Graduate Courses - Political Science

POL SCI 700 Scope and Methods of Political Science: 3 cr. Graduate.
Critical examination of the normative and empirical methodologies of political science.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020.
POL SCI 701 Techniques of Political Science Research: 3 cr. Graduate.
Introduction to basic techniques of collecting, coding, processing, analyzing, and presenting political data.; Prerequisites: grad st; one undergrad stats course or cons instr.; Last Taught: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020.
POL SCI 702 Advanced Techniques of Political Science Research: 3 cr. Graduate.
Advanced course in quantitative analysis stressing the application of econometric techniques to the study of politics.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 701(P).; Last Taught: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021.
POL SCI 711 Current Topics in Political Science:: 1-3 cr. Graduate.
This course will address a specific topic or methodological approach of general disciplinary importance.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Course Rules: Retakable w/chg in topic & cons advisor & instr to 6 cr max.; Last Taught: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2017, Spring 2017.
POL SCI 715 Introduction to Comparative Politics I: 3 cr. Graduate.
First part of a two-semester introductory seminar in comparative politics, emphasizing the logic of comparison and introducing broad themes in the subfield.; Prerequisites: grad st; Last Taught: Fall 2022, Fall 2020, Fall 2017, Fall 2015.
POL SCI 716 Intro to Comparatv Politics II: 3 cr. Graduate.
The second course in a graduate introduction to comparative politics. Foundation for students considering further work in comparative politics; emphasis on empirical research literature.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 715(P) or cons instr; Last Taught: Fall 2021, Spring 2013, Fall 2010.
POL SCI 720 Theoretical and Methodological Issues of Comparative Politics: 3 cr. Graduate.
Seminar on theory construction, research design, and the logic of comparative social inquiry.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2007, Fall 2003.
POL SCI 725 Judicial Politics and Behavior: 3 cr. Graduate.
Readings in the field of judicial politics and behavior, with particular attention to decision making in collegial courts and to scientific methods of analysis.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Fall 2022, Fall 2017, Fall 2013, Spring 2009.
POL SCI 727 Seminar in Constitutional Law: 3 cr. Graduate.
Major trends in constitutional case law and in critical analysis of the role of the court in american democracy.; Prerequisites: grad st; cons instr.
POL SCI 749 Seminar in American Political Institutions: 3 cr. Graduate.
Overview of political institutions including executives, legislatures, bureaucracies, courts, interest groups and others and the role they play in the political and policy process.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2022, Fall 2019, Fall 2016, Spring 2015.
POL SCI 750 Seminar in the Study of American Political Behavior: 3 cr. Graduate.
Readings and research on a broad range of topics related to political behavior. Concentration on the political science literature on mass political behavior with some attention to the behavior of political elites.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Fall 2021, Fall 2018, Fall 2015, Spring 2013.
POL SCI 751 Seminar in Public Policy Formation: 3 cr. Graduate.
Nature and consequences of constraints upon policy-makers in political institutions.; Prerequisites: grad st.
POL SCI 769 Analyzing and Evaluating Public Policies and Programs: 3 cr. Graduate.
Examination of methods, including cost-benefit analysis and decision analysis, that aid policy makers and administrators in understanding and assessing public and nonprofit sector policies and programs.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Course Rules: Pol Sci 769 & Pub Adm 769 are jointly offered; they count as repeats of one another.; Last Taught: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021.
POL SCI 801 Proseminar in Political Theory: 3 cr. Graduate.
Political theory for graduate students in any field, based on historical and contemporary texts that illustrate different understandings of politics and political theory.; Prerequisites: grad st; Last Taught: Spring 2020, Fall 2013, Spring 2012.
POL SCI 814 Major Political Theorists:: 3 cr. Graduate.
Consideration of selected political theorists, periods, or traditions. Attention given to issues of textural interpretation, historical context, and conceptual analysis.; Prerequisites: graduate standing.; Course Rules: Retakable with change in topic to 6 cr max.; Last Taught: Fall 2021, Spring 2014, Spring 1990.
POL SCI 815 Problems in Political Theory:: 3 cr. Graduate.
Selected concepts and controversies in the historical and contemporary literature of political theory, such as authority, obligation, equality, justice and the explanation of human conduct.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Course Rules: Retakable w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.; Last Taught: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Spring 2019, Fall 2016.
POL SCI 816 Seminar in Positive Political Theory:: 3 cr. Graduate.
Selected topics in rationality-based approaches to the study of politics.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 701(817)(P) & 875(P).; Course Rules: Retakable w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.; Last Taught: Fall 2011, Fall 2009, Fall 2007, Fall 2001.
POL SCI 817 Feminist Theory and Politics: 3 cr. Graduate.
Examination and analysis of historical and theoretical aspects of feminist theory and politics including liberal, cultural, radical, postmodern, and queer political theory.; Prerequisites: grad st.
POL SCI 818 Theories of International Political Economy: 3 cr. Graduate.
Analysis of major political theories of international economic relations. Examine international political economy issues in industrial developing, and communist countries.; Prerequisites: grad st; intro courses in Econ & Intlrel.; Last Taught: Fall 2023, Spring 2021, Fall 2018, Fall 2014.
POL SCI 855 Comparative Urban Politics: 3 cr. Graduate.
Examination of critical roles, structures, and processes of urban politics in different cultural settings. Selected to facilitate comparisons between the urban political process in developed and underdeveloped nations.; Prerequisites: second semester grad student.
POL SCI 888 Candidate for Degree: 0 cr. Graduate.
