Robert L. Savage, Chair of the Department, 428 Old Main, 575-3356
PROFESSORS BLAIR, KELLEY, SAVAGE, VANNEMAN, WALIGORSKI; PROFESSOR EMERITUS PILCHER; ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS NEUSE, RYAN; ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR EMERITUS TWERASER; ASSISTANT PROFESSORS CONGE, KERR, MILLER, OKRUHLIK, REID, SHIELDS; ASSISTANT PROFESSORS EMERITI ELSTON, REED; ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR JAMISON; LECTURER HIPP
Degree Conferred: M.A. (PLSC)
Areas of Concentration: American politics, comparative politics, international politics, political theory, public administration.
Prerequisites to Degree Program: Applicants for graduate study in political science must be admitted to the Graduate School and also meet the following requirements: (1) satisfactory GRE scores, (2) submission of a written essay, and (3) three letters of recommendation from persons competent to judge applicant's potential for graduate studies. Students from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Students who have had few political science courses at the undergraduate level may be required to enroll in several undergraduate courses at the beginning of their course of graduate study.
Requirements for Master of Arts Degree:
Thesis Option--Thirty semester hours of course work at the graduate level, 24 hours of which must be distributed over three of the fields listed above. Ordinarily, 18 of the 24 hours must be fulfilled by two seminars in each of the three fields, following which the candidate takes comprehensive examinations in two of the fields studied. In exceptional circumstances, these field requirements may be waived. However, students selecting some alternative option will be required to stand for comprehensive examinations in two fields. At least three of the 30 hours of the M.A. degree must be in methodology. All M.A. candidates in this plan are required to write and defend an acceptable thesis.
Non-thesis Option--Thirty-six semester hours of course work at the graduate level. Ordinarily, a minimum of 18 of the 36 hours must be fulfilled by two seminars in each of three fields. In exceptional circumstances, these field requirements may be waived. However, students selecting some alternative option will be required to stand for examinations in three fields. At least three of the 36 hours must be in methodology. All 5000-level courses except those with variable credit are graduate seminars.
Courses: Political Science (PLSC)
400V Special Topics (1-3) (Irregular) Topics in political science not usually covered in other courses. Normally offered for 3 hours of credit. May be repeated with change in content.
4053 Political Sociology (Fa) Analysis of political institutions and movements in relation to power, social class, ideology, and related variables. (Same as SOCI 4053.)
4133 Criminal Justice System and Administration (Fa) Survey of the structural features, operation and administration of the American criminal justice system, including theories of criminal responsibility, the criminal process from investigation to correction, juvenile justice, and management techniques employed in the system. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003, or consent of instructor.
4193 Administrative Law (Sp) Legal aspects of the administrative process and the effect of legal principles and processes upon administrative decision-making. Emphasis is given to the limitation of administrative discretion and the judicial review of administrative decision. Prerequisite: PLSC 3103 or 4253.
4203 American Political Parties (Fa, Sp) The nature, function, and history of political parties in the United States with emphasis on party membership, organization, campaign techniques, finance and electoral alliances. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003.
4223 The American Congress (Fa) Thorough exam-ination of the constitutional role of the legislative branch under the Constitution; the internal procedures and personalities of the Senate and House; the central place of Congress in shaping domestic and foreign policy. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003.
4243 Minority Politics (Sp) Reviews political action and concepts of political activity by minority groups, focusing on contemporary political behavior.
4253 The Supreme Court and the Constitution (Fa) United States Supreme Court decisions involving the functions and powers of Congress, the Supreme Court, the President and federalism. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003.
4263 The Supreme Court and Civil Rights (Sp) United States Supreme Court decisions interpreting the political, economic, and civil rights of individuals and groups. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003.
4273 Political Psychology (Sp) Examines role of the individual in the polity including basic psychological constructs of relevance to political action, the formulation and maintenance of stable political orientations, the patterns linking the individual to the polity, and major modes of inquiry. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003 or consent of instructor.
4373 Political Communication (Sp) Study of the nature and function of the communication process as it operates in the political environment. (Same as COMM 4373.)
4503 African Politics (Sp) Comparative analysis of structures, processes and problems of selected Sub-Saharan African political systems.
