The course list for Fall 2024 is shown below. Classes marked with an asterisk have a topic, which are listed below the course list.
Fall 2024 Course List
| Course | Title | Day | Time | Room | Instructor | Subfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POL 110 01 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT | M-TH | 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM | SOCI223 | Morell, Sara | American |
| POL 110 02 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT | M-TH | 3:30 PM - 4:50 PM | SOCI223 | Morell, Sara | American |
| POL 130 01 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | M-TH | 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM | SOCI225 | Cho,Hyun-Binn | International |
| POL 150 01 | COMPARATIVE POLITICS | M-TH | 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM | SOCI223 | Chartock,Sarah | Comparative |
| POL 200 01 | POLITICAL ANALYSIS | M-TH W |
M-TH: 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM W: 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM |
SOCI131 W: BLISS 031 |
Morell, Sara | |
| POL 275 01 | WESTERN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | M-TH | 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM | SOCI223 | Toloudis,Nicholas | Theory |
| POL 305 01 | AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY | M-TH | 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM | SOCI225 | Willse,Cadence | American |
| POL 318 01 | POLITICS OF COMMUNITY CHANGE | T-F | 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM | SOCI223 | Foster,Kathryn | American |
| POL 320 01 | LAW AND SOCIETY | T-F | 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM | SOCI225 | Dumas,Tao | American |
| POL 321 01 | CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I: Institutions and Powers | T-F | 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM | SOCI225 | Dumas,Tao | American |
| POL 330 01 | US FOREIGN POLICY | M-TH | 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM | SOCI225 | Cho,Hyun-Binn | International |
| POL 370 01 | TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE* | W | 5:30 PM - 6:20 PM | SOCI223 | Cilla, Thomas | American |
| POL 370 02 | TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE* | T | 5:30 PM - 6:20 PM | SOCI325 | Holom-Trundy, Brittany | Comparative |
| POL 380 01 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | M-TH | 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM | SOCI223 | Toloudis,Nicholas | International |
| POL 390 01 | TUTORIAL IN POLITICAL SCIENCE* | M | 3:30 PM - 6:20 PM | SOCI131 | Cho,Hyun-Binn | |
| POL 498 01 | SEMINAR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE* | TH | 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM | SOCI241 | Chartock,Sarah |
Fall 2024 Graduate Course List
If you meet the course requirements (24 or more completed units and a 3.0 GPA or better) and would like to enroll in one or two courses, please complete this form. The Political Science Department will register you for the class.
| Course | Title | Faculty | Day | Time | Room | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUBG 502 01 | PUBLIC BUDGETING AND MANAGEMENT | Ridolfino, David | T | 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM | SOCI 241 | Policy Core |
| PUBG 510 01 | QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR POLICY RESEARCH I | Bowen, Daniel | TH | 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM | SOCI 241 | Quantitative Methods |
| PUBG 670 01 | EDUCATION POLICY | Willse, Cadence | M | 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM | SOCI 241 | Policy Elective |
| PUBG 670 02 | POLICY PRACTICUM | Bowen, Daniel | T | 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM | SOCI 131 | Policy Elective |
| PUBG 670 03 | URBAN PLANNING AND GOVERNANCE | Foster, Kathryn | W | 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM | SOCI 241 | Policy Elective |
| PUBG 696 01 | PUBLIC POLICY THESIS | independent course | Policy Core |
Major Requirements and Program Planner
Special Topics & Seminars
POL 370-01: Mock Trial Tournament 2025
Prof. Thomas Cilla
Students in this class prepare for the Regional Tournament, the first round of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) annual national tournament structure. More information about the AMTA and the associated competitions can be found here: https://www.collegemocktrial.org/ Students will prepare for the Regional Tournament during the Fall 2024 semester and compete in the tournament in early Spring 2025. Students from all majors can participate in the course, but must be available to participate in the Regional Tournament. The competition occurs annually on a weekend between the last weekend in January or any weekend in February to be determined by the host institution. To prepare for the Regional Tournament, students will learn to: develop opening and closing statements, use affidavits, case law, and evidence to develop case theories and arguments for both sides of a case, prepare a witness for direct and cross-examination, and understand and conduct the pretrial procedure. All interested students need to complete this survey before being enrolled in the course.
