POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES AND REQUIREMENTS
REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR
A major consists of a minimum of 36 credit hours in political science,
distributed as follows:
Introductory courses
- POLSC 301 Introduction to Political Thought 3
- POLSC 325 United States Politics 3
- POLSC 333 World Politics 3
- POLSC 344 Introduction to Comparative Politics 3
Methods course
To be taken after completion of at least 2 of these 3 introductory courses:
- POLSC 325, 333, and 344:
- POLSC 400 Political Inquiry and Analysis 3
Advanced courses
To be taken after POLSC 400. Intersession courses cannot be used to fulfill these requirements. One course, at the 500 level or above, in each of the following areas:
- Political thought 3
- American government and politics 3
- International relations 3
- Comparative government and politics 3
Electives
Nine hours, including any political science course except for POLSC 350 Current Issues. Only 3 hours of the major are allowed to be readings, problems, internships, or similar courses that do not involve scheduled meetings of the class.
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INFORMATION FOR DUAL MAJORS AND NONMAJORS
The political science program is often advantageously combined with another major. Those seeking dual majors should coordinate their program in consultation with advisors in each area.
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MINOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
Basic courses
- POLSC 301 Introduction to Political Thought 3
- POLSC 325 United States Politics 3
- POLSC 333 World Politics 3
- POLSC 344 Introduction to Comparative Politics 3
Additional requirements
Three political science electives, of which at least two must be at the 500-level or above. POLSC 350 cannot fulfill this requirement.
Total electives 9
Total hours 21
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POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES - (UGE Classes are in red)
POLSC 107 - Political Science Colloquium
(2) I, II, S. Offered by TELENET. Topics in political science chosen to illustrate current research of political scientists and approaches to the study of politics. Each time the course is offered, a syllabus will outline the topics to be studied and the way the course will be administered. May be repeated once. Not open to political science majors
POLSC 110. Introduction to Political Science, Honors.
(3) I, II, S, telenet. Introduction to politics, public policy, and governmental processes. Distribution and use of political power, political thought, public opinion, groups, parties, institutions, public law, careers in politics, and related topics. There is also a UGE section of this class. Please contact us for further details.
POLSC 111. Introduction to Political Science, Honors.
(4) I, II, S. Introduction to politics, public policy, and governmental processes. Distribution and use of political power, political thought, public opinion, groups, parties, institutions, public law, careers in politics, and related topics. Pr.: Membership in arts and sciences honors program.
POLSC 301. Introduction to Political Thought
(3) I, II. An introduction to the major themes and leading writers in political philosophy and a discussion of their application to modern politics. This course emphasizes learning how to read and appreciate classic texts. Pr.: Sophomore standing.
POLSC 321. Kansas Politics and Government
(3) An introduction to the political institutions of, the political behavior in and surrounding, and the public policies flowing from governmental units in the state of Kansas.
POLSC 325. United States Politics
(3) I, II, S. The national government with emphasis on constitutional principles, basic structure, functions, and the political process.
POLSC 326. United States Politics, Honors
(4) II. The national government with emphasis on constitutional principles, basic structure, functions, and the political process.
POLSC 333. World Politics
(3) I, II. Introduction to the study of politics among nations-states and other world actors, including a survey of major contemporary problems of world politics and focusing on the pursuit of power, order, wealth, and safe environment.
POLSC 344 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
(3) I, II. Comparative analysis of politics in both ”developed” and ”developing” countries. Though some attention will be given to abstract and theoretical concepts, the emphasis will be on the actual political process in the countries selected for study.
POLSC 350. Current Political Issues
(2) I, II Each week a different political science faculty member or guest authority explains and analyzes current developments in state, national, and world affairs, using the news media as text material.
POLSC 355. Contemporary Issues
(3) I, II. Study and analysis of selected political topics of immediate relevancy and concern. May be repeated once.
