2010-2011 Academic Catalog

Nov 23, 2024

2010-2011 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Political Science Minor

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Overview

Undergraduate Program

Why are some governments stable and others unstable? How do formal government institutions and informal political resources affect the ability of leaders to govern effectively? What factors cause wars or contribute to a peaceful resolution of conflicts? How do public policies affect citizens’ lives and how can citizens affect those policies? In what ways do differences in the social characteristics of people, such as their race, religion, gender, or ethnic background, affect their political attitudes and behavior? And most important, who gets to decide who will decide these and other matters when conflicts over them arise? The department offers courses that address these questions and others—in international relations,American politics and comparative politics. The curriculum provides theories and concepts, relevant information and tools for investigation for students to develop their own answers.

Courses

Internships And Study Abroad

Internships with American local, state and federal government agencies, non-profit organizations, elected political officials, public-interest groups, and law firms can earn students politic science major credit. Study abroad may also fulfill major requirements. To receive political science major or minor credit, a student must be supervised by his or her faculty adviser or another faculty member in the department.

Nonmajor Concentration

Certain fields of study can be taken as concentrations in addition to and complementary to the political science major. Some concentration requirements may also fulfill political science major requirements. (See specific catalog sections on these concentrations.)

Student Handbook

The political science department publishes a handbook, which has a more extensive description of major requirements, programs, courses and faculty, as well as other information relevant to the major. This information can be found online on the department home page or a hard copy can be picked up in the Political Science department office, Jef 302.

Program Minor

The political science minor requires a minimum of six courses within the department. One must be an introductory course (PSCI 050 , PSCI 069 or PSCI 070 ); one must be either in political theory (PSCI 155 , PSCI 203 , PSCI 206 or PSCI 260 ) or in research methods (PSCI 107 ); and four others can be in any assortment of subfield areas (including two at the 200 level). An internship supervised by a political science faculty member, as well as approved political-science courses taken as part of an accredited study-abroad program, may count toward the minor.