One of the most聽common questions聽about the Max Bell School鈥檚 curriculum聽is what Complexity Seminars聽and Policy Case Studies聽are.聽Both聽Complexity Seminars听补苍诲听Policy Case Studies聽are聽one-week, intensive courses taught by policy practitioners and held between the six-week聽core course聽modules. They聽focus on a singular theme and聽are small by design, which allows for sustained discussion and close interaction with instructors. While Policy Case Studies focus on one specific policy and unpack its full set of political, economic, and social dimensions, Complexity Seminars concentrate on a single type of policymaking challenge and examine how it appears across multiple policy areas.聽
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Complexity Seminars present students with a particular type of complexity in the policymaking process.聽聽
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Case Studies develop the complete storyline and multi-dimensional complexity of an actual policy, often presented by the practitioner who experienced it.聽聽
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Whereas each of the Case Studies examines one specific policy with many associated complexities, the Complexity Seminars are designed to examine one聽particular type of complexity聽as it applies to many different policy examples.聽聽
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The Case Studies and Complexity Seminars are a unique way for students to understand the real-world implications of actual public policies, outside of theory.聽
In practice, this means the learning goal is pattern recognition rather than case mastery. Complexity Seminars聽and Case Studies聽are structured as full days that combine lectures with applied work and group exercises. 鈥淚n聽our case study on聽homelessness prevention in Quebec,聽we鈥檙e looking at how we can target these specific issues through different policy lenses, such as taking a human rights or economic perspective,鈥澛爏ays聽MPP student Victoria Gibbs.聽
For MPP students, Complexity Seminars offer a way to build skills that transfer across sectors and roles. By studying the same type of challenge across many policy examples, students develop a clearer understanding of why policymaking is difficult in consistent ways and how practitioners navigate those challenges. Together with Policy Case Studies, Complexity Seminars connect classroom learning to real-world policy practice and prepare students for the complexity they will聽encounter聽in their careers.聽