POLSC 366. Practical Politics
(3) I, II. Strategies and techniques of running for office, organizing a campaign, mobilizing community resources, direct action lobbying, and related practical aspects of local level citizen politics
POLSC 377. Introduction to Public Policy
(3) II. The process of public policy formation and analysis with emphasis on the relationship between decisions taken, values maximized, and the social impact of these decisions in over 10 policy areas. Pr.: POLSC 110 or 325 or another social science course.
POLSC 399. Honors Seminar in Political Science
(1-3) I.
POLSC 400. Political Inquiry and Analysis
(3) Underlying principles and techniques used in the conduct of political science research. Pr.: Introductory social science course or consent of instructor.
POLSC 401. Topics in Politics
(1 - 3) Different subjects in politics are selected for intensive study.
May be repeated for up to 6 hours with advisor permission
POLSC 499. Senior Honors Thesis
(2) I, II, S. Open only to seniors in the arts and sciences honors program.
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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
POLSC 327. Introduction to Public Administration.
(3) I. The basic concepts of public administration, with emphasis on orientation for citizen understanding; the place of administration and the role of the administrator in the American political process; the organization and activities of government in carrying out public policy; administrative functions, organization, accountability, finance, and personnel. Pr.: POLSC 110 or 325 or ECON 110.
POLSC 525. U.S. National Government and Campaigns.
(3) II. Advanced overview of U.S. National Government. Especially tailored to meet content area needs of prospective K-12 teachers. Topics to be addressed include: the constitution and the American founding; political and electoral processes; institutional structure and function; and, public policy.
Note: Non-majors only.
Pr.: POLSC 325
POLSC 576. Mass Communications and Political Campaigns.
(3) I. Examines the role of the mass media in the electoral process. Dynamics of voter decision making and the impact of the media on voter attitudes and choices. Pr.: POLSC 325.
POLSC 603 - Political Parties and Elections
(3) I. Origins, structure and function of political parties. Dynamics of the two-party system. Roles of third parties. Analysis of election results and voting behavior.
Pr.: POLSC 110, 325 or junior standing.
POLSC 604 - Interest Groups and Public Opinion
(3) II. Group theory and politics. Structure, internal politics, and techniques of interest groups and their impact on public policy. Formation and measurement of public opinion.
Pr.: POLSC 110 or 325.
POLSC 605 - The American Presidency
(3) The presidency as an institution, its evolution, congressional relationships, executive organization.
Pr.: POLSC 110, 325 or junior standing.
POLSC 606 - Gender and Politics
(3) II. Analysis of the role of gender in political behavior, including gender differences in voting and political participation, legal and cultural restrictions on women’s rights and political activity, and women’s liberation and other gender-based political movements.
Pr.: SOCIO 545 or POLSC 325.
POLSC 607 - Administrative Law
(3) II. Legal analysis of the rule-making, adjudicatory, and enforcement functions of administrative agencies, with emphasis on constitutional framework, judicial review, requirements of procedural fairness, and rights of public employees.
Pr.: One course in political science, U.history, or legal or political philosophy.
POLSC 611 - The Legislative Process
(3) II. Legislative decision-making in modern democracy with emphasis on the United States, the concept of representation, and political behavior of participants in the legislative process.
Pr.: POLSC 110, 325, or junior standing.
POLSC 612. The Judicial Process
(3) The structure, process, and politics of the American judicial system. Analysis of important issues concerning law and courts. Pr.: POLSC 325.
POLSC 614 - Constitutional Law I
(3) I. Principles of the American political system as prescribed by the Constitution and interpreted by Supreme Court decisions, with emphasis on the institutions and powers of the national government, federalism, and property rights.
Pr.: One course in political science, U.S. history, or legal or political philosophy.
POLSC 615 - Constitutional Law II
(3) II. The Constitution as a limitation on governmental power, with emphasis on Supreme Court decisions defining fundamental civil rights and liberties.
Pr.: One course in political science, U.history, or legal or political philosophy.
POLSC 618 - Urban Politics
(3) I. Fundamental problems of political power and decision making in urban suburban governmental settings.
Pr.: POLSC 110 or 325.
