Department of Political Science COOR 6801
Associate ProfessorsAshley, Crittenden, Dantico, Doty, M. Elman, Herrera, Keating, Mitchell, Simhony, Warner Assistant ProfessorsChin, C. Elman, Espino, Goren, Hindman, Hoekstra, Kittilson, Lewis, Pantoja, Schatzman
The BA degree in Political Science consists of 42 semester hours, of which 30 must be in political science and 12 in related fields consisting of courses selected from the Departments of Aerospace Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Economics, Family and Human Development, Geography, History, Military Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Sociology; the Schools of Global Studies, Human Communication, Human Evolution and Social Change, and Justice and Social Inquiry; or from the African and African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian Pacific American Studies, or Women and Gender Studies programs. At least 15 hours in political science must be in upper-division courses. POS 101 Political Ideologies SB (3)
POS 110 Government and Politics SB (3)
POS 150 Comparative Government SB, G 3 Total 12Students who major in Political Science must have a minimum GPA of 2.00 for all courses that count toward the major. Courses that count toward the major must have a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher. See College Graduation Requirements. No more than six hours of POS 484 Internship may be applied to the major. The BS degree in Political Science consists of 48 semester hours, of which 36 must be in political science and 12 in related fields consisting of courses selected from the Departments of Aerospace Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Economics, Family and Human Development, Geography, History, Military Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Sociology; the Schools of Global Studies, Human Communication, Human Evolution and Social Change, and Justice and Social Inquiry; or from the African and African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian Pacific American Studies, or Women and Gender Studies programs. At least 21 hours in political science must be in upper-division courses. Total 15Students who major in Political Science must have a minimum GPA of 2.00 for all courses that count toward the major. Courses that count toward the major must have a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher. See College Graduation Requirements. No more than six hours of POS 484 Internship may be applied to the major. Asian Studies Certificate or EmphasisStudents majoring in Political Science may elect to pursue an Asian Studies Certificate combining courses from the major with selected outside courses of wholly Asian content. See Asian Studies, for more information. Certificate in Civic EducationThe Civic Education Certificate is designed to contribute to the preparation of undergraduate students for 1. careers in primary and secondary education (where the teaching of government and civics may be involved); 2. careers or voluntary participation in politics, public service, and civic and social movements; and 3. further education in law, journalism, business, history, sociology, political science, and other fields where an understanding of questions of citizenship, leadership, community, democracy, public responsibility, and ethics is crucial. The certificate does not substitute for degree requirements in any subject, including Political Science; rather, as a complement to the student’s chosen major, the certificate program is intended to guide students to a variety of courses whose successful completion indicates their special accomplishment in the area of civic education. Students majoring in any subject at the university may be awarded the Civic Education Certificate upon completion of the following 15 semester hours of political science courses: POS 101 Political Ideologies SB (3) POS 346 Problems of Democracy HU (3) POS 442 American Political Thought HU (3) Choose one from the courses below (3) POS 340 History of Political Philosophy I HU, H (3) POS 341 History of Political Philosophy II HU, H (3) POS 443 Topics in Contemporary Political Theory HU (3) Choose one from the courses below (3) POS 110 Government and Politics SB (3) POS 150 Comparative Government SB, G (3) POS 160 Global Politics SB, G (3) POS 270 American Legal System SB (3) POS 300 Contemporary Controversies in Global Politics SB, G (3) POS 314 The American Presidency SB (3) POS 315 The Supreme Court SB (3) POS 330 Contemporary Controversies in Domestic Politics SB (3) POS 332 American Political Parties SB (3) POS 333 Interest Groups SB (3) POS 370 Law and Society SB (3) POS 417 The Arizona Political System SB (3) Certificate in International StudiesThe International Studies Certificate is designed to prepare students for careers in government agencies, international governmental and nongovernmental organizations, multinational firms and banks, and for graduate studies in International Relations or Political Science. The certificate is not a substitute for degree requirements in any subject, including political science; rather, the required courses add an international and comparative dimension to the student’s chosen major. Requirements for the certificate are intended to provide an understanding of international relations and comparative government, an awareness of global social and political-economic processes, and sensitivity to foreign political systems and cultures. These objectives are met by a sequence of political science courses in the areas of international relations, comparative politics, and area studies. Students majoring in any subject at the university may be awarded the International Studies Certificate upon completion of the following 15 semester hours of political science courses: Choose one from the courses below (3) POS 150 Comparative Government SB, G (3) POS 160 Global Politics SB, G (3) Choose one from the courses below (3) POS 361 American Foreign Policy SB, G (3) POS 364 National Security, Intelligence, and Terrorism SB (3) Choose two from the courses below (6) POS 300 Contemporary Controversies in Global Politics SB, G (3) POS 465 International Organization and Law SB, G (3) POS 467 International Security SB, G (3) POS 486 International Political Economy SB, G (3) Choose one from the courses below (3) POS 350 Comparative Politics SB, G (3) POS 355 Russia and Successor States SB, G (3) POS 356 European Union SB, G (3) POS 357 South Asia Politics SB, G (3) POS 358 Southeast Asia SB, G (3) POS 359 African Politics and Society SB, G (3) POS 360 World Politics SB, G (3) POS 451 China, Japan, and the Koreas SB, G (3) POS 453 South America SB, G (3) POS 455 Central America and the Caribbean SB, G (3) POS 459 South and Southern Africa SB, G (3) Total 15Honors students who select an international topic for their theses may apply thesis credit toward the 15 hours of international course work for the certificate. Depending upon their interests, certificate students are strongly advised to take 12 semester hours or more from appropriate courses in anthropology (ASB), economics (ECN), geography (GCU), history (HST), international business studies (IBS), and sociology (SOC). Knowledge of a modern foreign language equivalent to at least two years of college study is strongly recommended. Certificate students must have a minimum GPA of 2.00; only courses in which students have a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher count toward the certificate. Latin American Studies Certificate or EmphasisStudents majoring in Political Science may elect to pursue a Latin American Studies Certificate combining courses from the major with selected outside courses of wholly Latin American content. See Latin American Studies, for more information. The minor in Political Science consists of 18 semester hours in political science courses, 12 hours of which must be upper-division courses. Students who minor in Political Science must have two courses from among the following: POS 101 Political Ideologies SB (3)
