Events
M.A. in Applied Social Research and
Policy Analysis
Courses
We offer an array of courses, including: Introduction to Policy Analysis, Quantitative Applied Research, Qualitative Applied Research, Statistical Analysis, Foundations of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Human Rights Policy and Research, Evaluation Research, and Funding and Conducting Community- Based Research, and many policy-related courses. Research internship opportunities on Long Island and in New York City are available to students in their second year of full-time or third year of part-time study.
View Model Schedules for the Program
The Core Curriculum (24 s.h.):
All students in the program will be required to take an eight-course sequence (24 credits).
ASR 201 Statistics For Applied Social Research. A review of elementary descriptive and inferential statistics Topics include measures of central tendency and dispersion, bivariate correlation and regression, two-group comparison of means, one-way ANOVA, sampling, parametric and non-parametric tests of significance, estimation and hypothesis testing, issues of power and robustness [Computer Apps: Spreadsheets; SPSS]
ASR 202 Multivariate Statistics for Applied Research. Multivariate statistical analysis. Topics include partial correlation, multiple regression, linear and non-linear analyses, path analysis, logistic regression, factor analysis N-way ANOVA. The course will emphasize the use of computer programs such as SPSS for performing sophisticated statistical analysis [Computer Apps: SPSS]
ASR 203 Qualitative Applied Research. This course will focus on the interpretive analysis of non-quantified data. Topics will include, field observations, participant-observation, measurement, unstructured interviews, focus group techniques, sampling techniques, software applications [Computer Apps: NNivo].
ASR 204 Quantitative Applied Research. This course will handle the design and collection issues related to quantitative data and data analysis. Key topic will include survey design, measurement, questionnaire construction, Scales and indices, structured interviews, manifest content analysis, sampling designs, fitting data collection to statistical analysis, ethics in research [Computer Apps: SNAP; GIS; SPSS].
ASR 205 Evaluation Research. This course focuses on the specific ways in which research methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, can be brought to bear on research that attempts to collect and analyze data in applied programmatic settings. Topics will include establishing the research agenda, funding applied research, the relationship between goals and outcomes, measurement issues, program and evaluation process relations, establishing research parameters, client relations. A key component of the course will be components on grant writing and communication in the professional setting.
ASR 206 Funding and Conducting Community-Based Research. The focus is on the distinctive features of participatory community-based research. The nature of nonprofit organizations will be discussed. Students will gain practical experience with effective grant and report writing and presentation. Students will have the opportunity to hone oral presentation skills. Group and individual projects will be required.
ASR 207 Social Theory Construction and Contemporary Developments. This course will provide students with exposure to recent developments in social theory, as well as a grounding in the process of social theory construction. A key emphasis will be on the connections among social theory, research, and policy applications
ASR 210 Introduction to Policy Analysis. This course will focus on the general area of policy analysis. It will include a survey of the principal modalities of analysis. It will provide students with an overview of the linkage between research and policy formulation, the role of social, political, economic, and cultural factors in the policy formulation process. Case studies in various areas of social policy with be used to examine the main points of the course. A focus of the course is the practical aspects of developing and initiating policy in the applied work setting.
Policy Concentration Courses (12 s.h.):
Students will select 12 credits (four courses) from courses reflecting several policy concentration areas: Law and Justice, Community Issues & Responses, Labor and Organizational Relations, Globalization and Development. The four-course sequence will provide a broadly based grounding in social policy application and analysis in an array of distinct areas. Initially, the program will offer policy courses in a structured four-course sequence, but will accommodate students’ individual interests whenever possible. It is anticipated that as the program develops and the curriculum expands, students will satisfy this requirement in one of three ways: 1) by taking the total of 12 credits in two different areas (six credits in each area; 2) by taking all 12 credits in a single area; 3) by customizing a sequence of 12 credits that combines students’ and faculty interests.
ASR 220 Introduction to Health Policy Analysis. This course provides an overview of the health care delivery and financing system in the U.S. and introduces students to the core elements of health policy analysis. Topics include the development of health policy in the U.S., managed care and universal coverage policies, inequality, obesity as an individual and society issue, and environmental issues.