POLSC 620 - State and Local Government
(3) II. The U.S. system of federalism with emphasis on a comparative analysis of the government and politics of the fifty states and their subdivisions.
Pr.: POLSC 110 or 325
POLSC 650 - Not-For-Profit Management
(3) Unique management issues in terms of policy setting, participation, administrations, and accountability of non-profit organizations.
Pr.: Senior or Graduate standing.
POLSC 708 - Public Personnel Administration
(3) I. Personnel aspects of administration at all levels of government, including recruitment, selection, discrimination law, pay, and motivation. Emphasis on to those features unique to the public sector, e.g. civil service systems, public unions, and public sector ethics law.
Pr.: POLSC 507 or 607.
POLSC 735 - Public Organization Theory
(3) I. Theories of the structure and mission of public organizations. Explores the use of analytical questioning of various theories, to solve organizational problems.
Pr.: POLSC 325 or 507.
POLSC 737 - Public Budgeting
(3) I. Budgeting as apart of our political system and as a fiscal process assists in allocating scarce resources. Overview of the budgetary decision-making process and the various budgetary approaches.
Pr.: POLSC 507 or MANGT 420.
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COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS COURSES - (UGE Class is in red)
POLSC 504 - Political Sociology
(3) II, even years. .An introduction to the principles of political sociology. Processes of political socialization, participation within and outside established organizational channels, recruitment of elites, communication and influence, power, decision making, and policy outputs. Data are presented from a cross-national perspective.
Pr.: SOCIO 211; POLSC 110. SOCIO 504.
POLSC 505. South Asian Civilizations
(3) I. even years An interdisciplinary survey of the development of civilization in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, including consideration of the geographical and demographic context, dominant philosophical and social concepts, social and political institutions, literature and historical movements. Same as HIST 505, ECON 505, SOCIO 505, ANTH 505.
POLSC 511 - Contemporary Chinese Politics
(3) Principal components of Communist Chinese ideology, conditions determining organizational structure, composition of present leadership, role of social forces, impact of external relations on other Asian nations and on the major world powers.
POLSC 344 or junior standing
POLSC 545 - The Politics of Developing Nations
(3) II. Comparative analysis of politics in emergent states with emphasis on process of modernization and nation building.
Pr.: POLSC 110 or 344 or sophomore standing.
POLSC 619. Comparative Agriculture Politics and Policy
(3) I. Comparative examination of agricultural politics and policy with emphasis on decision making processes and the socio-political impacts of agricultural policy. Pr.: POLSC 110, 344, or junior standing.
POLSC 621 - West European Politics
(3) I. Comparative analysis of British, French, German, and Italian democracies, political systems.
Pr.: POLSC 344.
POLSC 622 - Latin American Politics
(3) I. Comparative analysis of selected political systems of Latin America emphasizing political inputs, political organization, and political outputs. special consideration is given to problems of political change.
Pr.: POLSC 110 or 344 or junior standing.
POLSC 623. South Asian Politics
(3) Analysis of selected political systems of South Asia.
Pr.: POLSC 344, POLSC 505, or junior standing.
POLSC 624 - Middle East Politics
(3) II. Comparative analysis of selected political systems in the Middle East including nationalism and the conflict of differing ideologies. Validity and usefulness of various theories of political development are tested.
Pr.: POLSC 110, 344, or junior standing.
POLSC 625. East Asian Politics
(3) Analysis of selected political systems of East Asia. More information coming soon
POLSC 626. African Politics
(3) Comparative analysis of selected political systems of sub-Sahara Africa, including consideration of problems of nationalism and development. Pr.: POLSC 110, 344, or junior standing.
POLSC 627. Eastern and Central European Politics
(3) II. Examination of contemporary politics and policy in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. Pr.: POLSC 110, 344, or junior standing.
POLSC 629. Development Policy and Administration
(3) I. Comparative examination of development policy, politics, and administration. Pr.: POLSC 110, 344, 377, or 507.
