Political Science Courses
Courses
Seminar in Quantitative Research Methods I (3-0) Basic introduction to principles of scientific inquiry, research design, and quantitative methodological techniques used in political analysis. Required of all graduate Political Science majors. The seminar must be taken during the first semester of graduate study. .
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods (3-0) The study of qualitative research methods, including case studies and the comparable cases strategy. Issues and themes used to illustrate these methods will vary according to the instructor's interests. Prerequisite: POLS 5300 or equivalent course with a minimum grade of "B" or better.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (POLS 5300 w/B or better)
Seminar in Quantitative Research Methods II (3-0) This course further explores methods of quantitative analysis and hypothesis testing, including data management, various regression estimation methods, diagnostic techniques, and other topics. Prerequisite: POLS 5300 or equivalent course with a minimum grade of "B" or better.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (POLS 5300 w/B or better)
Seminar in American Political Behavior (3-0) The study of theories and research about how and why people act politically. Areas of study include: political participation, gender, public opinion, political communication, and race and ethnicity. Course content will vary based on which area of study is highlighted.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Political Communication: The study of the formation of shared public perceptions through various media and the analysis of their political effects. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in American Institutions and Processes (3-0) This course is designed to study the various theories and research about the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government in the United States. Course content will vary based on which branch of government is highlighted.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Public Law (3-0) Covers a wide range of substantive and/or procedural topics in public law and/or the sociological analysis of the function of law. .
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in International Politics (3-0) Examines the structures and the interactions that characterize the politics of the international system. Attention is paid to various theoretical perspectives of international relations scholarship and other topics of world politics.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in International Organization and International Law (3-0) Focuses on the creation and operation of international organizations, both state and non-state based, and on the continuing evolution of international law. May be repeated for credit when the topic varies.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Foreign Policy Decision Making (3-0) Examines in detail the process of decision making within individual international actors and the cumulative effects of such decisions. .
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Comparative Political Development (3-0) The comparative analysis of socioeconomic development, regime transitions, and political culture. Topics may include democratization political economy, social movements, ethnic conflict, gender politics, civil society, and corruption.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in International Political Economy (3-0) Examines the political and economic effects of the interaction of national policies in the global economy, with special attention paid to theory, evidence, and national policies. Topics include: trade policies, monetary policies, financial crises, multinational corporations, intergovernmental economic organizations and treaties, free trade areas, and other issues of economic development.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Comparative Political Institutions (3-0) The comparative analysis of political institutions, such as electoral systems, party systems, legislatures, judiciaries, parliamentary vs. presidential systems, cross-border institutions, system of interest representation, and intergovernmental relations.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Border Politics (3-0) Comparative study of selected international borders in their multifaceted transnational, local, regional, and national complexities.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Comparative Electoral Systems The comparative analysis of elections and electoral systems in the world. Topics may include analyses of electoral rules and their consequences, elections, voting behavior, electoral strategies, electoral administration, and elections in non-democratic countries.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
A survey of theories and research on the political economy of development. Topics may include global and national inequalities, development strategies, and the role of politics and political institutions in shaping policy choices and outcomes. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Examines classical and contemporary topics of security studies, particularly how the security of countries is affected by the behavior of other countries and non-state actors, with an emphasis on security policy. Topics may include geopolitics, insurgency, terrorism, failed states, genocide, disease and ecological disaster, human security, international crime networks, weapons in space, arms races, nuclear weapons policies, and the proliferation of conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction. Prerequisite: Department approval required; POLS 5330 recommended.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Examines contending theories and research on Latin American politics. Focuses on such topics as democratic, semi-democratic, and non-democratic regimes; popularism' electoral and party systems; political institutions; the role of the military; economic development; and public policy. Topics and countries may vary by instructor. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Political Thought (3-0) This course investigates topics of political thought ranging from ancient to modern/contemporary time periods. The subject matter will vary according to the instructor's choice but will familiarize students with relevant literature and contemporary scholarly discussions of political thought.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Public Policy Analysis (3-0) The study of the politics of the policy-making process. Emphasis is on the actors involved in public policy-making, their interactions, and the outputs of the policy process. .
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Examines processes of conflict and cooperation between and within countries. War and peace is studied both as a cause and outcome of interactions between states and peoples within states. Topics may include interstate war, civil war, conflict resolution techniques, military alliance, economic factors, the role of international organizations, ethnic conflicts, terrorism, and other forms of low-intensity conflict. Prerequisite: Departmental approval required; POLS 5330 recommended.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Field Analysis Seminar A special listing for courses in the field of comparative politics offered by the deparmental faculty that are outside the purview of the above courses. It covers specialized thematic or geographic topics. It can also be used for study abroad programs. Topics vary by instructor. The course may be repeated under a different topic and/or instruction.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Selected Problems in Government (3-0) Independent study, research and writing on a topic agreed upon by student and professor.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course is to be taken the last semester by students following Degree Plan II. Students will extend and refine a paper from a seminar taken during their first 27 credit hours. Prerequisites: POLS 5300 and POLS 5301 or 5302 or equivalent course, with minimum grades of "B" or better; and departmental approval.
Thesis (0-0-3) As part of this course, the student will successfully prepare and defend a prospectus for the MA thesis. The prospectus must be approved by the student's thesis committee, and failure to meet this requirement within two long semesters will preclude continuation of the student in the MA program. Prerequisite: Department approval.
Department: Political Science
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
0 Lecture Hours
3 Other Hours