ASR 241/ECO 241 Employment Policy Analysis. The goals of the course are to build a conceptual foundation in economic and labor studies approaches to employment analysis and to develop the research skills needed to critically evaluate employment policy issues. The course explores a variety of interesting and controversial topics, including: changes in career opportunities and obstacles; unemployment; privatization of pubic sector jobs; pay and fringe benefit differentials; education and training effects; racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination; occupational health and safety; immigration’s job market impacts; international job shifts and global labor policies; and labor union organizing and relationships with employers and government. The course emphasis will be on real world applications, through in class discussions, contemporary readings, and empirical analysis.
ASR 271 Human Rights Policy and Research. This course utilizes social scientific theory and methods of research to further our understanding of human rights norms, policies, and practices. Emphasis will be placed on issues relating to the monitoring of human rights practices, documenting and reporting abuses, and evaluating policies and projects to promote human rights. The course will address the competing definitions of human rights, and the factors behind the emergence of human rights discourses. The obstacles to and opportunities for promoting adherence to human rights standards among state and non-state actors will be discussed.
PSY 217 Organizational Development. Foundations of organizational development. Discussion of topics dealing with the need for change in organizations, how initiate procedures for organizational change and measure the effect of the change agents. The course will examine the influence of change on both the formal and informal aspects of the organization and how to overcome resistance to change.
PSY 283A Foundations of Industrial/Organizational Psychology I: Industrial Psychology. Extensive review of theoretical, research and applied issue sin the field of industrial psychology. A combination of lecture and discussion strategies is utilized to cover the topics of legal issues, psychological measurement, job and task analysis, selection and recruitment, performance appraisal, training, compensation and job evaluation.
PSY 283B Foundations of Industrial/Organizational Psychology II: Organizational Psychology. Survey of the major topics in organizational psychology including work motivation, job satisfaction, stress, leadership, communication, job design, organizational development and organizational theories.
SOC 250 Independent Readings in Sociology and Social Policy. Independent study on special topics in sociology and social policy.
SOC 251, 252 Special Topics Seminar: Social Policy. This course will be utilized to explore advanced topics in the general area of social policy analysis. The focus will be on developing an understanding of a critical social issue and the formulation of relevant social policies. Students will be expected to work on individual and group projects. The course can be repeated when the topic varies.
SOC 272 Youth, Social Policy, and the Criminal Justice System. Theoretical and empirical analyses of the social forces that bring youth in contact with the juvenile justice system in the United States. Topics include: defining juvenile crime and delinquency; identifying structural and cultural sources of youth incarceration; assessing the effectiveness of alternative preventive and social control strategies; and analyzing the broader social consequences of incarceration. Students will conduct diagnostic and evaluative research on related topics.
Research Internship (6 s.h.):
Students will complete a total of 6 credits of research internship. Students will be placed in a setting appropriate to their interests and concentration areas. It is expected that the internship will engage the students in research and policy activities that further their practical skills and knowledge in the areas of applied research and policy analysis.
*ASR 290, 291 Internship in Applied Research and Policy. This course is designed to provide supervised practical exposure to the areas of applied social research and policy analysis via placement in an appropriate non-profit, public sector, or private sector organizational setting. Weekly classroom meetings for students in internships will be utilized to jointly discuss substantive, professional, and logistical issues associated with their individual experiences.
Thesis Option (3 s.h.):
Students who anticipate moving on to advanced graduate training may opt to substitute a research-based thesis in lieu of three credits of internship. The thesis will be supervised by a member of the program’s faculty and evaluated by a committee of three faculty (including the supervisor). Prior approval by program director will be required for students seeking this option.
*ASR 301 Master’s Essay. Development of a substantial thesis based on original research and theoretical conceptualization. Student will work under the supervision of an appropriate member of the faculty. Open only to students in the Applied Social Research and Policy Analysis program.