University of Texas at El Paso Academic Catalog

Academic Catalog

Political Science and Public Administration

Return to: College of Liberal Arts

Political science is a practical and interesting major or minor because it provides a strong academic preparation for many different occupations and career paths because politics connects to a range of policies and issues that affect society. Everything is political or affected by policy! Like other disciplines within the Liberal Arts, Political Science provides an excellent training in skills that employers seek, such as critical thinking, data analysis, and effective written and oral communication. See how some of our alumni highlighted by our College have used their degrees in private business or government. We are dedicated to providing an excellent education that will prepare students for a variety of careers and lifelong success. Our alumni go on to careers in many areas, such as the following:

  • Lawyer
  • Judge
  • Paralegal
  • Political Official/Representative
  • Law Enforcement (Federal, State, Local)
  • State & Local Government
  • Journalism
  • Diplomatic Service Government
  • College Professor
  • Graduate School (MA & Ph.D.)
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Business
  • Community Organizing

 We offer a major that includes the option of concentrations in certain subfields, a general minor, and specialized minors in Public Administration and Service or International Politics.  Our general major offers students flexibility to take courses across all the areas of Political Science, whereas the optional concentrations focus on two or three subfields.  Here are some examples of situations where students may choose a concentration:

  • A student who is interested in going to law school might choose to concentrate his or her classes in three fields: Law and Politics, American Political Behavior and Institutions, and Political Thought and Theory.
  • A student pursuing a career in the U.S. Foreign Service, the Servicio Exterior Mexicano, or other organizations involved in international affairs might choose to concentrate most classes in the fields of International Relations and Comparative Politics.
  • A student who wishes to work for a governmental agency at the federal, state or local level in the United States might choose to concentrate most classes in the fields of Public Administration and American Political Behavior and Institutions.
  • A student who plans to work for a governmental agency at the federal, state or local level in México might choose to concentrate most classes in the fields of Public Administration, Comparative Politics and International Relations.


Our minors afford similar flexibility. There is only one required course in the political science minor, and only two in the Comparative and International Politics minor. Each minor requires 6 standard courses (18 hours), the minimum allowed at UTEP. 

Students majoring in other subjects who are interested in politics in the United States, along the border, or throughout the world will find our minors to be intellectually stimulating and worthwhile for many careers. Our minors can be particularly relevant for students majoring in anthropology, Chicano Studies, communications, criminal justice, economics and finance, history, Latin American and Border Studies, philosophy, psychology, sociology, social work, Spanish, and teacher education.

Come study with us! ¡Vengan a estudiar con nosotros! 

Chair 

Gaspare Genna
Contact Information: ggenna@utep.edu; 915-747-6066
Education: Ph D, Claremont Graduate University

Professor

Charles Boehmer
Contact Information: crboehmer@utep.edu; 915-747-7979
Education: Ph D, Penn State University

Gaspare Genna
Contact Information: ggenna@utep.edu; 915-747-6066
Education: Ph D, Claremont Graduate University

Taeko Hiroi
Contact Information: thiroi@utep.edu; 915-747-7983
Education: Ph D, University of Pittsburgh

J McDonald
Contact Information: jmcdonald2@utep.edu; 915-747-5557
Education: BS, Northern Illinois University; MS, Northern Illinois University; Ph D, Northern Illinois University

Gregory Schmidt
Contact Information: gdschmidt@utep.edu; 915-747-7973
Education: BA, University of Texas at Austin; MA, Cornell Univesity; Ph D, Cornell University

Cigdem Sirin Villalobos
Contact Information: csirinvillalobos@utep.edu; 915-747-7971
Education: BA, Bogazici University; Ph D, Texas A&M University; Ph D, Texas A&M University

Kathleen Staudt
Contact Information: kstaudt@utep.edu; 915-747-7975
Education: BA, University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee; MA, University of Wisconsin; Ph D, University of Wisconsin

José Villalobos
Contact Information: jdvillalobos2@utep.edu; 915-747-7978
Education: BA, University of Texas at San Antonio; Ph D, Texas A&M University

William Weaver
Contact Information: wweaver@utep.edu; 915-747-8867
Education: Attended the Defense Language Institute as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Defense language Institute; BA, California State University, Sacramento; MA, University of Virginia; JD, University of Virginia; Ph D, University of Virginia

Associate Professor

Eric Boyer
Contact Information: ejboyer@utep.edu;
Education: MPA, The Maxwell School of Syracuse University; Ph D, The George Washington University

John Bretting
Contact Information: jbretting@utep.edu; 915-747-6582
Education: Ph D, University of Houston

Todd Curry
Contact Information: tacurry@utep.edu; 915-747-7967
Education: Ph D, Western Michigan University

Rebecca Reid
Contact Information: rareid@utep.edu; 915-747-7970
Education: BA, Wofford College; BA, Wofford College; Credential, University of South Carolina; Certificate, University of Michigan; Certificate, UC Berkeley; Ph D, University of South Carolina; Ph D, University of South Carolina

Yingnan Zhou
Contact Information: yzhou5@utep.edu; 915-747-6216
Education: Ph D, University of Iowa

Assistant Professor

Ljubinka Andonoska
Contact Information: landonoska@utep.edu; 915-747-7132
Education: BA, Faculty of Economics, St. Ciril & Methodij; MPA, Arizona State University; Ph D, Arizona State University

Melissa Baker
Contact Information: mnbaker@utep.edu; 915-747-5227
Education: Ph D, University of California Merced

Professor of Practice

Tracy Almanzan
Contact Information: tcalmanzan@utep.edu;
Education: JD, St. Mary's University

Assistant Professor of Instruction

Marcos Menchaca
Contact Information: mmenchaca@utep.edu;
Education: BA, University of Texas at San Antonio; MS, University of Texas at Austin; Ph D, University of California, Los Angeles

Associate Professor of Instruction

Patrick Timmons
Contact Information: ptimmons2@utep.edu;
Education: BA, The London School of Economics and Political Science; BA, London School of Economics and Political Science; BA, London School of Economics and Political Science; M.Phil., University of Cambridge; M. Phil., University of Cambridge; M. Phil., Trinity Hall; Ph D, University of Texas at Austin; Ph D, University of Texas at Austin; Ph D, The University of Texas at Austin; LLM, University of Essex; LLM, University of Essex; LLM, University of Essex; Diplomatura en Migrantes y Protección de Refugiados, Universidad de Buenos Aires; Diploma in migrant and refugee protection under international law., Facultad de Derecho, Universidad de Buenos Aires

Senior Lecturer

William Corbett
Contact Information: wjcorbett@utep.edu; 915-747-5227
Education: BA, Pennsylvania State University; MPA, Pennsylvania State University; JD, University of Illinois; Associate Degree in Business Office Technology, New Mexico State University; AAS, New Mexico State University

Jesse Kapenga
Contact Information: jakapenga@utep.edu;
Education: BA, Earlham College; MA, University of Texas at El Paso

Abha Singh
Contact Information: asingh@utep.edu; 915-747-7981
Education: MPA, New York University

The University of Texas at El Paso
Department of Political Science
Benedict Hall 111
500 W University
El Paso, Texas 79968

E: pols@utep.edu


Phone: 915.747.5227
Fax: 915.747.6616 

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