POS 110 Government and Politics SB (3) POS 160 Global Politics SB, G (3) Students who minor in Political Science must have a minimum GPA of 2.00 for all courses that count toward the minor. Courses that count toward the minor must have a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher; no more than one “D” (1.00) grade in a lower-division course may be counted toward the minor. No more than three hours of POS 484 Internship and three hours of POS 499 Individualized Instruction may be applied to the minor. Concentrations in political science (with civic education, and international studies options) are available under the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree, a program intended for the student who has academic interests that might not be satisfied with existing majors. Building on two academic concentrations (or one double concentration) and an interdisciplinary core, students in the BIS program take active roles in creating their educational plans and defining their career goals. For more information, see School of Interdisciplinary Studies. This degree is offered through the Initial Teacher Certification (ITC) program in the College of Education. Students pursuing a major in Secondary Education with an academic specialization in political science have an advisor in the College of Education and an advisor within the Department of Political Science. See College of Education, for information on admission eligibility requirements, admission deadlines, field experiences, and student teaching. For more information, or to schedule an appointment with an advisor, call the Office of Student Services in the College of Education at 480/965-5555. Academic Specialization ITC Admission Requirements At least four required courses in the academic specialization must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher before applying to the ITC professional program. Political ScienceThe major teaching field consists of 41 to 42 semester hours and six hours in teaching methods. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required in all academic specialization courses. Required major courses are as follows: POS 101 Political Ideologies SB (3)
POS 110 Government and Politics SB (3)
POS 150 Comparative Government SB, G (3) POS 301 Empirical Political Inquiry SB (3)
POS 311 Arizona Constitution and Government 2 Social StudiesThis degree is offered through the Initial Teacher Certification program in the College of Education. Students pursuing a major in Secondary Education have an advisor in the College of Education and an advisor within the department of their academic specialization area. See College of Education, for information on admission eligibility requirements, admission deadlines, field experiences, and student teaching. For more information, or to schedule an appointment with an advisor, call the Office of Student Services in the College of Education at 480/965-5555. AdmissionAny undergraduate Political Science major with a GPA of 3.40 or higher, who has accumulated at least 90 hours toward the undergraduate degree, or who is on the verge of doing so, and who has taken at least one 400-level political science course at ASU can be considered for admission into the joint program. The following items should be submitted to the director of graduate studies of the Department of Political Science by April 15 in order to ensure recommendation for admission to the five-year program beginning the following fall: 1. the department’s graduate application, available in the department’s graduate office or online; 2. a statement of purpose that describes the applicant’s educational objectives and identifies a faculty member who will serve as an advisor; 4. a writing sample that best represents the applicant’s analytical and writing skills; and t5. hree letters of recommendation, two of which must be written by members of the political science faculty. Students applying to the five-year program do not need to take the Graduate Record Exam. Note: Students must also apply for admission to the Division of Graduate Studies at the same time they submit materials to the director of graduate studies of the department. Program of Study.The Division of Graduate Studies has approved a plan whereby undergraduates can “share” credits for both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students can count one 400-level course and two 500-level courses as credit hours for both degrees. Using this system of shared credits, undergraduates will be able to complete both degrees in five years. Once all existing degree requirements for the undergraduate degree have been completed, students will have completed enough courses to be able to finish their master’s degree in one academic year. Students are only eligible for research or teaching assistantships, health insurance, financial aid, or graduate awards once they have completed all requirements for the undergraduate degree and the undergraduate degree has been posted. A minimum of 30 semester hours is required for the Master of Arts degree. All candidates must take POS 503 and the core courses in the student’s major and minor fields. Additional hours must be taken in graduate-level courses and seminars. Each student is expected to take seminars each semester in his/her major field, minor field, and an elective until course work is completed. If the thesis option is followed, the program must include a combination of at least six semester hours of research (POS 592) and thesis (POS 599) credit. A maximum of six semester hours in approved courses taken outside of the department or six hours of reading and conference (POS 590) courses may count toward the 30-semester-hour requirement. Thesis Option RequirementMA students seeking admission to the PhD program are expected to complete the thesis early in their fourth semester. A copy of the Format Manual is available in the Division of Graduate Studies. A careful review of this document well in advance of preparation for the final copy of the thesis is recommended. An oral examination in defense of the thesis is required. Non-Thesis Option RequirementsThe program of study must include 27 semester hours of approved course work and at least one three-hour reading and conference course (POS 590) during the fourth semester to enhance the student’s research capabilities. A research paper must be defended by the end of the third semester before a faculty committee appointed by the director of graduate studies. The faculty in the Department of Political Science offer programs leading to the MA and PhD degrees. See the Graduate Catalog for requirements. Omnibus Courses. For an explanation of courses offered but not specifically listed in this catalog, see Omnibus Courses. Graduate-Level Courses. For information about courses numbered from 500 to 799, see the Graduate Catalog, or access www.asu.edu/aad/catalogs on the Web. In some situations, undergraduate students may be eligible to take these courses; for more information, see Graduate-Level Courses.
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