Applied Policy Seminar

This course exposes students to policy analysis in practice through direct engagement with RAND researchers and their work. In each session, researchers present a policy study and discuss the full arc of the analytic process, including problem formulation, research design, methods, interpretation of findings, dissemination, and policy impact. Students read assigned studies in advance, participate actively in discussion with presenters, and reflect on the substantive, methodological, and practical lessons of each case. The course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of how policy analysis is conducted, communicated, and used in real-world decisionmaking contexts.