate change impacts vary globally, people and governments are striving to reduce exposure to environmental risks and trying to design socio-ecological responses to improve welfare. Taking climate change as a starting point, this course introduces students to a wide range of climate change conditions, human responses to those conditions, and points toward the need for deeper understanding of human-environment relationships. The course will draw from Geography, Economics, Global Environmental Change, and other cross cutting disciplines for theory and case studies. Examples of climate change risks and mitigation efforts will come from the developed and developing world and will include both urban and rural examples. Assessment techniques include small group projects, case based testing, and in class and online discussions. The course will also reinforce monitoring, evaluation, and learning techniques with students and faculty who will design desired course outcomes and procedures. At the end of this course students will be able to discuss and describe differential climate change impacts, human mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and make educated contributions to climate change mitigation policies and programs.

ENV 210X. CLIMATE CHANGE, RESILIENCE, AND THE DEVELOPING WORLD

This course will examine climate change impacts through the lens of a number of emerging engineering challenges in the developing world, now and into the future. Beginning with an overview of climate change science, students will learn how rapidly changing ecological systems in turn affect a variety of human endeavors. The course will then explore case studies of human responses to these climatic changes in different countries faced with varied ecological, political, and cultural dynamics: mitigation efforts that aim to reduce the amount of future climate change; adaptation plans that anticipate high-probability future changes; and resiliency efforts that attempt to provide the ability to respond as circumstances evolve in as-yet unknown ways. At the end of this course, students will understand that they will be required to consider and incorporate climate change science ¬– and the expanding list of consequences from rapidly changing planetary conditions ¬¬– into almost every aspect of their professional lives

ENV 2500. Psychology for Sustainability

Cat II (offered at least every other Year).
This course is intended for anyone interested in human behavior and sustainability. This course applies psychological theory and research to understand the causes of human behavior that degrades natural systems and to identify and promote more sustainable actions and policies. Topics will include: social dilemmas and cognitive limitations as root causes of environmental problems; psychological methods for studying sustainability; the potential for and limitations of changing individual environmental cognition and behavior; environmental knowledge, attitudes, and values; motivations for sustainable behavior; and the relationship between environmental quality and human health and mental health. Students will gain experience applying social and cognitive behavior change strategies to reduce their own environmental impact.Students may not receive credit for both ENV 2400 and ENV 2500/PSY 2500.This course will be offered in 2025-26, and in alternating years thereafter.

ENV 300X. FIELD COURSE IN EUROPEAN URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

This course examines the European City model for urban and sustainable development policies and practices. The course has both classroom and field-based components. In class we will learn about model strategies for urban development, how they are mobilized, and the causes of differentiated implementation from place to place. During the field-based component, we will travel to Europe for a one-week to 10-day field trip where we will meet policy makers and other stakeholders in several cities in Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany. Discussion and reflection time will take place each evening. Field trip expenses, transport and lodging, will be paid for by the University of Luxembourg. Each student is responsible for getting to Europe and paying a few nights accommodation before and after the trip.
Recommended background: an interest in smart or sustainable cities and/or urban policy, planning, and practice.
Students who completed this course as an ISRP cannot receive credit for ENV300X.

GOV 2100. Engineering and Public Policy

Cat II (offered at least every other Year).
Twenty-first century engineers tackle complex problems influenced by not only technology but also social systems. In order to develop sustainable solutions, there is a need to understand the interface between engineering and societal processes such as public policy. This course examines the interactions between engineering and public policy, and introduces students to the concepts, tools and methods involved in public policy making and policy analysis to understand policy impact on engineering domains. This course is a bridge between engineering and public policy.

GOV 233X. SOCIAL ACTION AND POLICY CHANGE

This course offers students an opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective advocates for social action and policy change. Policy advocates work to influence and change social policies in communities, organizations, or legislative bodies. This course will especially focus on developing methods of persuasion and how to address social problems, increase social justice, and assure access to resources, especially among individuals and groups who lack relative power in our society. Finally, the course will introduce students to and help them build the skills necessary for analyzing, developing, implementing, and assessing policy at the local, state, and national levels.

GOV 235X. INTERNTIONAL MIGRATION AND POLITICS

This course investigates the causes and effects of human movement from a political perspective. It explores many questions related to the movement of people across international borders such as: Why do people move across borders and how should local communities, national government, and international organization respond? Should countries have borders and, if so, how should they decide who is allowed entry and who should be denied entry? What types of obligations should a host country have towards immigrants and what responsibility should an immigrant have to the receiving society? Should citizenship be earned or automatic? How are women and children impacted by migration? How has immigration become a security issue in international relations? How has climate change impacted human migration? By the end of the term, students should gain critical insight into the language that fuels policy debates about migration.

Recommended background: Students are encouraged to take this course to broaden their understanding of public policies as it relates to the movement of people across international borders. This course assumes that students have a general knowledge of political science and/or public policy concepts, such as can be found in GOV 1320 Topics in International Politics; however, no specific prerequisites are required to take this course.