4543 Government and Politics of Eastern Europe (Sp) Study of the politics of East European nations primarily after World War II, with emphasis on the role of the period of communist rule and democratization. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003 or 2013.
4553 Political Development (Sp) Concepts of political development, political modernization, and political change are analyzed. Topics such as the following are then studied: political integration, political violence, political parties and interest groups, and political elites. Examples are taken from both Western and non-Western political systems. Prerequisite: PLSC 2013 or consent.
4563 Government and Politics of Russia (Sp) Study of Russian and Soviet politics after 1917 and of the democratization of Russia and the other successor states. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003 or 2013.
4583 Political Economy of the Middle East Examines the links between politics and economics in the Middle East and the impact of that nexus on development. Analyses of global and regional integration, oil states, statist development, liberalization and privatization, and resources and population movements to understand power and class in the area.
4593 Islam and Politics Compares contemporary Islamist political movements. Seeks to explain causes, debates, agendas, and strategies of Islamists in the political realm. Addresses sovereignty, the rule of law, visions of the good state and society, and relations between nationalism, religion and political development. Focus on Middle East with comparative reference to other cases.
4803 Foreign Policy Analysis (Sp) Comparative analysis of foreign policy, with attention paid to explanations at a variety of levels, such as the individual, group, organ-izational, societal, systemic.
4813 Comparative Foreign Policy: American-Russian/Soviet Relations (Fa) Study of the cold war period from 1945 to 1991, of post-1991 American-Russian relations, and of relations among the successor states. Prerequisite: PLSC 2003 or 2013.
4823 Introduction to International Political Economy (Irregular) Focuses on the political-economic relations between and among the developing and developed nations. Theoretical and case studies of the activities and impact of economic factors and events on international politics are undertaken. Prerequisite: PLSC 2013 or consent.
4843 The Middle East in World Affairs (Sp) An analysis of geo-political and socio-economic characteristics of Middle Eastern societies and their impact on world economic and political order. Special attention to such issues as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the promotion of lasting peace in the region, impact of oil on world politics, the involvement of superpowers, rehabilitation of Palestinian refugees and the role of the United Nations.
4873 Inter-American Politics (Sp) An analysis of the political themes, regional organization, and hemispheric relations that constitute the inter-American system, with special emphasis on conflict and cooperation in the hemispheric policies of the American republics. Prerequisite: junior standing or consent.
4903 Democratic Theory Analysis and comparison of classical and contemporary theories of democracy.
5103 Human Behavior in Complex Organizations (Fa) Review of the fundamental literature and a systematic analysis of various theories and research focusing on organization and behavior in public administration, including the discussion of organizational development, human motivation, leadership, rationality, efficiency and conflict management in public organizations. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5113 Seminar in Human Resource Management (Sp) Intensive study of public personnel policies and practices, including legal foundations, classification and compensation plans, recruitment and selection processes, training, employment policies and morale, employee relations and organization. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5123 Public Budgeting and Finance (Fa) Focuses on the budgeting process and governmental fiscal policy formulation, adoption, and execution. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5133 Management in Complex Organizations (Sp, Su) This seminar focuses on the scope and nature of management in public organizations with special emphasis on relating contemporary management theory to the public organizational context. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5143 Administrative Law (Irregular) A seminar which examines the constitutional and statutory basis and authority of public organizations. Special attention focuses on the nature of the rule-making and adjudicatory powers of public agencies and on executive, legislative, and judicial restraints on such activities. Also considered is the role, scope, and place of public regulatory activities. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5163 Public Policy (Sp) Research seminar examining the study of public policy making in complex human systems. Attention given to issues dealing with cognitive limitations in decisional settings, the use of reasoned persuasion vs. power, the appropriate application of technical analysis. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5183 Comparative Public Administration (Irregular) A comparative study of administrative structures and processes in selected modern and modernizing political systems. Analysis includes the consideration of cultural, legal and political factors influencing the operation of bureaucratic institutions, developmental goals, and the methods of establishing and administering programs of social, economic and political development. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5193 Seminar in Public Administration (Fa) Introduction to and synthesis of public administration theory, functions, history, public accountability and management concerns, economic impact of administrative decisions, current problems, and issues in the public sector. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5203 Seminar in American Political Institutions (Fa) Research seminar dealing with selected aspects of the major governmental institutions in the United States. