Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree

See the "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

Elective Requirements
Completion of elective courses (beyond the requirements listed below) to reach a total of a minimum of 120 units.
General Education Requirements (55-62 units)
See the "General Education" requirements in the University Catalog or the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education requirements and course offerings.
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement
See the "Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement" in the University Catalog.
Minor Requirements
Single field major, no minor required.
Major Requirements (39 units)
The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.

Political Science Concentration (39 units)

Upper Division Requirements

A. Core Requirements (15 units)

1. Quantitative Methods (3 units):
POL 300. Quantitative Methods of Political Analysis (3)

Note: POL 300 must be completed by the student within the first two semesters of taking any upper division course for the major.

2. History of Political Thought: Select one course from the following (3 units):
     POL 350. History of Political Ideas (3)
     POL 351. Modern Political Thought (3)
     POL 354. American Political Thought (3)

3. American Politics (3 units):
POL 315. Congress and the President (3)

4. Comparative Politics (3 units):
POL 340. Political Change in First and Third World Countries (3)

5. International Relations (3 units):
POL 335. International Politics (3)

B. Depth in Political Science (9 units)

1. American Politics: Select one course from the following (3 units):
     POL 310. Current Issues in American Government (3)
     POL 312. State and Local Government: Organization and Problems (3)
     POL 314. American Political Parties and Elections (3)
     POL 320. Urban Government and Policy Choices (3)
     POL 360. American Constitutional Law: Distribution of Power (3)
     POL 361. American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights (3)
     POL 370. Public Opinion and Propaganda (3)

2. Comparative Politics: Select one course from the following (3 units):
     POL 341. Government and Politics of East Asia (3)
     POL 342. Government and Politics of the Middle East (3)
     POL 343. Political Behavior in Latin America (3)
     POL 344. Latin America: The Revolutionary Tradition (3)
     POL 349. Government and Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa (3)

3. International Relations: Select one course from the following (3 units):
     POL 331. International Terrorism (3)
     POL 334. American Foreign Policy (3)
     POL 336. Theories of International Relations (3)
     POL 338. Global Planning and the Future (3)
     POL 339. Model United Nations (3)

C. Electives (15 units)

Select five additional upper division political science courses.
Students who are unsure what classes to take should feel free to ask faculty members any questions they may have

D. Capstone Research Requirement

With the consultation and approval of the instructor, the student shall designate one of the Elective courses to meet the program capstone research requirement. The Capstone Research Requirement involves a 15 page (minimum) research paper. Completed papers will be reviewed by a committee of program faculty as part of the student outcomes assessment plan for the program.

Minor in Political Science (15 units)

Upper Division Requirements (15 units)

1. Select three upper division courses from three of the four categories: Political Thought, American Politics, Comparative Politics, or International Relations (9 units).

2. Select any two additional upper division courses in political science. No course may be repeated for credit toward the minor (6 units).

Course Offerings

The credit value for each course in semester units is indicated for each term by a number in parentheses following the title. For course availability, please see the list of tentative course offerings in the current Class Schedule.

Lower Division

POL 100 General Studies Political Science: World Perspectives (3).
An introduction to world affairs and the role of the individual in an increasingly complex and interdependent international system. Both the conceptual and practical aspects of problem solving and decision making are examined as they relate to international cooperation and conflict.

POL 101 American Institutions (3).
A study of contemporary political institutions, with emphasis on the philosophy, structure, and behavior of the American political system, including the State of California. Meets State requirement in U.S. Constitution and California State and Local government.

Upper Division

POL 300 Quantitative Methods of Political Analysis (3).
An introduction to the techniques of quantitative political analysis, including the design, execution, and analysis of research.

American Institutions

POL 310 Current Issues in American Government (3).
Analysis and critical evaluation of recent major issues, conflicts and problems in American government and institutions. Current issues might include social and health services, energy, environment, multinational corporations, military spending, taxation, political economy, criminal justice, and civil rights.

POL 312 State and Local Government: Organization and Problems (3).
Analysis of functions of state and local government with particular emphasis on California. Examination of state-federal and state-local relations and the policy choices available for solving current problems. The course meets the statutory requirement for state and local government.

POL 313 Introduction to Public Administration (3).
A study of the development and practice of public administration in the United States and abroad, focusing on the theoretical and practical concerns of administration, with special attention to the relationship of public administration and democratic government.

POL 314 American Political Parties and Elections (3).
A study of the dynamics of American political behavior, including the legal regulation of parties and of elections. Analysis of voting behavior and public opinion. Study of political party organization, membership, and leadership in the context of the contemporary political scene.

