Political Science Major

Political Science Overview

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.

For more information, please see the Political Science Department’s website.

Major Requirements

The major provides a broad introduction to the study of politics as well as the opportunity to gain depth in a subfield of particular interest to each student.

Students must take 13 courses, with leeway to choose particular courses. Most courses are in the Political Science Department; a few from other disciplines complement the study of politics and explore the relationships between government and other sectors of society. The 13 required courses include 11 in Political Science, one in Economics and one in History. The lowest acceptable grade for major courses is C-, one course may be counted that a D or D+ was received. PSCI 294 - Peer Learning Assistant   can not count towards the major.  Students must declare one of the following three tracks:

American Politics and Public Policy: The analysis of the U.S. political system in all its complexity, e.g., government institutions; public opinion; federal, state, and local politics; the politics of the courts and law; urban politics; political parties; women and politics; interest groups; social movements; elections; media and politics; and public policy making and implementation broadly and in specific areas, such as environmental policies, and housing and community development policies.

Comparative Politics: The analysis both of the trends in and workings of the political systems of the world’s more than 190 countries (excluding the U.S.) through in-depth investigation of particular societies or regions and of transnational phenomena, such as transitions to democracy, revolution and political violence, women and politics, and race and ethnicity.

International Relations: The analysis of political dynamics between and among countries, e.g., trade politics, international political economy, foreign policy, national and international security, the politics of waging war and making peace, the politics of international organizations, and international law.

General requirements for the Political Science Major (7 courses):

• Introductory course outside of your chosen track:PSCI 050  PSCI 069  PSCI 070  
• Normative Political Theory course:PSCI 155  PSCI 178  PSCI 203  PSCI 206  PSCI 207  PSCI 260  PSCI 265  
• Research Methods and Skills course:PSCI 107  
• Economics course:ECON 010  
• Three PSCI courses outside of your chosen track. One of these must be at the 200-level and one must be in the third track/subfield.

Track requirements (6 courses):

• Introductory course in your chosen track:PSCI 050 - Introduction to American Government , PSCI 070 - Introduction to Comparative Politics  or PSCI 069 - Introduction to International Relations  
• One related History course (in consulation with your advisor)
• Four additional Political Science courses in your chosen track/subfield (at least one of these must be at the 200-level and one must be a capstone seminar taken in the junior or senior year)

American Politics and Public Policy Track Courses

• PSCI 050 - Introduction to American Government
• PSCI 091 - The Politics of Food
• PSCI 108 - American Political Development
• PSCI 154 - Introduction to Public Policy in the United States
• PSCI 157 - U.S. Environmental Politics
• PSCI 159 - Political Participation in the U.S.
• PSCI 171 - Urban Politics: People, Power and Conflict in U.S. Cities
• PSCI 178 - Gender and Political Theory
• PSCI 204 - The American Presidency
• PSCI 205 - U.S. Campaigns and Elections
• PSCI 213 - Policy Analysis
• PSCI 217 - Latino Politics in the U.S.
• PSCI 218 - Punishment and Crime
• PSCI 235 - Money and U.S. Politics
• PSCI 241 - Special Topics in American Politics
• PSCI 252 - Political Parties and Interest Groups
• PSCI 253 - U.S. Judicial Politics
• PSCI 255 - The Politics of U.S. Congress
• PSCI 272 - U.S. Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties and Rights
• PSCI 273 - U.S. Constitutional Law: Governmental Powers
• PSCI 280 - Politics of Food and Drink
• PSCI 291 - Lawyers and U.S. Politics - Capstone Seminar
• PSCI 292 - U.S. Urban Policy - Capstone Seminar and Internship
• PSCI 296 - Advance Topics in American Politics: Capstone Seminar

Comparative Politics Track Courses

• PSCI 070 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
• PSCI 094 - Dictators and Revolutionaries in Latin America
• PSCI 102 - Political Science Fiction
• PSCI 103 - Africa and the World
• PSCI 117 - Revolution and Political Violence
• PSCI 173 - Latin-American Politics
• PSCI 174 - Middle East Politics
• PSCI 177 - Transitions to Democracy
• PSCI 208 - Comparative Politics of Women
• PSCI 214 - Mass Murder and Genocide Under Communism
• PSCI 216 - Comparative Environmental Politics
• PSCI 232 - Chinese Politics
• PSCI 242 - Special Topics in Comparative Politics
• PSCI 256 - Russian Politics: From Dictatorship to Democracy and Back Again
• PSCI 257 - Comparative Courts and Law
• PSCI 281 - Civil Wars in Comparative Perspective
• PSCI 287 - Refugees, Migrants, and the Politics of Displacement
• PSCI 290 - U.S. - Latin American Relations - Capstone Seminar
• PSCI 295 - Globalization and Democracy - Capstone Seminar
• WGS 110 - Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies

