31 courses with the subject GAFL, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
GAFL 5010Public Communications
In today’s globally diverse and highly sensitive public arena, leaders are called upon to show up with confidence, speak to a crisis at a moment’s notice, and present messages that are concise, organized, persuasive, and authentic. The content of the course is grounded in historical, political, and social contexts surrounding what, when, and how public addresses should be made. It takes a hands-on practical approach to both writing and speaking by analyzing different structures, audiences, and purposes for various speeches and other types of statements such as crisis and policy. Students will be prepared to apply learning from this course directly to any professional situation and speak confidently to challenges about policies, procedures, plans and practices.
Successful leaders must be able to convey their passion, integrity, goals and their ideas clearly, and their vision and values convincingly in public settings, team meetings, virtually and in-person. By analyzing iconic political speeches and contemporary visionaries, this class affords students to use tools and best practices in their own preparation and delivery of speeches to the class, this course teaches the fundamentals of persuasive public speaking while encouraging students to develop their own voice and also give advice and feedback to one another. This is a performance-based course. Students will gain skill and confidence in their speech writing and public speaking skills through practice, peer feedback, and extensive professional coaching with the instructor. Class lectures and discussions will focus on persuasive strategies, conveying complex information, visual tools, and techniques for handling community meetings, Q and A sessions, and interactions with the media. The course culminates in a favorite Fels experience - the Inspirational Speeches practice, where students deliver "commencement-like" speeches to their class and invited guests.
The Course, Critical Issues in Public Finance will consider contemporary issuesaffecting the fiscal state of local governments. Covered will be issues that have distressed municipalities; the policies/initiatives that seek to rectify such including privatization/public private partnerships; reformation of municipal pensions; sustainable education funding alternatives; and tax policies aimed at promoting economic growth. Students will be assigned to a team, which will identify and provide a solution for an issue or issues plaguing a fictional government. Each team will prepare a written report and make a presentation all of which will constitute the final project. Assignments will serve as the building blocks for the final written work product and presentation developed by each team. The class is divided into four modules. The first module will take a historical look at events behind fiscal distress in municipalities and then explore current day drivers that are causing the same today. Modules two, three and four will examine some of the tools that have been used successfully or otherwise to remediate the drivers of fiscal distress. In each module case studies will be used to further analyze the particular fiscal challenge of a municipality. Written assignments will be based on case studies.
In the 21st century, Big Data surround us. Data are being collected about all aspects of our daily lives. To improve transparency and accountability an increasing number of public organizations are sharing their data with the public. But data are not information. You need good information to make sound decisions. To be an effective public leader, you will need to learn how to harness information from available data. This course will introduce you to key elements of data science, including data transformation, analysis, visualization, and presentation. An emphasis is placed on manipulating data to create informative and compelling analyses that provide valuable evidence in public policy debates. We will teach you how to present information using interactive apps that feature software packages. As in all courses at Fels, we will concentrate on more practical skills than theoretical concepts behind the techniques. This course is designed to expand upon core concepts in data management and analysis that you learned in GAFL 6400: Program Evaluation and Data Analysis. This is a graduate level course and while GAFL 6400 is not a pre-requisite, students are expected to have a foundation of data management and analysis before beginning this course.
GAFL 5320International Development Policy Research Shop
This is a directed-study course that provides students with an opportunity to engage with bi-lateral donors, including USAID and the World Bank, on real-world research and evaluation tasks to inform international development programs and practice. This course builds on a collaboration between PDRI-DevLab and development practitioners that promotes the uses and application of high-quality evidence to inform program design and effectiveness. Through PDRI-DevLab’s partnerships with a variety of international donors, students in this course will complete an original research project that will be submitted to an international development donor for review and evaluation. From design to final completion, students will engage with policy specialists and program managers at regular intervals on their project. Students will work on a set of monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) tasks that may include analysis of quantitative and qualitative data or literature and evidence reviews. The exact products and topics will be selected each semester on a rolling basis, depending on client research interests. These research and learning tasks will examine a variety of development topics and research questions; these might include exploring the relationship between land and resource governance and climate change, biodiversity conservation, human trafficking, women’s empowerment, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, resilience, food security, health, conflict, corruption, and migration and forced displacement, among others. Students will present their final projects to the client either through a remote brown bag session or in-person through a workshop hosted at the Biden Center. This course aims to bridge theory and practice, expose students to real-world issues in international development, and facilitate a real-world professional and client-centered experience for students.
GAFL 5350International Policy and Security Seminar1
1 Select 1 CU with GAFL International Affairs Concentration 1 1 attribute (BMFI) (https://catalog.upenn.edu/attributes/bmfi/) 2,3 One other graduate level course 1 1 Capstone project related to International Affairs Total Course Units 11 Students may request permission to substitute GAFL 5220 or GAFL 5320 as the required concentration course. Or another pre-approved graduate-level course related to international policy or affairs Students may count up to one non-Fels course towards the concentration as long as the course has been pre-approved by the Fels Academic Committee. The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
This course prepares future public sector leaders to effectively leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in government and nonprofit organizations. While technical knowledge is valuable, this course focuses on developing the strategic and practical skills needed to identify, evaluate, and implement AI solutions to public sector challenges. Through a combination of case studies, hands-on projects, and expert guest speakers, students will learn how to be intelligent consumers and managers of AI technologies in public service contexts.