POL 315 Congress and the President (3).
An analysis of development and operation of the elected decision-making structures of the United States government. Particular focus on the interrelationships between the Congress and the President.

POL 318 Public Policy Choices: Distribution of Wealth (3).
Political analysis of the distribution of wealth in the U.S. Attention to the political influence of special interest groups, political parties, and public opinion on policies relating to the tax structure; government subsidies, credits, and controls; the Social Security system and income problems of the aged; and the welfare system. Public policy reforms of the process of wealth distribution.

POL 320 Urban Government ¬and Policy Choices (3).
A survey of the structures of American municipal, county, and special districts within the context of a systematic evaluation of the public policy choices facing these units of government.

POL 323 Black Politics (3).
An analysis of the structure of power within the Black community and political interaction between "activists," "moderates," and "conservatives." Evaluation of styles within the Black sub-political culture and manipulative aspects and tactics; e.g., coalition, confrontation, "establishment" politics.

POL 325 Women and Politics (3).
Examination of the expanding role of women in politics and the legal, cultural, and socio-psychological difficulties encountered therein. This course will also look at leading female political figures.

International Relations

POL 331 International Terrorism (3).
Analysis of the concept of terrorism, root causes and forms. Examination of theories of terrorism and counter-terrorism strategies at different levels of analysis: individuals, groups, societal, states and transnational. Special emphasis on specific terrorism cases, terrorist organizations and cyber-terrorism in the Digital Age.

POL 332 International Security Studies (3).
Analysis of the theory and practice of international conflict, crisis, and war management. Special emphasis on the contemporary concerns of deterrence, limited war, guerrilla warfare, foreign commitments, arms races, and arms control.

POL 334 American Foreign Policy (3).
The formulation and execution of foreign policy in the United States, including an analysis of competing ideological concepts, the role of President and Congress, and the influence of public opinion.

POL 335 International Politics (3).
Study of basic international political theories, principles, and practices including the examination of international system characteristics, foreign policy decision-making, nationalism, security and defense, alliances, law and organization, and war.

POL 336 Theories of International Relations (3).
Analysis of action and interaction of states, decision-making, capability analysis, balance and imbalance, systems analysis, communication, crisis, and game theory.

POL 338 Global Planning ¬and the Future (3).
Examination of assumptions, concepts, and models for monitoring, forecasting, speculating, and predicting events and conditions affecting public policy in the international arena. Evaluation of the human and nonhuman issues and interactions that will affect both industrial and nonindustrial societies.

POL 339 Model United Nations (3).
Examination of the role of international organizations and the issues addressed by these international actors while preparing students to participate in intercollegiate Model United Nations simulations. May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 9.0 units.

Comparative Politics

POL 340 Political Change in First and Third World Countries (3).
Study of the sources and patterns of political continuity and change in selected countries of the First World (Western Democracies) and selected newly emergent states of the Third World. Cross-national comparisons within and between each world will be made.

POL 341 Government and Politics of East Asia (3).
China, Japan, and Korea : political behavior, ideas, and institutions of societies of East Asia. Political parties and organizations, role of competing ideologies and systems
of behavior, interaction of domestic and foreign policies.

POL 342 Government and Politics of the Middle East (3).
Analysis and explanation of political processes, governments, political issues and foreign relations of the Middle East. Discussion of influence of religion, oil, revolutions and conflicts on Middle East politics.

POL 343 Political Behavior in Latin America (3).
Analysis of political and cultural behavior in South America with a focus on Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia , and Venezuela . Their sociopolitical institutions, elites, and interest groups; and the impact of national and cross-national cultural pluralism upon political life in the region.

POL 344 Latin America: The Revolutionary Tradition (3).
A comparative analysis of the revolutionary process in Mexico , Central America and Cuba , encompassing the dimensions of the socio-political, cultural and economic characteristics. An emphasis on post-revolutionary developmental politics in Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba , and on the current social unrest in Central America, including an analysis of ideas, institutions, groups and economic conditions.

POL 349 Government and Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa (3).
A study of the dynamics of government and politics in Africa south of the Sahara Desert with special emphasis on South Africa . Imperialism and colonial administration, nationalism, and decolonization treated as background to the problems of modernization and nation-building in the region.

Political Thought

POL 350 History of Political Ideas (3).
A critical analysis of the major political philosophies and schools of thought from Plato to the sixteenth century. Examination of the political concepts of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Machiavelli.

POL 351 Modern Political Thought (3).
A study of principal political philosophers from the seventeenth century to the present. Special emphasis is given to writers such as John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx, whose concepts of political criticism have become predominant in the modern world.

