Introductory Courses
Students majoring in political science are required to take the department’s introductory course in each of the four subfields. We strongly encourage students to complete all four introductory courses by the end of the sophomore year.
- POLS 100 Principles of American Government
- POLS 101 Introduction to Political Philosophy
- POLS 102 Introduction to Comparative Politics
- POLS 103 Introduction to International Relations
Six Elective, Upper-division Courses
These courses are numbered higher than 103. In addition to the introductory courses, political science majors must take at least six upper-division courses for a minimum total of 10 courses and a maximum of 14 to complete the major.
Of the six elective, upper-division courses, only ONE of the following courses may be accepted as completing major requirements: ACIP 381, DCSP 381, CISS 230 (when taught by a POLS faculty), and POLS 110, formally POLS 199 - Race and Ethnicity Politics).
Advanced Placement: Students with a score of 4 or 5 in American Politics and Government and/or Comparative Politics and Government do not have to take the relevant introductory course (Principles of American Government or Comparative Politics), but still have to take a minimum of 10 courses.
Majors: Students who may be considering Political Science as a major should choose a course from the courses listed below.
Courses
POLS 100
Principles of American Government
Common Area: Social Science
Provides an introductory overview of American government through study of the principal public documents, speeches, and constitutional law cases that define the American political tradition. By tracing the development of U.S. political institutions from the founding to the present, the course examines the ways in which American political ideals have become embodied in institutions as well as the ways in which practice has fallen short of these ideals. Introduces students to contemporary ideological and policy debates, and prepares them for the role of citizen.
POLS 101
Introduction to Political Philosophy
Common Area: Social Science
A concise survey of the history of political philosophy. Intended to introduce students to some of the major alternative philosophic answers that have been given to the fundamental questions of political life, such as the nature of the best political order and the relation of the individual to the community. Authors to be studied include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx and Nietzsche.
POLS 102
Introduction to Comparative Politics
Common Area: Social Science
This course provides a comparative analysis of political processes and institutions in Western liberal democracies, Communist and post-Communist states, and democratic and non-democratic countries in non-Western states. The course will focus on alternative models of modernization and on the causes of, and prospects for, attempts to democratize in countries throughout the world.
POLS 103
Introduction to International Relations
Common Area: Social Science
Introduces students to major theories and concepts in international politics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include: the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and post-colonialism, the emergence of global environmental issues, the nature and functioning of international institutions, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the international sources of wealth and poverty.
POLS 110
Race and Ethnicity Politics
Common Area: Social Science
This course will cover a broad range of topics that examines the ways in which race intersects with the American political system including but not limited to: the social and legal construction of race, the effects of political redistricting, voting right among minority groups, immigration, the factors that influence voter mobilization among minority groups, the intersection of race and gender, race in the context of public policy, as well as race in the context of media and news coverage.
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