2024-2025 Academic Catalog
Political Science Major
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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.
Internships and Study Abroad
Internships with local, state and federal government agencies, non-profit organizations, elected political officials, public-interest groups, and law firms can earn students Political Science major credit. Study abroad may also fulfill major requirements. To receive Political Science major or minor credit, a student must be supervised by their faculty adviser or another faculty member in the department.
Nonmajor Concentration and Minors
Certain fields of study can be taken as concentrations or minors in addition to and complementary to the Political Science major. Some concentration and minor requirements may also fulfill political science major requirements. (See specific catalog sections on these concentrations and minors.) 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, Jefferson 302. 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.
The political science major requires 13 courses, including one in the history department and one in the economics department. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of student internships and the Model UN Course (PSCI 079 and PSCI 080). No more than one class with a D or D+ toward the major; students must receive a C- or higher for all other courses in the major. PSCI 294 - Peer Learning Assistant does not count towards the major. The department has three subfields; students must take at least one class in each subfield and must declare a specialization in one. These subfields are:
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; and public policy making and implementation.
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:
- 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):
American Politics and Public Policy Track Courses
Comparative Politics Track Courses
International Relations Track Courses
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:
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
Oheneba A. Boateng, Ph.D.
Robert Boatright, Ph.D.
Michael Butler, Ph.D.
Cyril Ghosh, Ph.D.
Danielle Hanley, Ph.D.
Paul W. Posner, Ph.D.
Heather Silber Mohamed, Ph.D.
Suzanne Scoggins, 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
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