GOV 236X. WOMEN IN POLITICS

This course will explore the socioeconomic, historical, and political status of women. Among the topics we will cover are the history of women’s rights, women’s participation in elections and specific issues concerning women such as reproductive rights, body image, the #metoo movement, women in political office and other issues concerning race, gender, class and sexuality. We will look at the relationship between men and women in politics as well as the role of family. We will ask: what is women’s equality and difference, what solutions are best for women and what constitutes a feminist approach to politics? This course is designed to introduce students to the study of gender, politics, and social justice issues in the United States and beyond.

Recommended background: This course assumes that students have a general knowledge of political science concepts, such as can be found in GOV 1301 U.S. Government and 1303 American Public Policy, however, no specific prerequisites are required to take this course.

GOV 3000. Psychology and Law

Cat II (offered at least every other Year).
How does the courtroom work and where does psychology come into play? Is it really innocent until proven guilty? Do people confess to crimes they never committed? How accurate are eyewitnesses? In this course, we will discuss and examine questions like these and many more. This course examines empirical research at the interface of psychology and law. We will learn about standard practices in the criminal justice system and empirical psychological research devoted to understanding these practices. As a discussion-based course, we will tackle topics such as: courtroom procedures, confessions, death penalty, deception, decision making, deliberations, eyewitnesses, expert testimony, jury selection, memory, police, and pretrial publicity. We will also explore how and when psychologists can impact legal guidelines and policies. This course is intended for psychology majors, psychology minors, and students studying government, law, and/or policy studies.This course will be offered in 2025-26, and in alternating years thereafter.

GOV 3312. International Environmental Policy

Cat II (offered at least every other Year).
Environmental issues present some of the major international problems and opportunities facing the world today. Worst-case scenarios envision irrevocable degradation of the earths natural systems, but virtually every analysis sees the need for major change worldwide to cope with problems such as global warming, deforestation, ozone layer depletion, loss of biodiversity, and population growth, not to mention exponential increases in conventional pollutants in newly industrialized countries. The global environment issues represent a second-generation of environmental policy in which the focus of concern has moved from national regulations to international law and institutions. In addition, the environment has emerged as a major aspect of international trade, conditioning corporate investment and accounting for some $200 billion in sales of pollution control equipment in 1991. Exploration of the genesis and implications of these phenomena is the essence of the course. Topically, the material begins with the nature of global environmental problems, drawing on literature from large-scale global modeling as well as particular analyses of the problems mentioned above. Approximately half the course focuses on international laws and institutions, including multilateral treaties (e.g., the Montreal Protocol limiting CFC use, ocean dumping, biodiversity), international institutions (UNEP, the Rio Convention, the OECD) and private initiatives (international standards organizations, ICOLP (Industry Committee for Ozone Layer Protection), etc.) In addition, US policy toward global environmental issues will be compared with that in Japan, Europe and developing countries, from which it differs significantly. Students will design and undertake term projects that address particular issues in detail in an interdisciplinary manner. This course will be offered in 2021-22, and in alternating years thereafter.

ID 2050. Social Science Research for the IQP

Cat I (offered at least 1x per Year).
This course is open to students accepted to off-campus IQP centers and programs. The course introduces students to research design, methods for social science research, and analysis. It also provides practice in specific research and field skills using the project topics students have selected in conjunction with sponsoring agencies. Students learn to develop social science hypotheses based upon literature reviews in their topic areas and apply concepts drawn from social psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics and other areas as appropriate. Students make presentations, write an organized project proposal, and develop a communication model for reporting their project findings.

PSY 2500. Psychology for Sustainability

PSY 3000. Psychology and Law

SS 2050. Social Science Research for the IQP

Graduate Courses

DEV 501. Social Innovation and Global Development

Social Innovation and Global Development provides a broad overview of the program. We will touch on many of the themes that will be explored in depth in the core courses. These themes include but are not limited to: design thinking, cross-cultural design, ethics in design, and visual expression. We will also employ team building exercises bring the cohort together as a cohesive group. The mornings will be spent in interactive classroom experiences where students will engage in seminar discussions, small group activities, and feedback sessions. This course will take place in the two weeks leading up to the students first semester in the program. The course will run two weeks, for approximately six hours per day, Monday through Friday.

DEV 502. Design for Social Change

Everyone is entitled to good design, without distinction of any kind. Race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or social origins, property, birth or other status should have effective visual communication. Social Impact Design Course is a place where student designers learn to create good design for the good of others. Community engagement through community-based design projects is just one aspect of the course. Students will learn additional practice skills in design thinking and cause branding. This course explores various community and professional practices when designing for social change. Through community-based projects with non-profit organizations, students explore the many roles creative professionals can play when executing socially-minded work. Students will be challenged to expand their comprehension of design problem solving for new audiences. Design teams will develop skills in design methodology for visual communication: identifying problems, design research, ideation, and implementation.

DEV 510. Design Studio 1

This studio course introduces students to a variety of design case studies from developing world infrastructure projects, to human computer interaction, autonomous vehicles, and others to give students an opportunity to explore and critique design processes and to develop a sense of their own approach with some depth.

