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All Graduate Courses

Visit the Upcoming Graduate Courses page for a list of courses offered in the current and next semesters.

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 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021.
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 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021.
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 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022.
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 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020, Fall 2017.
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 2024, Fall 2021, Fall 2018, Fall 2015.
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 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 2024, 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 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: Spring 2025, Fall 2022, Fall 2020, Spring 2015.
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 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 2025, Spring 2022, Spring 2019, Spring 2016.
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 2024, Fall 2004, Fall 2002, Spring 2000.
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 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 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 2025, Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Fall 2018.
POL SCI 976 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: graduate standing.
Last Taught: Spring 2025, Spring 2022, Spring 2019, Spring 2015.
POL SCI 990 Research and Thesis
1-3 cr. Graduate.
Prerequisites: grad st; cons instr.
Last Taught: Summer 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024.
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: Summer 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023.

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