Political Science (POS)

College of Arts and Sciences

 

(GE) = Approved General Education Course

200 American National Government, 3 credit hours (GE)
Constitutional background and development of American government, including the machinery, problems, and practical workings of the government.

250 State and Local Government, 3 credit hours (GE)
An introduction to the governmental structure and politics of state and local government, with emphasis on Alabama.

303 Selected Topics in Political Science, 3 credit hours
Topics vary. Course may be repeated for credit as topic changes.

315 African Politics, 3 credit hours
African political issues, culture, institutions, and their historical background, with emphasis on selected countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

320 Political Film, 3 credit hours
Offers students the opportunity to explore political issues through a critical examination of political films. Selections are drawn from various genres, from the silent era to the present. Films are supplemented with critical discussions and writing.

340 World Politics, 3 credit hours
Major themes and issues in contemporary world politics will be engaged, including great power relations, international organizations, ethnonationalism, international trade, the Third World, global environment, and resources. Students will gain a unique, hands-on perspective on international politics through active participation in crisis simulation and role-playing.

360 Citizenship and Public Service, 3 credit hours
Explores active citizenship from a variety of perspectives through in-class reading and discussion, and out-of-class service activities (i.e. Habitat for Humanity) and field trips.

370 Research Methods in Social Sciences, 3 credit hours
Introduction to empirical research, concentrating on research design, methods of data collection, and statistical analysis of data. Students will be introduced to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and acquire practical experience in computer-assisted research. (Cross-listed with HIST 370 and SOC 370.)

380 Foundations of Political Thought, 3 credit hours
An introduction to political philosophy, with emphasis on the ideas of great political thinkers, from Plato to Hobbes.

385 Modern Political Thought, 3 credit hours
From Locke to Marx, students will engage the evolution of modern political thought through careful reading and discussion of primary texts, and they will be encouraged to consider the relevance of the major philosophers to contemporary political life.

405 Great Books in Political Thought, 3 credit hours
Students read selected books on a particular theme, participate in seminar discussion, and write a series of analytical essays. Since book selection and theme vary, students may take the course multiple times for credit.

411 Selected Topics in Political Science, 3 credit hours
Topics vary. Course may be repeated for credit as often as topic changes. (Cross-listed with GEOG 411 and 511, HIST 411 and 511, POS 511, and SOC 411 and 511.)

422 American Political Thought, 3 credit hours
Students will read and analyze seminal works in American political thought. The Federalist Papers and Democracy in America will be emphasized.

423 Civil Rights Movement, 3 credit hours
Traces development of Civil Rights Movement in the United States from 1954 to 1968. Emphasis on origins of segregation, community, protest movements, and Civil Rights leaders. (Cross-listed with HIST 423.)

443 Middle East, 3 credit hours
Middle East political issues, culture, institutions, and their historical background. (Cross-listed with HIST 443.)

444 Public Policy, 3 credit hours
Focuses on the role of government and non-government participants in the policy-making process at the federal level. In-depth explorations of certain substantive policy areas, such as education policy and environmental policy.

450 Global Policy Studies, 3 credit hours
Students will engage political issues related to contemporary globalization, including the decline of the nation-state, the power of multinational organizations, global citizenship, and direct-action politics, environmentalism, indigenous peoples, and human rights.

455 International Relations, 3 credit hours
A broad range of traditional and contemporary theories of international relations will be investigated. Students will discover that the evolution of thinking about international relations is marked by both change and continuity, and they will gain new perspective on current events in world affairs through application of the theoretical method.

475 Constitutional Law, 3 credit hours
An examination of the role of the Supreme Court in constitutional interpretation, with emphasis on a study of the historical landmark decisions, from the Marshall Court to the Rehnquist Court. (Cross-listed with HIST 475.)

479 History of Alabama’s Constitutions, 3 credit hours
This course explores the historical basis for Alabama’s constitutions and considers the need for reform of the state’s 1901 Constitution. (Cross-listed with HIST 479, HIST 579, and POS 579.) Prerequisites: HIST 101 and 102.

480 Diplomatic History of the United States, 3 credit hours
This course deals with the foundations of American diplomacy and with America’s expanding role in international affairs. (Cross-listed with HIST 480, HIST 580, and POS 580.)

484 U.S. Wars—Korea and Vietnam, 3 credit hours
This course examines recent military experiences of the United States in terms of the traditional American way of preparing for and waging war. To do this the course considers the emergence of a military policy following World War II that was unique in the American experience. As national policy changed in response to the communist threat, the armed services adapted to the new demands of a hostile world. Thus, permanent readiness for war became a part of American life during the Cold War. Historical inquiry will focus on military tactics, operations, and strategies; grand strategy; foreign policy; domestic politics; international diplomacy, social impacts; and lessons learned. (Cross-listed with HIST 484, HIST 584, and POS 584.) Prerequisites: HIST 101 and 102.

485 Senior Seminar in Social Science, 3 credit hours
This course includes a synthesizing of previous work in history, political science, and sociology, and will demonstrate how that work has contributed to an overall understanding of the social sciences and the relationship among these disciplines. It will involve the presentation and defense of a senior research paper, and will include a general knowledge test on the social sciences. Required of all senior Social Science majors. (Cross-listed under History, Political Science, and Sociology.) Education students in secondary social science must take this course with a HIST prefix. Prerequisites: Senior standing and 36 hours in the social sciences, or consent of instructor. Spring semester.

490 Directed Reading in Political Science, 3 credit hours
Investigation of assigned subjects with supervised reading and independent study. Open to seniors only, with consent of instructor.

495 Government Internship, 3–15 credit hours
Practical experience working in a politically related position under the guidance of a faculty member in political science.

499 The Science of Politics, 3 credit hours
This “capstone seminar” reviews the history and development of the political-science discipline. A major objective is to assist students in the integration and assimilation of the various subfields and methodologies within the discipline. Limited to Political Science majors in their senior year, except with consent of instructor.