POL 354 American Political Thought (3).
A critical analysis of the political ideas that have emerged within the United States . Special attention is given to twentieth century political theories that aim to achieve social justice and/or alternative life styles through a restructuring of the economy.

Public Law

POL 360 American Constitutional Law: Distribution of Power (3).
An examination of the nature and development of the United States constitutional system. Emphasis on the role of the courts in interpreting the concepts of separation of powers, federalism, the police power, and the commerce clause.

POL 361 American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights (3).
A study of fundamental rights as protected by the U.S. Constitution and other legal provisions. The role of the courts in interpreting freedom of expression and conscience, due process, and equal protection of the laws.

POL 366 Criminal Law and Procedures (3).
Materials and cases treating Criminal Law and procedures within the context of the American policy. Systematic analysis of the role of the citizen in relationship to operational legal principles and procedures of Criminal Law. An emphasis on contemporary problems and recent court decisions.

Other Courses

POL 370 Public Opinion and Propaganda (3).
The nature of public opinion and its manipulation by propaganda in modern society. Relations between government and other social institutions and the opinions of groups and individuals; the press, pressure groups.

POL 371 Conflict, Violence, Nonviolence and Peace (3).
Examination of relevant theories and instances of aggression, sociopolitical conflict and conflict resolution, various types of political violence (as terrorism, revolution, urban riots) and nonviolence. Course will present an overview of all these topics, or focus on one topic in detail, such as terrorism, revolution, or nonviolence.

POL 375 Technological Policy and the Future (3).
Various humanistic, ethical, legal, and political-economic policy issues surrounding the use and future development of technology, in such areas as energy, food production, transportation, computers, communications, electronic surveillance, medicine, weaponry, and space. The issue of high technology vs. appropriate technology also global restructuring trends from technological change. Course will focus on one or more such technological topics depending upon the instructor.

POL 401 Political and Public Sector Leadership (3).
Prerequisites: 12 units of upper division course work.
This is an applied techniques, skills-development course. It blends ideas from several different sectors of political theory, public policy, public relations, conflict negotiation, and intercultural communication to teach students kills that are necessary for leadership roles.

POL 494 Independent Study (1-3).
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and department chair.
Independent study of a particular problem under the direction of a member of the Political Science Department. Course is not repeatable for credit in the Political Science major or minor.

POL 495 Special Topics in Political Science (1-3).
An intensive study of an issue or a concept in political science that is of special interest to both the faculty member and the students. Repeatable course. Three hours of seminar per week.

POL 496 Internships in Political Science (3).
Practical application of coursework in political science through supervised work and field experience in politics, government administration, public and private paralegal agencies such as offices of lawyers and judges, and community agencies. Repeatable course.
Infrequently Offered Courses
The following courses are scheduled only on a "demand" basis. Students should consult the department office for information about the next scheduled offering.

POL 304 Basic Concepts of Law: Substantive (3).
An examination of conflict situations which arise in contemporary life and the way in which the law and legal institutions address these conflicts. Statutory law and common law will be studied with an emphasis on case analysis, torts, crimes, property, contracts, and landlord-tenant.

POL 305 Basic Concepts of Law: Procedural (3).
A basic course in understanding the legal system with a focus on basic procedural law. Emphasis will be placed on civil procedure, evidence, and litigation, probate and corporation, partnership and agency.

POL 328 Cultural Pluralism¬ in American Politics (3).
Discusses the issues of political socialization and cultural differences in the American political arena. Analyzes the political orientations of various ethnic groups in the United States, their cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and their levels of political participation and interaction with American political institutions.

POL 330 Cultural Pluralism in Global Politics (3).
Discusses from an international perspective the issues facing various national, racial, tribal and religious groups—power, ideology, political socialization, integration, nationalism, cultural differences and separatism. Analyzes the problems of resolving conflict among different cultural groups.

POL 333 Asian International Relations (3).
Analysis of the international political behavior, foreign policies and conflicts of Asian nations — China (Peoples Republic of China), Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, India, Pakistan and Indonesia . Regional and foreign policy conflicts and wars such as the Vietnam War, the India-Pakistan-Bangladesh War, and the Philippine Civil War will be analyzed.

POL 337 European International Relations (3).
An analysis of European international relations and foreign policies including the impact of Western European economic integration, the foreign policies of the Russian Commonwealth with Eastern and Western Europe, and the changing role of NATO.

POL 346 Government and Politics of Russia/Commonwealth (3).
Analysis of Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States, their political history, the legacy and impact of Communist Party rule, the political economy, and the major political, social, and economic problems currently facing Russia and the Commonwealth leadership.