DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

The graduate program in Political Science is designed to expand students’ knowledge and to develop their skills of analysis and professional communication in the area of political science and public administration. The program is of value to both recent college graduates and those seeking to advance their careers. Among these it serves are students preparing for doctoral work or law school, school teachers seeking to improve their professional competence, promising scholars wanting to teach in community colleges, present and prospective public administrators, and those preparing for careers or advancement in nonprofi t organizations, international organizations, the military, and private business.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Students seeking admission to the graduate programs in Political Science must meet the following requirements:

1. Submit a Graduate Studies Application for Admission with the application fee to Graduate Studies.
2. Submit official transcripts of all college-level work, including the transcript that shows the date the undergraduate degree was conferred.
3. Submit GRE scores.
4. Submit two letters of recommendation that discuss the applicant’s suitability for graduate study.
5. Submit a writing sample of scholarly work.
6. Optional: You may submit a two word-processed page statement explaining your background and/or potential that would make you a good choice for our program.

A holistic review of each student’s application file will be completed on a competitive basis.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: POLITICAL SCIENCE

The department offers degrees in both Political Science and Public Administration. Those writing a thesis will take 24 hours of course work and receive 6 hours of credit for the thesis (30 hours total). When counseling with the student indicates that the student’s needs would be better served, the department may substitute 12 hours of additional course work in lieu of the thesis (total of 36 hours).

Political Science students ordinarily take two core courses (Scope and Methods and Political Theory) and then focus on the areas of concentration appropriate to their needs. The department offers three areas of concentration: American politics, comparative politics and international relations, and public administration and public policy. With departmental approval, students may take a minor or special concentration in an appropriate area from one or more other departments, such as history, criminal justice, business, or health. The intent is to design a program that best fi ts the student’s needs. For each degree, a comprehensive examination will be given over the core and major and minor areas of study. Students must be enrolled in the University the semester or summer session in which the comprehensive exam is administered.

Master of Arts, Plan I. The student will have a major of 18 hours within two areas of concentration in Political Science and a minor of 12 hours in a supporting field.

Master of Arts, Plan II. This degree plan is designed for prospective junior and senior college teachers, students planning to pursue a doctoral program, and those preparing for a career in government service. Under this plan, the student takes 30 hours in Political Science.

Master of Education, Plan II. This degree program is designed to provide additional study in Political Science for the professional secondary school teacher and is initiated in the College of Education. Interested students should consult the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (MPA)

Areas of Concentration: Students will select a concentration of 12 hours in one of the following areas: State and Local Government, Comparative and International Relations, Financial Management, Criminal Justice, or Human Service and Health Administration. The following courses are included for concentrations; however, substitutions will be allowed with the approval of the graduate advisor. When the topic is appropriate, POL 582, Seminar in Public Administration, may count in any of the concentrations.

Concentration in State and Local Government: Students will choose 12 semester credit hours from the following graduate courses. None of these courses require stem work.

POL 438	Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)
POL 530	American Political Institutions (3 hours)
POL 531	American Political Behavior (3 hours)
POL 560	Seminar in American National Politics (3 hours)
POL 562	Seminar in Political Theory (3 hours)
POL 585	Public Policy Formulation and Implementation (3 hours)
SOC 576	Sociology of Community (3 hours)
GBA 562	Managerial Law (3 hours)

Concentration in Comparative and International Relations: Students will choose 12 semester credit hours from the following lists. None of these courses require stem work.

Nine semester credit hours from the following courses:
POL 567	Seminar in International Relations (3 hours)
POL 571	Comparative Political Analysis (3 hours)
POL 572	Seminar in Comparative Politics (3 hours)
POL 573	Theory and Method of International Relations (3 hours)

And 3 semester credit hours from the following courses:
GEO 472	Ethnic Texas: A Multicultural Geography (3 hours)
HIS 583	United States Diplomatic History (3 hours)
HIS 593	European Diplomatic History (3 hours)
HIS 585	Latin American History (3 hours)
HIS 589	Great Britain and the British Empire (3 hours)
HIS 591	Asian History (3 hours)
POL 438	Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)
SOC 574	Sociology of Religion (3 hours)
SOC 589	Seminar in Social Change and Development (3 hours)

Concentration in Financial Management: Students will choose 12 semester credit hours from the following courses. Some courses may require stem work.