POLSC 630 - Politics of Russia and the Former Soviet Union
An overview of the major factors influenicing the evolution of politics in Russia and the Soviet Union. Special emphasis is placed on the problems associated with the transition from a communist to a non-communist more democratic policy.
Pr.: POLSC 344.
POLSC 641. Global Security Threats
(3) I. Analysis of global threats to the security of societies and individuals emphasizing issues outside the traditional scope of international relations theory.
POLSC 707 - Comparative Administrative System
(3) I. Comparative analysis of public administration concepts and the morphology of administrative systems. Included are U.S., British,and French models and attempts by Third World countries to adapt these to their local cultures.
Pr.: POLSC 344 or 507.
POLSC 731. Comparative Civil-Military Relations
(3) I. A look at civil-military relations in the U.S., Russia, Germany, and Spain. Primary focus will be on understanding the political role of the military in totalitarian, authoritarian, and democratic states. Pr:. POLSC 110, 344, or junior standing.
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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COURSES
POLSC 543 - American Foreign Policy
(3) II. Examination of American external relations since 1945 and evaluation of processes involved in the formulation and conduct of contemporary foreign policy of the United States.
Pr.: POLSC 325 or 333.
POLSC 645 - International Politics of Europe
(3) II. Relationships among the countries of Europe since World War II. With emphasis on efforts to create a more unified European Community. Among the organizations that will be studied are the former Warsaw Pact, NATO, the European Parliament, and the European Union.
Pr.: POLSC 333.
POLSC 647 - International Law
(3). Theories of international law, and general problems, such as: recognition, responsibility, war crimes, sources, evidence, codification, and settlement of disputes.
Pr.: POLSC 333, 541, or junior standing.
POLSC 649 - International Defense Strategies
(3) I. Contemporary international strategies and defense policies with emphasis on nuclear, conventional, and guerrilla war, arms control and disarmament, diplomatic and political roles of the military.
Pr.: POLSC 333, 541, or junior standing.
POLSC 651 - International Organizations
(3) Structure, functions, values, and effectiveness of international organizations with emphasis on the United Nations, European Union, and other regional arrangements.
Pr.: POLSC 333, 541, or junior standing.
POLSC 652. International Politics of South Asia
(3) Consideration of regional problems of South Asia and international roles and foreign policies of South Asian states. Pr.: POLSC 344 or POLSC 623.
POLSC 653 - International Politics of the Middle East
(3) I. Consideration of the Arab-Israeli conflict, inter-Arab relations, foreign policies of Middle Eastern states, and the impact of the major foreign powers on the area.
Pr.: POLSC 333, 344, or three hours of other social sciences.
POLSC 654. International Politics of Africa
(3) The course analyzes contemporary relations among African countries including economic and political security, border claims, formal and informal economic relations, and regional groupings. The course also examines the relations between African countries, the United States and the former Soviet Union, and between African countries and the former colonial rulers. Pr.: POLSC 334, 344 or Junior Standing.
POLSC 655 - International Politics of Latin America
(3) II. Analysis of international relations of Latin America. Examining theoretical approaches to the study of Latin America’s relations, U.S. Latin American relations, and comparative foreign policies of Latin American states. This course also explores special topics such as regional integration and geopolitics.
Pr.: POLSC 333 or POLSC 541.
POLSC 742. International Conflict
(3) II. The nature of political conflicts in the world and the ``types'' of such conflicts. Emphasis is on determining the ``causes'' of the various conflict types as well as providing the student with a better understanding of the conflict process from poli- tical dispute through the escalation stages to war. Pr.: POLSC 333, 541, or junior standing
POLSC 754 - The Professional Diplomat and Foreign Policy Formulation
(3) I. Present day foreign policy formulation in the United States government, including the role of professional diplomats and foreign affairs specialists in the State Department and embassies abroad, as well as within other U.S. Government agencies.
Pr.: POLSC 333.
