PUBPOL 5949

Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership Practicum I

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

This engaged learning course will connect students to real-world problems in systems thinking, mapping, and leadership. Students will learn about how to apply a range of cutting-edge tools in systems thinking to a complex problem presented by a public affairs client organization (topics change annually). Note that this course requires a one-week field component held over winter break that represents .5 credit of the overall course grade.

Enrollment Priority REF-FA25 Enrollment limited to: Master of Public Administration (MPA) students participating in the Systems Thinking, Modeling, and Leadership (STML) Fellows Program.

Last 4 terms offered (None)

Outcomes REF-FA25

• Students will apply quantitative and qualitative mixed research methods to an on-the-ground experience utilizing a SysEval tool and the Knowledge Methods Matrix (KMM).
• Students will apply systems thinking (ST-DSRP) modeling and leadership concepts to observing, understanding, and analyzing a complex systemic problem set.
• Students will work with a team to develop and propose a comprehensive 10 year plan for policy and action recommendations to be submitted to local stakeholders and authorities.
• Students will work with a team to deliver a professional conference presentation (recorded) and publish the results of fieldwork in a journal. Fellows have been accepted to present their findings at the 2020 Cornell Systems Thinking Symposium in April 18-20, 2020 and publish their findings in the Cornell Policy Review.

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