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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS POLITICAL SCIENCE (POL)

5003 Political Inquiry
(3-0) 3 hours credit. A critical survey of political science as an academic and an applied discipline. Topics may include links to and differences from the other social sciences; the relationship of theory, facts, and values; policy analysis and prescription; ethics and politics; approaches to research; and teaching politics.

5013 Research Methods
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Methods of inquiry in political science. Topics may include major theoretical and research traditions, quantitative and qualitative approaches, problems of conceptualization and operationalization, research design, data collection techniques, probability and sampling, descriptive and inferential statistics, and use of standard computer packages.

5023 Political Economy
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Analysis of the interplay of politics and economics in the domestic and international arenas. Divergent theoretical perspectives and their basis in the work of classical and contemporary political economists and social theorists. Topics may include the politics and economics of international trade, technology policy, educational reform, industrial restructuring, privatization, environmental policy, and labor-market policy.

5033 Political Communications and Behavior
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of major theories and research dealing with human behavior and interaction in politics, drawing on the literature of political sociology, political communications, political anthropology, and political psychology. Professional applications such as public opinion polling, political journalism, public relations, campaign management, political advertising, and political consulting are considered.

5043 International Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of the core theories that address international politics. The course studies comparative theories as well as those that analyze power and security issues in the international arena.

5063 Political Philosophy
(3-0) 3 hours credit. A broad survey of central political issues and thinkers. Students will be introduced to the philosophies of thinkers such as Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Marx.

5103 Topics in American Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of an individual topic or set of issues in American politics. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

5133 Ethnic and Gender Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. How ethnic and gender differences influence political behavior, policy-making, and policy outcomes in the United States. Theories of ethnic relations and feminist and other theories of gender relations. Strategies for dealing with ethnic conflict and gender discrimination and harassment. (Formerly POL 5123. Credit cannot be earned for both POL 5133 and POL 5123.)

5153 American Government and Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of the major issues, problems, and processes of American government and administration.

5163 American Political Development
(3-0) 3 hours credit. This course presents a macropolitical perspective on American politics. It introduces students to debates in political science about change and development in political authority relations since the founding of the Republic. Topics may include the nature of regimes and regime change; the relationship between ideology and political culture; developments in institutional authority and in the balance of power among institutions such as the three branches of government, federal and state authority, and the military; continental development; the emergence of the regulatory state; the United States as a world power; and the representative process and forms of popular organization.

5173 Policy Process
(3-0) 3 hours credit. This course examines theories of the policy-making and -executing process, and the actors, institutions, and politics that are involved in the process. (Credit cannot be earned for both POL 5173 and PAD 5323.)

5183 Congress
(3-0) 3 hours credit. The study of the U.S. Congress. Topics may include Congressional procedure and policy making, representation, and elections. The course also considers the various approaches used in the scholarly study of Congress, including behavioral, rational choice, and historical methods.

5193 Presidency
(3-0) 3 hours credit. This course examines the origins and development of the presidency, the relationship of the institution of the presidency with major actors in the governmental process, and the modern practice of presidential leadership in the United States.

5203 Topics in Political Theory
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of an individual topic, theorist, or set of issues in political theory. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

5223 Issues in Contemporary Political Theory
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An introduction into some of the major issues and trends within political theory over the last century. Authors may include Gramsci, Adorno, Heidegger, Fanon, de Beauvoir, Habermas and Derrida.

5303 Topics in Comparative and International Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of an individual topic or set of issues in comparative and/or international politics. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

5313 Comparative Political Parties
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of the major theories and research regarding the role of political parties in contemporary democracies. The course will focus on how the role of political parties have changed in the post WWII era at three levels: in the electorate, as organizations, in government.

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5323 Urban Social, Economic, and Political Geography
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An advanced social and economic geography of urban areas, emphasizing intra-urban inequality, the modeling of economic dynamics, and spatial mobility to and within the city. Topics may include social area analysis, residential segregation, migration, perception and personal space in the urban environment, urban transportation, the urban economic base and its dynamics, and consumer shopping behavior in cities. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

5333 European Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of the political systems and links between civil society and political institutions in several European nations in the post WWII era. This course will focus on domestic politics, and will also introduce the European Union. Topics may include the role of citizens within the democratic process, the role of parties, and political participation, and attitudes of citizens in European countries.