POL 370-02: Bears, Beets, and Babushki: The Politics of Russia and the Post-Soviet States
Dr. Brittany Holom-Trundy
Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. With these poignant words, Winston Churchill challenged the world to better understand Russia and its neighbors. In this class, we will work to do just that. Students will examine the riddle itself, the political development of Russia and the surrounding post-Soviet region, from the Soviet era to the present day.
POL 390-01: Security in the Asia-Pacific
Dr. Hyun-Binn Cho
This tutorial examines the major challenges to security in the Asia-Pacific region. These include U.S.-China relations, North Korea’s nuclear program, the South China Sea disputes, and U.S. alliance relations with South Korea and Japan. By the end of the course, students will develop an independent research paper that employs political science research methods.
POL 498-01: The Politics of Social Policy
Dr. Sarah Chartock
This capstone course focuses on the causes and outcomes of social policies in the United States and around the world. In this seminar, we will examine many of the most compelling theories of policy change and will read scholarship that applies such theories to social policy change in a variety of contexts and countries. Students will write their capstone papers on a policy area of their choice, whether that be regarding economic inequality, health care, education, poverty, immigration, or any other area of social policy.
Course Descriptions
POL 110: American Government
Examines the strengths and weaknesses, problems and promise of representative democracy in the United States. Surveys the relationships of citizens to Congress, the president and the courts through political parties, elections, interest groups, and the media. Considers the constitutional framework of government and the rights of the individual against governmental intrusion.
POL 130: International Relations
An examination of contemporary patterns of international interaction and their historic roots with attention to competing theoretical perspectives. Topics studied include foreign policy, international law and organization, and international political economy.
POL 150: Comparative Politics
Introduces students to some of the most important concepts, themes and approaches in the comparative study of politics. Comparative Politics is the study of the domestic or internal politics of particular countries. By comparing the processes, institutions and other political phenomena of one country in relation to others, those engaged in the study of comparative politics isolate the primary causes and consequences of these political phenomena and are thus able to create and test theories of politics around the world.
POL 200: Political Analysis
The course familiarizes students with the basic statistical, conceptual, and technical skills needed for research in political science. Topics include research design, hypothesis testing, statistical methodology common in the social sciences, and practical experience examining and analyzing quantitative data. This course provides students hands-on training with Stata, a commonly used statistical software package. Should normally be completed by the end of the sophomore year prior to taking POL 390.
POL 275: Western Political Philosophy
Selected political questions that have intrigued Western society from time immemorial and theoretical solutions presented by some of the great political philosophers from classical Greece to the modern era.
POL 305: American Public Policy
An examination of the policy-making process, the important domestic policies that have resulted, and the evaluation of these policies. The primary focus of the course will be on the substantive issues of contemporary public policy in such areas as the environment, health care, welfare, the economy, crime, and education.
POL 318/Politics of Community Change
Covers the impetus and implications — geographically, socially, demographically, economically, and politically — of dynamics of change at the neighborhood through metropolitan scales. Draws on literature and discussion, fieldwork, public data tools, mapping, and project analysis to examine forces of change, including urbanization, suburbanization, residential segregation, gentrification, immigration, climate change, and redevelopment. Pertinent for students interested in urban society, public policy, local governance, and urban and regional planning.
POL 320: Law and Society
An examination of what law is, the sources of law, and the impact of law on society and the individual. Examines internal aspects of the legal system, such as legal reasoning and the structure of the legal profession, as well as external factors such as the economic system and social structure, in order to illustrate the dynamic relationship between law and the society in which it exists.
POL 321: Constitutional Law I: Institutions and Powers
An analysis of how the U.S. Supreme Court interprets the Constitution, focusing on the issues of how much power the U.S. Congress, president and courts should have and how the U.S. government should interrelate with the state governments.
POL 330: US Foreign Policy
Examines the formulation and execution of American foreign policy in the context of American politics and of the United States’ historic role in the world; some themes considered include the domestic sources of foreign policy and the conditions under which the United States uses force abroad.
POL 380: International Political Economy
A study of the politics of international economic relations. Economic theories of international trade and finance are presented in the context of their political origins and implications. Includes a review of primary analytical perspectives, historical developments, and major contemporary institutions and processes bearing on the politics of international economics.