DEV 520. Design Studio 2

This studio course is taken in E(l) term. Here students will begin to develop their own GQP or thesis projects. They will share their work with their peers in weekly feedback sessions. Faculty will act as mentors who push the students toward project and process clarity. For students traveling abroad the studio will provide an opportunity to raise and explore important cultural considerations.

DEV 530. Ethics and Social Justice in Science, Engineering, and Development

How do contemporary engineers, technologists and other design professionals think about the relationship between ethics and design? Design is not simply about making objects or improving the customers experience, but also about restructuring the conditions of human and nonhuman life. Seen from this broader perspective, design lies at the heart of most of our current debates on social equality, cultural diversity, and environmental justice. In this course, our goal is to move beyond a view of design ethics as a reflection of the individual designer's intentions and responsibility. We will thus consider the extent to which professional codes of ethics, while perhaps being indispensable to modern professional associations, are useful for understanding the complex issues emerging in design practices. Moving the focus from the individual designer to historical and social contexts, we will think about the kinds of politics and communities that design practices can make possible.

DEV 540. Research Methods

This course takes a critical approach towards evidence generation and use, data and knowledge production in the context of this programs global aspirations. In particular, this course encourages students to grapple with complex issues surrounding different research practice models including evidence-based practice, research and data justice frameworks, and community-based participatory research. Students learn the research process from theoretical grounding and question formulation, searching for relevant and applicable literature, critically evaluating interventions, and translating research findings into implementation. To this end, students will consider the following questions: What counts as evidence? Who decides its relevance, and by what processes? How might researchers/implementers/partners embody principles of self-determination and other research justice principles such as equitable community involvement and accountability?

DEV 550. Policy Evaluation

Policy evaluation involves the development of evaluation questions, the research designs, and the data analysis to answer the questions. Students will learn the assessment of the needs and concerns of stakeholders, the knowledge of analytical tools, including randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), and the ability to formulate evidence-based recommendations. We begin by examining the advantages and disadvantages of using observational studies to identify the determinants of outcomes in which policy makers are often interested. We then consider quasi-experiments and learn about their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we focus on how to use RCTs in the field to obtain accurate measures of policy effectiveness. We will cover a significant amount of literature on education, health, agricultural, and finance-related interventions. You will also complete a research project that will give you the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to successfully design, conduct, and analyze the results of RCTs aimed at answering important policy questions.

DEV 595. Special Topics in Design for Science, Technology and Innovation

This course will allow flexibility for faculty to offer courses on topics of current interest.

DEV 596. Independent Study

This course will allow a student(s) to study a certain topic under the guidance of an affiliated faculty member. The student must produce an appropriate paper (e.g., conceptual or empirical) from this experience.

DEV 597. Directed Research

Directed research allows students the opportunity to engage in a research project that is related to a member of facultys portfolio. The student must produce an appropriate paper (e.g., conceptual or empirical) from this experience.

DEV 598. Graduate Qualifying Project

This three-credit graduate qualifying project, typically done in teams, is to be carried out in cooperation with a sponsor or external partner. It must be overseen by a faculty member affiliated with the Science, Technology, Innovation, and Global Development. This offering integrates theory and practice of design for science, engineering, and innovation, and should include the utilization of tools and techniques acquired in the program. In addition to a written report, this project must be presented in a formal presentation to the WPI community. Professional development skills, such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and collaboration, along with storytelling, will be practiced.

DEV 599. Masters Thesis

A thesis consists of a research and development project worth (a minimum of) nine graduate credit hours advised by a faculty member affiliated with the Program. A thesis proposal must be approved by the Science, Technology, Innovation, and Global Development Review Board and the students advisors, before the student can register for more than three thesis credits. The student must satisfactorily complete a written thesis document, and present the results to the WPI community.

SS 510. Principles of Epidemiology

Cat I.
Epidemiology studies the historical pattern of disease in populations to describe and identify distributions of diseases and opportunities for intervention. This course serves as a cornerstone for the quantitative aspects of global health and focuses quantitatively on the distribution and determinants of health in populations and communities. The goal is to provide a scientific and engineering foundation that seeks to reduce risk factors and improve health in a population through a strong quantitative analysis of causation, problem-solving, analytic reasoning. The study of epidemiology evaluates the multifactorial etiology and pathophysiology of chronic diseases and applies criteria for identification, prevention and control of infectious agents. The discipline also contributes to public health practice and policy and is designed to introduce students to the principles and methods of health investigations.

SS 560. Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Technology, Ethics and Policy

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force with significant implications for public policy. This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of challenges and opportunities AI brings to society and attendant policy debates. Throughout the course, students will learn both knowledge and tools enabling them to critically analyze and contribute to policy formation, implementation, assessment of AI related polices. The course will prepare students to engage in ongoing policy and emergent policy debates that reflect AIs impact on society. Students will be able to make ethically informed decisions about the intersection of technology, policy, and society.

SS 590. Special Topics in Social Science and Policy Studies

Individual or group studies on any topic relating to social science and policy studies selected by the student and approved by the faculty member who supervises the work.