International Relations Track Courses

• PSCI 069 - Introduction to International Relations
• PSCI 092 - Women and War
• PSCI 093 - International Human Rights
• PSCI 096 - Just and Unjust Wars
• PSCI 097 - The International Relations of Sports
• PSCI 144 - Religion and International Relations
• PSCI 146 - The United Nations and International Politics
• PSCI 147 - World Order and Globalization
• PSCI 180 - International Organizations
• PSCI 182 - International Security
• PSCI 193 - International Relations of Asia
• PSCI 207 - International Relations Theory
• PSCI 226 - International Political Economy
• PSCI 238 - U.S. Foreign Policy
• PSCI 240 - Human Rights and International Politics
• PSCI 248 - Special Topics in International Relations
• PSCI 250 - U.S. National Security
• PSCI 268 - Peace and War
• PSCI 289 - Advanced Topics in International Relations - Capstone Seminar

Capstone

All political science majors are required to take a capstone course in their subfield specialization during their junior or senior year.  We offer six capstone seminar courses every year (one offered every fall and spring in each subfield – American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations).  The topics vary according to the interests and research of the faculty.  To enroll in a capstone seminar, students must have completed the introductory-level course in their subfield, or obtain permission of the instructor.  Students taking the capstone will typically have had multiple intermediate-level courses in that subfield, as well as our Research Methods course, and one of our political theory courses before enrolling in the capstone.   The capstone seminar builds on knowledge, as well as on research, writing, collaborative, and oral presentation skills gained in previous Political Science courses. 

In our capstones, students gain increased familiarity with a professional field, a policy area, one or more regions of the world, and/or a theoretical/conceptual literature, and are thereby further prepared to succeed in graduate school or in a professional environment.  They demonstrate this capacity in class through oral presentations on their research and participation in class discussions, as well as through their written work, from analytical summaries to in-depth research papers.

Political Science Capstone Courses:

·  PSCI 280 - Politics of Food and Drink

·  PSCI 281 - Civil Wars in Comparative Perspective

·  PSCI 287 - Refugees, Migrants, and the Politics of Displacement

·  PSCI 289 - Advanced Topics in International Relations - Capstone Seminar

·  PSCI 290 - U.S. - Latin American Relations - Capstone Seminar

·  PSCI 291 - Lawyers and U.S. Politics - Capstone Seminar

·  PSCI 292 - U.S. Urban Policy - Capstone Seminar and Internship

·  PSCI 295 - Globalization and Democracy - Capstone Seminar

·  PSCI 296 - Special Topics in American Politics: Capstone Seminar

Honors

Political Science majors with outstanding academic records (a GPA of at least 3.5 in their Political Science major courses) may apply to the departmental honors program in spring of their junior year.  Those with a lower GPA can be admitted through a petition process.  To receive departmental honors, a student must successfully complete an honors thesis.  Prospective candidates for honors should choose a thesis advisor and topic in the early spring of their junior year, and then draft an honors proposal which will be reviewed by the thesis advisor and then revised and submitted by the student for consideration to the departmental honors committee following spring break.  If approved for the honors program, the student will begin writing the thesis in the fall of the senior year, and will also participate in the honors colloquium that semester by presenting a chapter of the thesis and commenting on other students’ thesis chapters.  In the spring of senior year, the student finishes writing the thesis and has a thesis defense at which the thesis is evaluated for possible departmental honors.  More information on the honors program is available in the department’s Honors Guidelines.

Political Science Faculty

Robert Boatright, Ph.D.
Michael Butler, Ph.D.
Mark Miller, J.D., Ph.D.
Paul W. Posner, Ph.D.
Heather Silber Mohamed, Ph.D.
Suzanne Scoggins, Ph.D.
Srinivasan Sitaraman, Ph.D.
Valerie Sperling, Ph.D.
Ora Szekely, Ph.D.
Kristen Williams, Ph.D.

Political Science Courses

Courses offered within the last 2 Academic Years