POLSC 756 - International Political Economy
(3). The course introduces students to the political and historical dimensions of the international economy, dimensions that include trade, monetary systems, foreign investment, aid, dependency, and global interdependence. This course also examines various theories and practices of the international system, the state, bureaucracies, interest groups, international organizations, bargaining processes, and distributive norms.
Pr.: ECON 110 and 120, POLSC 333, 344, and 541, or junior standing.
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POLITICAL THOUGHT COURSES
POLSC 661 - Political Thought: Classical to Sixteenth Century
(3) I. Systematic study of ideas about law, politics, and government of great philosophers of Western civilization from Greek antiquity to the sixteenth century.
Pr.: POLSC 110, 301, or junior standing.
POLSC 663. Political Thought: Since the Sixteenth Century
(3) I. Study of the development of Western political thought from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. Pr.: POLSC 110, 301, or 325.
POLSC 667 - American Political Thought
(3) I. Political ideas underlying the American union, including the doctrine of rights, the nature of union, liberty, property, and democracy.
Pr.: POLSC 110, 301, 325 or three hours in other social sciences.
POLSC 671. Modern Political Thought
(3) Study of contemporary political ideas and social thought. Pr.: POLSC 110, 301, or junior standing.
POLSC 672. Ideologies: Their Origins and Impact
(3) II. Explores ideologies, including liberalism, conservatism, socialism, communism, and fascism. Their philosophical origins, transformation into systems of thought with mass appeal, and practical consequences are discussed. The conflict between ideology and philosophy is examined. Pr.: POLSC 110, 301, or 3 hours of philosophy.
POLSC 675 - Religion and Politics
(3) II. Focuses on religious life in America and its changing relationship to politics and government. Examination of the American founding as it relates to church/ state issues, the controversy over meaning of the First Amendment’s establishment and free exercise clauses, and contemporary political agendas of mainline and evangelical churches.
Pr.: POLSC 110, 301, 325, or 3 hours in other social sciences.
POLSC 711 - Administrative Ethics
(3) I. Ethical issues, approaches, and strategies in public service.
Pr.: POLSC 325 or 507 or graduate standing, or consent of the instructor.
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METHODS, SEMINARS, READINGS, AND PROBLEMS COURSES
POLSC 555 - Senior Honors Seminar
(3). Open to senior majors who have attained a 3.0 grade point average in political science.
POLSC 700 - Research Methods in Political Science
(3) I. Principles of research design, of measurement of political phenomena, and of methods for collecting and analyzing political data.
Pr.: POLSC 325, 333, or 344.
POLSC 701. Computer and Quantitative Analysis in Political Science
(3) Advanced data management, data analysis, and computing skills involved in conducting political science and public policy research. Pr.: POLSC 400 or 700; STAT 330 or equiv.
POLSC 710. Policy Analysis and Evaluation
(3) II. Methods of policy analysis and evaluation. Includes a discussion of the relationship between public policy and the distribution of values in society. Students analyze policies in an area of their choice; e.g., agriculture, business, health, income, trade.
Pr.: POLSC 325 or 507.
POLSC 784 - Internship in Government, Public Administration, and Politics
(1-3, credit/no credit) I, II, S. Supervised field work at the international, national, state, and local levels of government or with political parties or other politically oriented voluntary organizations.
Pr.: Consent of instructor and a minimum of two courses in political science, at least one of which must be relevant to the internship area.
POLSC 785 - Readings in Political Science
(3) I, II. Directed reading and discussion of a selected topic in political science.
POLSC 790 - Problems in Political Science
(3) I, II. Students will complete a research project and prepare an original paper under the supervision of a faculty member.
POLSC 791 - Topics in Political Science
(3) I, II. Extensive exploration of a specific problem in political thought. American government, comparative politics, international relations, and public administration.
May be repeated for a total of 6 hours in two sub-fields. Since topics will cover different areas in political science, prerequisites will be determined by the department as appropriate when the course is offered.
POLSC 799 - Pro-Seminar in Political Science
(3) I, II. Study and analysis in various areas of the discipline with emphasis on critical evaluation of political conflicts and issues.
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