5403 Topics in Political Communications and Behavior
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of an individual topic or set of issues in political communications and behavior. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

5413 Political Psychology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. The study of psychological theories of political phenomena at individual, small group, organizational, and nation-state levels. Topics may include political socialization, personality and political leadership, the social psychology of mass participation, rational choice and symbolic politics paradigms of political behavior, psychological models of international conflict, and models of political cognition.

5423 Campaign Management and Consulting
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of strategies and techniques employed in managing electoral and lobbying campaigns. Topics may include development of comprehensive campaign plans, techniques of fund-raising and budgeting, advertising and public relations, canvassing phone banks, sociodemographic targeting, use of polls, image management, and the use of mass media.

5433 Electoral Behavior
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of political science theory and research on elections and voting behavior in the United States and other countries. Topics may include electoral cycles and realignment patterns; the impact of media coverage and campaign tactics on opinions, turnout, and electoral outcomes; and the sociodemographic and psychological variables influencing voting and nonvoting.

5443 Polling and Survey Research Techniques
(3-0) 3 hours credit. The sources, dynamics, and political effects of public opinion. Emphasis is on applied quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection and analysis commonly used by political scientists, polling organizations, and political consultants in measuring citizen orientations. Topics may include survey methods, interviewing, focus groups, debate meters, sociodemographic targeting, content analysis, frame analysis, simulation, multidimensional scaling, and cluster analysis.

5454 Political Advertising
(3-2) 4 hours credit. A comprehensive and in-depth examination of the many aspects of political advertising. This course merges academic research with expertise from professional practitioners to give students an understanding of a variety of current topics. Topics may include image development, message creation, advertising production, advertising placement and buying, “under the radar” techniques, direct mail, and related issues such as negative advertising, and the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of particular advertising strategies. Three lecture and two laboratory hours per week. Laboratory hours will consist of hands-on projects related to the topics covered in the course.

5503 Constitutional Law and Judicial Decision-Making
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An advanced course in constitutional law and interpretation. Emphasis is on written judicial decisions, the political environment of judicial decision-making, and the impact of constitutional interpretations on society.

5523 Litigation Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of litigation as a means of social change, effectuation of justice, and political pressure and reform. Explores the litigation process from historical and political context, through its origins, court proceedings, and impact.

5623 Intergovernmental Relations in the United States
(3-0) 3 hours credit. The administrative and political effects of the division of authority among coordinate units of government. Federal- state, state-local, local-federal, state-state, local-local, and governmental-nongovernmental relations are examined.

5703 American Foreign Policy
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An intensive analysis of the policy formulation process and the substance of selected contemporary problems in foreign policy. Political and institutional factors affecting foreign policies are stressed, along with the analysis of policy options.

5713 Comparative Political Systems
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Comparative analysis of institutions, processes, and policy objectives in Western, Communist, and developing political systems.

5723 International Organizations
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of international political and economic organizations, as well as major issues involving them. Topics may include alliance systems, regional development, common markets, peacekeeping, international conferences, United Nations, IMF, World Bank, and regional organizations.

5733 Political Actors and Systems in Latin America
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of politics in Latin America. The course centers the analysis around two axes: the interplay between civil society and the state and patterns of inter-American relations.

5743 Electoral Systems in the Americas
(3-0) 3 hours credit. A comparative study of campaigns and elections in the Americas. The course assesses similarities and differences of electoral systems in the region with particular emphasis on North American politics (Canada, the United States, and Mexico).

5753 The Geography of Third World Development
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Advanced analysis of economic growth and social change in developing nations and regions. Investigates issues such as defining of development; major theories of development and underdevelopment; global inequalities; population growth and migration; and the role of agriculture, industry, transportation, and government and trans-governmental planning in development. (Same as GRG 5753. Credit cannot be earned for both POL 5753 and GRG 5753.)

5763 International Law and Organization
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Scholars working in the neo-liberal paradigm argue that the international system is governed by international law, organizations, norms, and ideas. This course analyzes these arguments, using theory and case studies dealing with issues such as human rights, the global economy, environmental protection, civil and international war, peacekeeping, and refugees.

