Designing an Analytical Study Course
IDPGMT8005
Learn how to design structured, decision-informed research studies that guide effective program and policy analysis.
Learn how to design structured, decision-informed research studies that guide effective program and policy analysis.
Participants in this interactive course apply a proven, systematic method to plan and design an analytical study. Classroom exercises and deliverables include developing research questions, designing data collection instruments, scheduling key milestones, and more.
Students should have prior experience in federal program management or analysis, familiarity with project or program performance monitoring, and a basic understanding of compliance requirements.
Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.
Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.
The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student
Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.
Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.
Attend this course Live Online. Engage with expert instructors, ask questions, and get feedback on your exercises and projects.
At Graduate School USA, you’ll learn in small groups and receive personalized attention.
Get the same interactivity and access to the instructor as in-person students. There are no extra fees and we’ll work with you to ensure your remote setup is perfect.
Our instructors are industry experts and experienced educators, driven to help you succeed.
Instructor
Instructor
Instructor
Upon completion of this course, you’ll receive an official certificate testifying to your mastery of the curriculum. We’ll send you a link where you can download your certificate, share it online with your friends, post it to your professional network on LinkedIn, and view all your earned certificates. Congratulations on your achievement!
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Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.
Complete this form and we’ll get back to you within 1 business hour.
The first installment is due one week before the first class. Subsequent installments are spread out evenly across the duration of the course.
Installments | |
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$124.90 | 10% non-refundable deposit |
$1,249.00 | Total You Pay |
See the Installment plan FAQ for more information.
Instructor
Dr. Mac joined the graduate school in 2021 and focuses his efforts in the Management Science Department. He is an independent researcher in the areas of Strategic Communication, Homeland Security, Strategic Studies, Evidence-Based Judgement and Decision-Making Analytics, and Information Literacy. Dr. Mac is a curriculum developer and is a peer reviewer with Marine Corps University Press, where he has published and been referenced in SCOPUS (see link below). He holds a Doctorate in management of complex adaptive systems, a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies, Business Policy, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
He served 24 Years in the U.S. Army, where, like his father and uncle (a Mountford point Marine and Tuskegee Airmen respectively), he picked up the nickname Mac. He served 13 years in the Army Special Operations with the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command. He served on Operations Desert Shield/Storm in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. (as a team leader and a unit commander, respectively). He also served nine years with the US Department of Homeland Security as an intelligence analyst and an infrastructure Security Analyst. Dr Mac is currently developing games that test decision-making tradecraft in a team construct.
Recently, Dr McCullin was contracted as a curriculum developer in the areas of Data Analytics in the Evidence-based Framework and Workforce Analysis. He is currently developing a game learning protocol for Data Driven Decision-Making.
Instructor
Bruce is an engaging trainers and program manager who brings 25+ years practical experience to deliver effective and experiential training to students. Able to engage adult learners with a range of backgrounds and professional experiences. Successful at building effective stakeholder relationships and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams for solution delivery.
Bruce has over 25 years of project and program management experience across multiple industries. He has a Masters degree from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Bruce currently runs his own freelance training and consulting business, helping project managers and team leaders improve their business skills, become better leaders, and achieve professional greatness.
Bruce is a well-received speaker in the areas of design thinking, project management, cross-team collaboration, and AI tools for projects, and has presented at regional and international conferences.
Instructor
Steve is an energetic trainer who focuses on applying technical concepts to everyday work practices. He is the founder and president of SoftLake Solutions, a company that specializes in providing data and AI applications to identify fraud for Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Accounting, Privacy, and Compliance.
Steve brings a large amount of experience across multiple industries and government agencies. He is an expert in implementing large data analysis projects across the world, including Inland Revenue in the UK and Argentina, New Zealand, Africa and across Europe. Previously, he was the manager of Data Architecture and Data Services for a large mortgage company. He is a frequent speaker on data analytics and project management topics and speaks fluent German. He has been teaching at the Graduate School for over 10 years.
Steve has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in Computer Science from California Lutheran University and the Universität Salzburg in Austria. He is certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).