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Course Listing for PUBLIC POLICY & LAW - Fall 2026 (ALL: 09/08/2026 - 12/23/2026)
Class
No.		 Course ID Title Credits Type Instructor(s) Days:Times Location Permission
Required		 Dist Qtr
1509 PBPL-123-01 Fundamentals of American Law 1.00 LEC Falk, Glenn W: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 29 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This course is not open to seniors.
  NOTE: This is a required course for students intending to pursue the Legal Studies minor. It is the recommended first course for students who are interested in the minor.
  NOTE: Registered students who do not attend the first class will be dropped from the course.
  NOTE: 17 seats reserved for sophomores, 4 for juniors, 2 for first-year students.
  This course introduces students to the fundamentals of the United States legal system. Core topics covered include: sources of law; the role of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches in the creation, implementation, and interpretation of laws ; state and federal judicial systems; civil and criminal cases; trial and appellate process; criminal law and procedure; elements of due process; safeguarding the rights of the accused; current issues confronting the criminal justice system; and an overview of torts, contracts and alternate dispute resolution. The course will also focus on legal ethics and emerging trends in the legal profession. Students will learn to read and analyze case law and statutes and acquire substantive techniques for legal writing and oral presentations.
1382 PBPL-201-01 Intro to Ameri Public Policy 1.00 LEC Staff, Trinity MW: 8:30AM-9:45AM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 25 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  NOTE: 15 seats reserved for PBPL majors, 5 for sophomores, 5 for first-years.
  This course introduces students to the formal and informal processes through which American public policy is made. They will study the constitutional institutions of government and the distinct role each branch of the national government plays in the policy-making process, and also examine the ways in which informal institutions-political parties, the media, and political lobbyists-contribute to and shape the policy process.
3047 PBPL-204-01 Voting Rights and Democracy 1.00 LEC Turiano, Evan MW: 2:55PM-4:10PM TBA SOIP  
  Enrollment limited to 25 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This class will examine the struggle over the right to vote in America and its deep connections to racism and civil rights conflicts. Students will study historical voting restrictions and consider the relationship between enfranchisement and the political movements for race, gender, and economic equality that persist through the present day. Through structured debates over law and policy issues including gerrymandering, election law federalism, voting role purges, voter ID laws, and the political specter of voter fraud, students will develop the tools needed to understand the relationship between contemporary fights over voting and longstanding debates about American democracy. Students will complete policy papers which draw on public data, historical sources, and interdisciplinary scholarship to analyze a contemporary voting restriction and offer policy directions.
3048 PBPL-205-01 Slavery & U.S. Legal System 1.00 LEC Turiano, Evan MW: 1:30PM-2:45PM TBA SOIP  
  Enrollment limited to 25 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This class will blend legal history and analysis of American judicial decision-making to understand the relationship between slavery and law in America. Students will examine how slaveholders sought to shape the foundations of American law, and how the law created and propped up the institution of slavery. Students will then consider how slavery, in turn, shaped the institutions of early American law. Finally, students will examine how slavery has continued to resonate through the American legal system since its abolition. Slave law shaped American governance in unexpected ways, and legal cases protecting slavery continue to be cited as precedent in American courts. Students will complete final projects that examine modern cases which cite proslavery opinions and consider the significance of those historical lineages.
1637 PBPL-220-01 Research and Evaluation 1.00 SEM Gleason, Shane TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM TBA NUM  
  Enrollment limited to 19 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  NOTE: 12 seats reserved for PBPL majors
  Which policy interventions actually work and which fail to meet their goals? Answering this question is essential to improving public and non-profit services and securing further funding for worthwhile projects. This course aims to give students the ability to comprehend policy research and evaluation, as well as the tools to design and conduct basic qualitative and quantitative analysis. Students will apply these practical skills in assignments that ask them to design evaluations or analyze data to assess the effectiveness of policies. Topics will include data analysis using statistical software, but no previous programming experience is necessary. NOTE: Students may not earn credit for PBPL 220 and POLS 242.
3223 PBPL-251-01 Judicial Proc:Courts & Pub Pol 1.00 LEC Gleason, Shane TR: 1:30PM-2:45PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 25 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Prerequisite: C- or better in Political Science102 or Public Policy and Law 201, 202, or 123, or permission of instructor.
  This course examines the evolution of the judicial process in America and the role of the courts as policy makers. We will study civil and criminal courts at both the state and federal level as well as the functions of judges, lawyers, litigants, and other actors. We will also consider how the courts make policy in areas such as the war on terrorism, the right to privacy, gay and lesbian rights, and the rights of the accused.
2659 PBPL-300-01 Principles and Practice 1.00 SEM Lukens, David M: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 5 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: PBPL-800-01
  Prerequisite: C- or better in PBPL 201 and PBPL 220
  This course will focus on both micro- and macro-level elements of the public policy process, from problem identification through post-implementation evaluation. In addition to core theoretical text-based discussion, students will be exposed to models of research and reporting used in the various fields of public policy. Students will apply their learning through case-study analysis. They will be required to complete an independent research project through which they will examine a particular area of policy (e.g., healthcare, education, housing, etc.) and to analyze a specific program through one or more of the lenses discussed in class.