Available for graduate students who must meet minimum credit load requirements.; Prerequisites: graduate standing.; Course Rules: Fee for 1 cr assessed; unit does not count towards credit load for Fin Aid. Repeatable. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.; Last Taught: Fall 2020, Summer 2017, Fall 2012, Summer 2012.
POL SCI 913 Seminar in Urban Political Process: 3 cr. Graduate.
Analysis of the forces and processes that shape urban political life, with particular emphasis on patterns of government, political culture, power structures, and civic participation in urban and metropolitan communities.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Course Rules: Pol Sci 913 & Urb Std 913 are jointly-offered; they count as repeats of one another.; Last Taught: Spring 2023, Fall 2019, Spring 2016, Spring 2013.
POL SCI 925 Applied Bayesian Modeling for the Social Sciences: 3 cr. Graduate.
Theoretical foundations of Bayesian in comparison to Frequentist inference as well as applications of MCMC simulation to GLMs, hierarchical, time-series and measurement models.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 935(P) or equiv.
POL SCI 926 Seminar in the Legislative Process: 3 cr. Graduate.
Analysis of the legislative process and the role of the legislature in the political system and research in legislative behavior.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2024, Spring 2018, Spring 2012, Fall 2010.
POL SCI 929 Seminar in Voting Behavior: 3 cr. Graduate.
Voter decision making within and between elections.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2021, Spring 2017, Fall 2011, Spring 2009.
POL SCI 935 Seminar in Advanced Political Science Methodology: 3 cr. Graduate.
An advanced seminar in selected topics on political science methodology.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 701(817)(P).; Last Taught: Fall 2022, Fall 2020, Spring 2015, Fall 2013.
POL SCI 936 Applied Bayesian Modeling for the Social Sciences: 3 cr. Graduate.
Theoretical foundations of Bayesian in comparison to Frequentist inference as well as applications of MCMC simulation to GLMs, hierarchical, time-series and measurement models.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 935(P) or equiv.; Last Taught: Fall 2012.
POL SCI 950 Seminar in Comparative Politics: Western Nations: 3 cr. Graduate.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Fall 2005, Spring 2002, Fall 1999, Spring 1998.
POL SCI 952 The Politics of Developing Nations:: 3 cr. Graduate.
Variable content course.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Course Rules: Retakable w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.; Last Taught: Spring 2024, Spring 2020, Spring 2018, Spring 2016.
POL SCI 953 Seminar in American Foreign Policy: 3 cr. Graduate.
Analysis-in-depth of selected issues in the formulation and execution of American foreign policy, emphasizing recent problems, changes in world conditions, and methods of studying American policy.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2022, Spring 2019, Spring 2016, Fall 2012.
POL SCI 956 Political Culture and Behavior: Industrial Nations: 3 cr. Graduate.
Political culture and mass political behavior in industrialized societies, including theories of ideology, multiculturism, and political parties. A data-based paper is required.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 701(817)(P) or equiv prep in statistics.
POL SCI 960 International Conflict: 3 cr. Graduate.
Examines positive theories and quantitative research pertaining to causes and resolution of international conflict.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2024, Fall 2021, Spring 2018, Fall 2015.
POL SCI 961 International Political Theory: 3 cr. Graduate.
The study of the moral and political philosophy of international relations.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Fall 2004, Fall 2002, Spring 2000, Fall 1995.
POL SCI 962 Ethnic Conflict: 3 cr. Graduate.
Origins, strategies, duration, and termination of ethnic conflicts; international intervention.; Prerequisites: grad st; Last Taught: Spring 2023, Fall 2019, Spring 2017, Fall 2013.
POL SCI 963 Seminar in Judicial Process and Behavior: 3 cr. Graduate.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Fall 1993, Spring 1991.
POL SCI 964 Seminar in Constitutional Politics: 3 cr. Graduate.
Various approaches to the study of constitutional politics, including law as ideology, noninterpretivism, originalism, and departmentalism.; Prerequisites: grad st; Pol Sci 727(P).
POL SCI 972 Interest Groups and Public Policy: 3 cr. Graduate.
Research seminar in the formal and informal role of interest groups in policy development enactment, and administration access and tactics of political pressure, analysis of private and public power relationships.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Fall 2007, Fall 2005, Fall 2003, Spring 2002.
POL SCI 973 Political Parties: 3 cr. Graduate.
Selection of problems and design of research on the organization and processes of political parties.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2011, Spring 2009, Spring 2007, Spring 1987.
POL SCI 974 Seminar in Politics and Public Policy: 3 cr. Graduate.
Research in the formulation and execution of public policy in a democratic society.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2018, Spring 2016.
POL SCI 975 Comparative Authoritarianism: 3 cr. Graduate.
Domestic and international politics of authoritarian regimes; methods of rule, regime survival strategies, and political economy.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Last Taught: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Fall 2018, Fall 2016.
POL SCI 976 Seminar in Comparative Public Policy:: 3 cr. Graduate.
Major theories and methods in comparative public policy relevant to specific areas of the world. Area focus varies from semester to semester.; Prerequisites: grad st.; Course Rules: Retakable w/ chg in topic to 6 cr max.; Last Taught: Spring 2022, Spring 2019, Spring 2015, Spring 2013.
POL SCI 990 Research and Thesis: 1-3 cr. Graduate.; Prerequisites: grad st; cons instr.; Last Taught: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Summer 2023, Spring 2023.
POL SCI 999 Independent Work: 1-3 cr. Graduate.
Individual work directed by a member of the graduate faculty.; Prerequisites: grad st & cons instr.; Last Taught: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2021.