Courses

Studies policymaking processes in American government, factors shaping public decision, and issues and questions relevant to political inquiry.

Teaches a systematic general framework for the analysis of environmental policy issues. Analyzes the interaction of environmental sciences, ethics, and policy across a range of environmental policy problems. Stresses critical thinking and practical applications. Recommended prereq., ENVS 1000.

Considers constitutional, political, and geographic factors in development of public policy affecting the use of natural resources and management of the environment; organization, procedures, and programs for use of natural resources; and administration of environmental policies. Prereq., PSCI 1101. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) only.

Integrates general principles of policy inquiry with documents and other literature on specific problems in public policy, in order to evaluate courses of action. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours on different topics. Prereq., PSCI 1101. Restricted to juniors and seniors. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior).

Provides the opportunity for independent research in topic of interest. Arrangements made to suit needs of each student. Not a free option; must be approved by student's advisor and department chair. Does not count as a seminar. May be repeated up to 7 total credit hours. Same as PSCI 8906.

May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Prerequisites: Restricted to Graduate Students only.

Provides an introduction to the policy sciences as a distinctive tradition within the policy field. Emphasizes the use of conceptual tools to improve analysis of complex problems. Teaches problem solving framework that students apply to an issue of their choice. Restricted to graduate students or instructor consent required. Same as ENVS 5710. Prerequisites: Restricted to Graduate Students only.

Teaches basic problem solving framework for policy analysis. Emphasizes applications to develop policy recommendations for issues selected by students. Includes group projects. Restricted to graduate students or instructor consent required. Same as ENVS 5720.

Provides policy sciences frameworks for analyzing policy processes and designing political strategies to influence those processes in the direction of the preferred alternative. Emphasizes applications to problems selected by students for term projects. Restricted to graduate students or instructor consent required. Same as ENVS 5730. Prerequisites: Restricted to Graduate Students only.

Focuses on formulation, revision, and outcomes of public policy in American urban communities. Also uses some comparative Canadian and European literature. Restricted to graduate students or instructor consent required.

Explores diverse approaches to policy choice, change, and learning processes. Overviews literature on policy determinants and typologies, policy subsystems, innovation and diffusion, agenda setting, implementation, problem definition and social construction, policy design, institutional analysis, and policy and democratic values. Restricted to graduate students or instructor consent required. Prerequisites: Restricted to Graduate Students only.

Prepares students to conduct research on topics where data is not obvious or not easily available. Encompasses variations in context and setting as part of data observations. Methods include interviewing protocols, interpretive methods, cluster analyses, case study methodologies, and textual analyses. Restricted to graduate students or instructor consent required. Same as ENVS 5740.

Not a free option; must be approved by the student's advisor and program chair. Does not count as seminar. Not more than 6 hours of independent study may be credited toward PhD degree in political science. Special independent study approval agreement form must be completed by student and signed by faculty advisor. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.

Provides an opportunity for independent research in a topic of special interest. Arrangements are made to suit the needs of each particular student. Not a free option; must be approved by student's advisor and department chair. Does not count as a seminar. May be repeated up to 7 total credit hours. Same as PSCI 6906.

All doctoral students must register for not fewer than 30 hours of dissertation credit as part of the requirements for the degree. For a detailed discussion of doctoral dissertation credit, refer to the Graduate School section.