3342 PBPL-301-01 Amer Political Parties & Elec 1.00 LEC Staff, Trinity MW: 11:30AM-12:45PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 7 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: POLS-301-01
  NOTE: 7 seats reserved for PBPL majors.
  An analysis of American political parties, including a study of voting behavior, party organization and leadership, and recent and proposed reforms and proposals for reorganization of existing party structures.
2153 PBPL-304-01 Capital Punishment in America 1.00 SEM Falk, Glenn TR: 2:55PM-4:10PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 19 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Prerequisite: C- or better in Public Policy and Law 123, 201, 202 or permission of instructor.
  NOTE: 10 seats reserved for PBPL Majors
  The course will examine the legal and moral controversies surrounding the application of capital punishment (i.e., the death penalty) as a punishment for homicide. We will consider whether capital punishment is state-sanctioned homicide or good public policy. Topics include: capital punishment through history, U.S. Supreme Court decisions and contemporary problems with the application of the death penalty. We will analyze the nature, extent, and distribution of criminal homicide and critically review current innocence project work.
1680 PBPL-321-01 American Legal History 1.00 LEC Falk, Glenn TR: 9:25AM-10:40AM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 19 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Prerequisite: C- or better in Public Policy and Law 201 or 202, or permission of instructor.
  NOTE: All seats reserved for Public Policy and Law majors.
  This course focuses on key themes in law and American history from the colonial era to the early twentieth century. Topics include the English origins of American legal institutions; land, law and Native Americans; the framing of the Constitution; the emergence of the Supreme Court; slavery, westward expansion and constitutional conflict in the new republic; the rise of corporations, railroads and modern tort law; the fate of civil rights in Reconstruction; and the treatment of immigrants and labor under the law. The course analyzes landmark Supreme Court decisions but also considers legal history from a different perspective, e.g., the participation of the enslaved, free people of color, and women in the legal system. The course emphasizes the connection between legal history and current issues.
3344 PBPL-325-01 American Presidency 1.00 SEM Staff, Trinity MW: 10:00AM-11:15AM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 7 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: POLS-325-01
  NOTE: 7 seats reserved for PBPL majors.
  An explanation of the institutional and political evolution of the presidency with an emphasis on the nature of presidential power in domestic and foreign affairs. Attention is also given to institutional conflicts with Congress and the courts. The nature of presidential leadership and personality is also explored.
2154 PBPL-398-01 Public Policy Law Intern & Sem 1.00 SEM Gleason, Shane W: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Also cross-referenced with CLIC
  Open to Public Policy and Law majors, or permission of instructor.
  The required internship is designed to: (1) To provide students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to the work of an organization concerned with the making of public policy; (2) To engage students in academic projects directly linked to the internship experience and their areas of concentration in the major. Public Policy majors may enroll in the course during pre-registration without instructor permission; however, in order to successfully participate in the course, by the first day of the semester students must have secured an internship and obtained instructor approval for the internship via the form available on our website: https://www.trincoll.edu/public-policy/internship-information/
1488 PBPL-399-01 Independent Study 1.00 - 2.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar's Office, and the approval of the instructor and director are required for enrollment.
1406 PBPL-466-01 Teaching Assistant 0.50 - 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  NOTE: Submission of the special registration form, available online, and the approval of the instructor and director are required for enrollment.
  Submission of the special registration form, available online, and the approval of the instructor are required for enrollment. Guidelines are available in the College Bulletin. (0.5 - 1 course credit)
1471 PBPL-490-01 Research Assistantship 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to undertake substantial research work with a faculty member. Students need to complete a special registration form, available online, and have it signed by the supervising instructor.
2399 PBPL-498-01 Thesis and Colloquium 1.00 SEM Williamson, Abigail M: 1:30PM-4:10PM TBA Y WEB  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  This course is designed to teach senior Public Policy and Law majors how to write a year long honors thesis. The course is designed to provide support and structure to the process of writing a thesis. Students will formulate a research question, undertake a review of the literature, develop strategies to organize their work, and familiarize themselves with the appropriate Library and Internet sources. Students will also make oral presentations of their work. This course is required of all senior Public Policy and Law majors who are writing an honors thesis.
2616 PBPL-800-01 Principles and Practice 1.00 SEM Lukens, David M: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 8 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: PBPL-300-01
  This course will focus on both micro- and macro-level elements of the public policy process, from problem identification through post-implementation evaluation. In addition to core theoretical text-based discussion, students will be exposed to models of research and reporting used in the various fields of public policy. Students will apply their learning through case-study analysis. They will be required to complete an independent research project through which they will examine a particular area of policy (e.g., healthcare, education, housing, etc.) and to analyze a specific program through one or more of the lenses discussed in class.