ACC 468	Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting (3 hours)
ACC 535	Financial Reporting and Business Decisions (3 hours)
ACC 564	Accounting for Management (3 hours)
ECO 570	Economic Theory (3 hours)
FIN 531	Introduction to Institutions, Investments, and Managerial Finance (3 hours)
FIN 537	Problems in Administrative Finance (3 hours)
FIN 569	Seminar in Investments (3 hours)
POL 438	Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)

Concentration in Criminal Justice: Students will choose 12 semester credit hours from the following:

CJ 530	Critical Analysis of Justice Administration (3 hours)
CJ 534	Courts as Organizations (3 hours)
CJ 632	Human Resource Development in the Organizational Context (3 hours)
CJ 633	Seminar in Organization and Administration (3 hours)
CJ 635	Seminar in Leadership and Management (3 hours)
CJ 687	The Ethics of Criminal Justice (3 hours)
POL 438	Grant Research and Writing (3 hours)

Concentration in Human Service and Health Administration: Students will choose 12 semester credit hours from the following graduate courses:

CJ 668	Seminar on Drugs, Society and Policy Issues (3 hours)
HED 470	Study of AIDS (3 hours)
HED 531	Foundation of Community Health (3 hours)
HED 533	Colloquium in Human Sexuality (3 hours)
HED 534	Colloquium in the Use and Abuse of Drugs (3 hours)
HED 535	Leadership in Health Promotion Programs (3 hours)
HED 565	Aging and Health Promotion (3 hours)
PSY 530	Advanced Abnormal Psychology (3 hours)
SOC 565	Seminar in Race and Ethnic Studies (3 hours)
SOC 572	Sociology of the Family (3 hours)
SOC 587	Gender and Society (3 hours)
ECO 579	Seminar in Labor Economics (3 hours)

SENIOR COURSES OPEN TO GRADUATE STUDENTS

Courses in Political Science (POL) at the 400 level may be taken in limited numbers for graduate credit. They are listed below, but see the undergraduate catalog for the course descriptions. Those courses listed as “General Courses” will generally fit one of the concentrations, depending on the topics covered.

AMERICAN POLITICS

POL 433 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. Credit 3.
POL 472 POLITICAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR. Credit 3.

COMPARATIVE POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

POL 482 INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT AND TERRORISM. Credit 3.

GENERAL COURSES

* POL 438 GRANT RESEARCH AND WRITING Credit 3.
POL 481 PROBLEMS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Credit 3.
POL 495 DIRECTED STUDIES AND INTERNSHIPS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Credit 1-3.

* Subject to action by the Board of Regents, the Texas State University System and/or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

CORE COURSES
POL 562 SEMINAR IN POLITICAL THEORY. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.

POL 577 THE SCOPE AND METHODS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE. This is a study of the discipline of modern political science and an inquiry into the literature, scope, and techniques of research with particular emphasis upon the mathematical and quantitative methods of empirical research. Credit 3.

AMERICAN POLITICS
POL 530 AMERICAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. This course offers an overview of American national political institutions: Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary. The course covers classics in the literature of the sub-fi elds as well as current research questions and controversies. Credit 3.

POL 531 AMERICAN POLITICAL BEHAVIOR. This course is designed to provide an overview of the scholarship in the fi eld of American Political Behavior. The course explores political ideology, attitudes and beliefs, public opinion, voting behavior, political parties, interest groups, and mass movements. Credit 3.

POL 560 SEMINAR IN AMERICA POLITICS. This course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.

COMPARATIVE POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
POL 567 SEMINAR IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. This course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.

POL 571 COMPARATIVE POLITICAL ANALYSIS. A comprehensive overview of the theories, concepts, and methods of comparative analysis. The techniques of
comparing political systems are examined, as are the major concepts of comparative politics, such as political elites, institutions, public policy, development and modernization, elections and political behavior, mass movements, and revolution and political violence. Credit 3.

POL 572 SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS. The seminar will focus on such topics as political development, sustainability, comparative institutions, comparative public policy, transitions to democracy, and opinions and behavior. The seminar may also focus on one or more regions or individual countries. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics differ. Credit 3.

POL 573 THEORY AND METHOD OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. This study places emphasis on the attempts to construct a general theory of international relations and the evolution of international relations methodology. Attention is also given to such techniques as systems analysis, decision-making, conflict resolution, field theory, etc. Credit 3.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY
POL 582 SEMINAR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. This course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics vary. Credit 3.

POL 585 PUBLIC POLICY. This course involves the consideration of the process of public policy formulation, governmental planning, and administrative decision-making. Attention is given to the public administrator as a policy-maker and as one responsible
for policy implementation. Credit 3.

POL 730 PUBLIC POLICY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. Examines school districts as systems of governance in American communities and the problems associated with governance, with particular emphasis upon educational issues. Topics may include democratic theory, local political systems, intergovernmental relations, relationships with citizens, and political accountability. Credit 3.

GENERAL COURSES
POL 578 PROBLEMS AND INTERNSHIPS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. This course is designed for topics in which the subject cuts across two or more areas of concentration. The course may be taken on an individual basis with the permission of the Political Science Department Chair. May be repeated when topic varies. Credit 3.

POL 579 WORKSHOP: TEACHING POLITICAL SCIENCE. Developed specifically for public school teachers, the course will offer a variety of topics useful to classroom teaching. Topics will vary according to need and the instructor but may include Texas politics, constitutional issues, current elections, and using technology in the classroom. The course may be repeated for credit when the announced topics differ. Credit 3.

POL 698, 699 THESIS. Credit 3.