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5213 Seminar in American Political Behavior (Sp) Reading seminar surveying major works on representative processes in American national politics, including political opinion, political leadership, political participation, voting behavior, political parties, and interest groups. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5223 Seminar in Legislative Processes and Behavior (Fa) Research seminar dealing with legislative processes and behavior in the United States. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5243 Seminar in State and Local Politics Research seminar dealing with selected aspects of state and local institutions and politics such as comparative policy-making, political culture variations, and community power structures. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5383 Seminar in Political Communication (Irregular) Research seminar focusing on selected topics such as candidate imagery, diffusion of political information, or political symbolism. (Same as COMM 5383.) Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5503 Comparative Political Analysis (Fa) A selection of topics to provide the theoretical, conceptual and methodological perspective and foundation for the analysis of contemporary political systems. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5513 Seminar in Politics of the Middle East Explores the major lines of inquiry on the politics of the Middle East through focusing on the relationship between state and society in the context of endogenous and exogenous forces that have influenced conceptions of power, legitimacy, and identity. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5523 Topics in Politics of the Middle East In-depth analysis of specific political phenomena in the contemporary Middle East. Inquiry will vary but may focus on gender, political economy, politics of inclusion and exclusion (democratization and authoritarianism), or the politics of oil. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5553 Western European Politics (Sp, Odd years) Comparative analysis of major Western European political systems with special attention to development and transformation of European political cultures, forces and institutions. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5563 Russian and Soviet Political Systems (Sp) Study of the political systems of the Soviet Union and the successor states. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5573 Political Change in Latin America (Sp, Even years) Research seminar analyzing obstacles to change in Latin America while utilizing both North American and Latin American research frameworks and techniques that deal with the theory and measurement of stability and development. Prerequisite; graduate standing or consent of director.
5593 Problems of Political Development (Su) Con-cept and process analysis of Western and non-Western political systems. Topics include political culture, political socialization, pluralism, political violence, political participation, and political elites. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
560V Teaching Foreign Cultures in Social Studies Curriculum (1-18) (Su) Extensive examination of foreign cultures (West Europe, USSR, China, Latin America) and methods of teaching about them in secondary school social studies. Four-week residential summer institute. (Same as HIST 560V and SEED 570V.)
5803 Seminar in International Politics (Fa) Research seminar providing intensive coverage of selected topics in theories of international relations, the comparative study of foreign policy making, and international organizations. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5833 Seminar in Contemporary International Problems (Fa) Seminar with concentrated reading in selected and specialized areas of contemporary international relations. May be repeated with change of topic for a maximum of 6 hours of credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5843 International Legal Order (Sp) Analysis of distinctive characteristics of contemporary international law. Topics include role of legal order in controlling the use of force in international relations and the impact of social and political environment on growth of international law and relations among international political systems. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
590V Directed Readings in Political Science (1-3) (Fa, Sp, Su) May be taken for one to 3 hours of credit, and repeated with change of subjects for a maximum of 6 hours of credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing and approval of the chairperson of political science department.
5913 Research Methods in Political Science (Fa) Methods relevant to research in the various fields of political science. Required of all graduate students in political science. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
592V Internship in Political Science (1-6) (Fa, Sp, Su) Internship in a local, state, regional, or federal agency. Paper required on a significant aspect of internship experience. Maximum of 6 hours of credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
595V Research Problems in Political Science (1-3) (Fa, Sp, Su) May be taken for one to 3 hours of credit, and repeated with change of subject for a maximum of 6 hours of credit. Prerequisite: graduate standing and approval of the chairperson of political science department.
5963 Modern Political Thought (Fa) European political thinking since the rise of the nation-state and the relevance of that tradition to contemporary politics. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
5973 Contemporary Normative Political Theory (Sp) Analysis of current normative problems of political theory such as obligation, dissent, justification, sovereignty and tolerance, and major schools of thought including Marxism, liberalism and western conservatism. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
600V Master's Thesis (1-6) (Fa, Sp, Su) 1 to 6 hours of credit.
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