2328 PBPL-803-01 Global Studio 1.00 SEM Goldstein, Shoshana W: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA GLB5  
  Enrollment limited to 4 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: URST-803-01, URST-403-01
  In this studio, readings and discussions concentrate on the key issues confronting contemporary urban planning practice. Students will develop a broad, international and comparative perspective on issues such as planning theory, infrastructure, smart cities, zoning and equity, the politics of real estate, or urban policy and law generally. The goal of the studio is hands-on, practical exposure to professional practice in urban planning and development in Connecticut, the US, and around the world. Approximately one hour per week is a remote/virtual weekly discussion with practicing planners and urban developers.
3018 PBPL-820-01 Urban Research Methods 1.00 SEM Hussain, Mushahid TR: 9:25AM-10:40AM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 2 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: URST-820-01, URST-320-01
  This research seminar is designed to prepare students for conducting urban research, in Hartford or in any city. The course will include an in-depth survey of methods and approaches in the field. Students will develop research proposals and conduct research projects for term papers. The seminar is geared both for seniors working to produce honors theses and urban studies majors and minors planning on conducting independent study projects. The aim is to foster skill development and enhance training in research methodologies and techniques, including projects with applied components, community learning connections, and/or pure research endeavors.
2167 PBPL-833-01 Introduction to Urban Planning 1.00 SEM Goldstein, Shoshana TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 1 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: URST-833-01, URST-433-01
  This course provides an overview of urban planning. Students will be introduced to key theories and concepts as well as methods and empirical case studies in this multidimensional field. Lectures and seminar discussions concentrate on applications of urban planning theories and concepts as practiced by urban planners. Topics discussed in the course may include regional, environmental, metropolitan, transportation, spatial, and land-use planning issues. Empirical emphasis is expected to be on Hartford and other Connecticut cities, but the course may discuss other American or international urban areas. The course is an elective geared toward public policy graduate students with an interest in urban policy, regardless of their track. This course may be of interest to American studies graduate students as well (permission of adviser required).
3254 PBPL-846-01 Policy Analysis 1.00 SEM Lukens, David W: 6:30PM-9:00PM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
    Cross-listing: URST-846-01
  In policy analysis, we focus on the problems of empirical policy analysis: defining the problem, framing the questions to be answered, picking the location and scope of the study, selecting the metrics of analysis, aligning metrics with public values, collecting evidence, and transforming the evidence into data. The readings and weekly discussions are avenues for students to query themselves on the problems they must solve to advance their own research agendas. Students will complete a major project in empirical policy analysis. Enrollment limited.
1415 PBPL-940-01 Independent Study 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Selected topics in special areas are available by arrangement with the instructor and written approval of the director of public policy studies. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for the special approval form.
1416 PBPL-953-01 Research Project 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  A research project on a special topic approved by the instructor and with the written approval of the director of public policy studies. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies for the special approval form.
1417 PBPL-954-01 Thesis Part I 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Two credit thesis: start time-approval of idea, initial bibliography, and sketch of the project by pre-registration time for graduate students in the term prior to registration for the credit; first draft by reading week of the second semester, "final" first draft by end of spring vacation week; final copy due one week before the last day of classes.
1433 PBPL-955-01 Thesis Part II 1.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
1418 PBPL-956-01 Thesis 2.00 IND TBA TBA TBA Y SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 15 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
3196 ECON-217-01 Econ of Health & Health Care 1.00 LEC Ruiz Sanchez, Gerardo MW: 8:30AM-9:45AM TBA SOC  
  Enrollment limited to 29 Waitlist available: Y Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Also cross-referenced with PBPL
  Prerequisite: C- or better in Economics 101.
  Analysis of the structure of health care markets using economic principles Evaluation of current health care policies and their effects on cost, access and quality. Topics covered include the production of and demand for health and medical care; information asymmetries between patients, doctors, and payers; health insurance coverage; the effects of managed care (including HMOs) on competition, efficiency, and quality; training and practice of physicians; hospitals; prescription drug pricing; government regulations; Medicare and Medicaid; health care reform.
3181 PHIL-246-01 Hum Rgts: Phil Foundations 1.00 LEC De Schryver, Carmen TR: 2:55PM-4:10PM TBA HUGI  
  Enrollment limited to 29 Waitlist available: N Mode of Instruction: In Person  
  Also cross-referenced with HRST, PBPL
  This course will survey and critically assess arguments in favor of the existence of human rights, arguments about the legitimate scope of such rights (who has human rights and against whom such rights can legitimately be claimed), and arguments about which rights ought to be included in any complete account of human rights. Specific topics will include (but not necessarily be limited to) the philosophical history of human rights discourse, cultural relativist attacks on the universality of human rights, debates concerning the rights of cultural minorities to self-determination, and controversies concerning whether human rights should include economic and social rights.