5803 Topics in Political Economy
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of an individual topic or set of issues in political economy. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

5813 Principles of Economic Governance
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Examination of the changing principles and practices of economic governance in Western democracies. The shift to market-oriented governance techniques. Theories of state-business relations. Case studies of specific national and regional governance regimes. Topics may include fiscal and monetary policy, the management of welfare systems, industrial development and antitrust, communications policy, trade policy, natural resource management, and regional development.

5823 Political Economy of the Americas
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of the changing relationship among the state, society, and the private sector in Latin America and its influence on hemispheric relations. Topics may include state ownership and privatization, industrial policy, trade union influence, foreign investment and foreign trade policy, and the impact of NAFTA, GATT, and other international agreements.

5833 Business and Labor in U.S. Politics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of the influence of business and labor organizations on public policy formation, implementation, and elections. Policy areas may include industrial relations and labor law, regulatory practices, foreign trade, the environment, government subsidization, taxation, and finance.

5853 Economic Geography
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An advanced examination of the location of economic activities, their causes, and consequences. Includes the principles and practices of manufacturing and agricultural location and their impact on political subdivisions and economies; trade areas for retail and service activities; the role of transportation; the economic impact of globalization on local areas; and community economic base and shift-share analysis applied to local economies, with implications for planning and public administration. (Same as GRG 5303. Credit cannot be earned for both POL 5853 and GRG 5303.)

5863 International Health Issues
(3-0) 3 hours credit. This course investigates salient health issues in countries other than the United States. Focus is on the health problems of developing countries. (Credit cannot be earned for both POL 5863 and PAD 5863.)

5903 Political Geography
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Investigates the role of the political state in society and the evolution of state organization from classical times to the present. Topics may include centrifugal and centripetal forces, geopolitics, territorial morphology, boundaries, core areas, and emerging supranationalism. (Same as GRG 5903. Credit cannot be earned for both POL 5903 and GRG 5903.)

5913 Design and Management of Geographic Information Systems
(3-0) 3 hours credit. A graduate-level introduction to the use of industry-standard GIS software. Topics include GIS data structures, system design, and methods of data exploration and analysis. The course includes discussion of issues related to planning, implementing, and managing large-scale GIS projects for research projects or organizations. (Same as GRG 5913. Credit cannot be earned for both POL 5913 and GRG 5913.)

5923 Advanced Research Methods
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An in-depth examination of regression analysis. Advanced topics may include recursive and nonrecursive causal modeling, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. (Formerly POL 5213. Credit cannot be earned for POL 5923 and POL 5213.)

5933 Topics in Research Methods
(3-0) 3 hours credit. An examination of an individual topic or set of issues in research methods. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

6103 Seminar in Theories of Politics and Law
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: 6 semester credit hours from the list of courses specializing in political theory and public law. (See section B in Degree Requirements.) This course provides students with the opportunity to analyze and critique significant theories of politics and law. Emphasizing student development of critical, analytic, and synthetic abilities, this course explores major works of political philosophy and jurisprudence and culminates in theory construction by students.

6951-3 Independent Study
1 to 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and permission in writing (form available) of the instructor and the student’s Graduate Advisor of Record. Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction of a faculty member. For students needing specialized work not usually available as part of the regular course offerings. May be repeated for credit, but no more than 6 hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to the Master’s degree.

6963,6 Internship
3 or 6 hours credit. Practical experience in a workplace setting in which classroom knowledge of political institutions, processes, and public policy can be deepened and applied. May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 hours.

6973 Special Problems
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not usually available as part of the regular course offerings. Special Problems courses may be repeated for credit when topics vary, but no more than 6 hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to the Master’s degree.

6983,6 Master’s Thesis
3 or 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the Graduate Advisor of Record and thesis director. Thesis research and preparation. May be repeated for credit, but no more than 6 hours will apply to the Master’s degree. Credit will be awarded on completion of the thesis. Enrollment is required each term in which the thesis is in progress.

6993 Master’s Essay
3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Permission of the Graduate Advisor of Record and master’s essay director. Master’s essay research and preparation. Cannot be repeated for credit. Credit will be awarded on completion of the essay. Enrollment is required in the first term in which the essay is in progress.

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