PUBPOL-890
SPECIAL TOPICS
Offered Fall 2026
Term
Instructor
Overview
This number covers many different special-topics seminars, so there is no single uniform experience. The common pattern is strong discussion, strong instructors, and practical policy thinking, but you still need to vet the exact topic.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredFall, Spring
Typical enrollment7–40
Semesters of data5
3.9
Hrs / week
320
Responses
563
Enrollment
57%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.4
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.4
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.5
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
3.1
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysismedium
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 704 comments across 36 sections
This number covers many different special-topics seminars, so there is no single uniform experience. The common pattern is strong discussion, strong instructors, and practical policy thinking, but you still need to vet the exact topic.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Moderate homework load
Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Across sections, students consistently praise engaged discussion, relevant readings, and instructors with real field experience.
• Applied assignments, memos, and practitioner or guest-speaker exposure make the work feel professionally useful.
• When the topic clicks, students describe these seminars as some of the best policy classes they have taken.
Tradeoffs
• Because this is a special-topics umbrella, course depth, workload, and viewpoint depend heavily on the specific section and instructor.
• Some sections lean more toward historical framing and analysis than toward forward-looking solutions.
Best fit for
Policy students choosing a topic-specific seminar for discussion, applied writing, and direct contact with practitioners.
Watch out for
• Research the exact topic and instructor before enrolling; the course number alone does not tell you enough.
• Dense readings, reading quizzes, or exam structures were pain points in some sections.
Student Responses
I learned how to discern between good and bad behavioral designs, the EAST framework, and how to conduct randomized control trials.
Fall 2023 · Beasley, Mariel
I learned s lot of mesmerizing new things in this class. I appreciate how the lecturers design and build this course structures to be such an amazing class. I learned how to use nudge in designing public policies (instead of giving expensive subsidies), how to make a policy/regulation more attractive to improve compliance and participation rates, also I learned how to collaborate in team to work with client in addressing real case of behavioral sciences.
Fall 2023 · Beasley, Mariel
Given that this was my first public policy course, I have developed a thinking apparatus that applies to a broader set of people. The three specific things include: - Behavioral Science - Design Thinking - Applying BE principles at scale
Fall 2023 · Beasley, Mariel
Decision mapping, applying the east framework, designing a policy intervention RCT
Fall 2023 · Beasley, Mariel
Good understanding of the basic concepts of behavioral insights and their application across various policy sectors and contexts.
Fall 2023 · Beasley, Mariel
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Bogan, Vicki 2.9Rate My ProfessorsQuality2.9Difficulty3.4Would retake50%Based on 8 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.3 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 86 |
| Spring 2025 | Goldman, Emily | 4.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 127 |
| Fall 2024 | Bogan, Vicki 2.9Rate My ProfessorsQuality2.9Difficulty3.4Would retake50%Based on 8 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.5 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 82 |
| Spring 2024 | Profeta, Timothy | 4.3 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 132 |
| Fall 2023 | Beasley, Mariel | 4.1 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 136 |
Instructor
Bogan, VickiPPS
Also teaches
PUBPOL-290 SELECTED TOPICS5.0