Select 1 CU with GAFL Non-Profit Management Concentration attribute (BMFN) (https://catalog.upenn.edu/attributes/ 1,2 bmfn/) 2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26 1 Capstone project related to Non-Profit Management 1 Total Course Units 9 1 Or another pre-approved graduate-level course related to non-profit management such as those in the Social Policy and Practice Non-Profit
Select 1 CU with GAFL Political Advocacy Concentration attribute (BMFP) (https://catalog.upenn.edu/attributes/ bmfp/) One other graduate level elective course Capstone project related to Political Advocacy
GAFL 5690The Politics of Housing and Community Development
This course offers an exploration of how legislative action, government policymaking, and citizen advocacy influence plans for the investment of public capital in distressed urban neighborhoods. Course topics this semester will include an evaluation of the results of City of Philadelphia development policies under the eight-year administration of outgoing Mayor James F. Kenney, who will be leaving office in January, 2024. The course will also include an assessment of large-scale property acquisition and development strategies undertaken by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (in North Philadelphia), by Drexel University (in West Philadelphia), and by the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (on a citywide basis), as well as a review of recent and current reinvestment proposals for Camden's waterfront and downtown- area neighborhoods.
This course will help students learn how to make evidence-based decisions in a public sector context. The course will introduce important data analysis skills and help students evaluate the quality of studies undertaken to measure the impact of public policies and programs.
This course provides students with the knowledge required to understand government operations in relation to the market economy. In theory of supply and demand, students explore the pricing mechanism, price elasticity, and the effects of price controls on markets. Efficiency is examined in connection with competition and again in connection with equity, and market failure is considered as a reason for government intervention. Cost-benefit analysis is examined in the context of selecting among public investment alternatives. The course also assists students in addressing issues connected with local public goods and economic development.
Policymaking Under Constraints is a practice-oriented course that introduces students to how public policy is actually made in democratic governance systems. Rather than focusing on idealized models or technical policy analysis, the course emphasizes political, institutional, legal, and organizational realities that shape policymaking. Students will gain an understanding of how systems work, why policies unfold the way they do, and what constrains—or enables—action in the public sector.
GAFL 6340Writing for Public Policy and Administration
This course covers techniques in effective writing for policy and public sector audiences. Students will learn how to effectively draft policy memos, public comments, crisis management communications, professional emails, and persuasive Congressional Hill materials. Students will gain a persuasion toolkit and be able to pitch ideas to diverse sets of stakeholders. In addition, this course explores the ethical use of Generative AI in order to improve one's writing while still maintaining personal voice and critical thinking to prepare for future use in the workplace.
Economic 1 Evaluation Principles & Data of Public Analysis Policy Course 2.00 Program 1 Units Evaluation Summer & Data GAFL 6330 Executive 1 Analysis Leadership Course 2.00 GAFL 6520 Financial 1 Units Management of Public Executive 1 and Leadership Nonprofit
Government budgets are expressions of public policy and carry the authority of the law; non-profit budgets express the commitment to the mission of the organization and are the blueprint for meeting obligations to donors and funders. Both types of budgets and the accounting systems that support them are subject to legal and professional standards. The course is designed for students with little or no background in financial reporting, budgeting, and financial management and intends to provide an understanding of the primary financial management issues and decisions confronting senior management in nonprofit and government agencies.
To influence public policy you need analytical skills to discover optimal solutions to problems, and good negotiation skills to tailor implementable solutions that address the needs and priorities of multiple stakeholders. What resources you want to invest, whom you engage in discussions, and what you expect to receive in return are open to explicit and implicit negotiations. This course will provide a working understanding of key negotiations concepts, including: Strategic elements of negotiations - interests, goals, positions, rights, power, value creation, high stakes, disputes; Preparation for and the details of negotiation processes; Ethical encounters and conundrums; Leveraging your strengths/ understanding your negotiating personality. You will learn cooperative and competitive strategies, have a solid grasp of the decision-making science of negotiation, and better understand cognitive processes and emotional dynamics that affect the ways people negotiate. This is a "hybrid" course, with synchronous, online meetings and once-monthly, on-campus meetings in Philadelphia, PA. Full attendance at the four in- person course sessions is required.
This core MPA course is intended to help each student learn more than s/he already knows about public management, both as a profession and field of academic study, and to enjoy the company of supportive peers, instructors, and special guests as s/he contemplates a post-MPA career in governance. This course satisfies a core requirement in the Master of Public Administration program. Seats are reserved for Fels' students and this course gives priority to grad students.
GAFL 8980MPA Professional Development & Career Seminar
In these weekly sessions, MPA students will participate in workshops and informational sessions regarding key components of the career services program at Fels, including internships, job search strategy, professional networking, capstone projects etc. Enrollment is required for MPA students.
