University Catalog 2016-2017

University of Colorado Boulder
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Political Science

    The Department of Political Science offers instruction and research in the art and science of politics. Work within the department is organized around six basic fields: American government and politics, comparative politics, international relations, public policy, political theory and empirical theory and methodology. The department's mission is to understand the political world and to equip students and their community with the skills for a lifetime of inquiry and engagement.

    The mission of the undergraduate program in political science is to provide students with the knowledge and tools to understand important political ideas, political institutions (both domestic and international) and political actors. The curriculum is designed to provide a base of knowledge and the skills necessary to understand and operate effectively in our political world. Students learn the philosophical basis of justice, equality and representation and how that relates to current trends and developments. Understanding the issues surrounding diversity and their political consequences, both globally and domestically, are important areas of study. A strong grasp of the American political system and political society is coupled with learning about how other countries and societies organize politically. Another important component of the major includes understanding global forces and why some countries cooperate while others engage in conflict. Finally, the major exposes students to real-world problems that require political solutions. 

    Current courses which represent areas of inquiry within our curriculum include:

    • PSCI 2116 Introduction to Environmental Policy and Policy Analysis
    • PSCI 3062 Revolution and Political Violence
    • PSCI 3074 Democracy and Its Citizens in the U.S. and E.U.
    • PSCI 3225 Strategy and Politics
    • PSCI 3271 Law and Society: Legal Institutions and Human Behavior
    • PSCI 4243 Modern Warfare: Terrorism, Ideology, Identity
    • PSCI 4341 Media and Politics
    • PSCI 3774 Free Speech and Dangerous Ideas 

    The program is designed to prepare students for study at the graduate level in political science, law and other cognate disciplines, as well as to equip students with the tools and knowledge essential for work in government agencies, non-governmental organizations, non-profits and business.

    Undergraduate Learning Outcomes

    The political science curriculum is designed to develop the following learning outcomes:

    • a solid grounding in politics and the ideas that motivate them at the national and international level
    • the ability to both clearly and persuasively articulate ideas and arguments in oral presentation and in written form
    • the ability to analyze problems using logical inference based on quantitative and qualitative evidence
    • the ability to critically evaluate arguments both in political science research and in our current political world

    Students interested in political science may want to consider the Global Studies Residential Academic Program. 

    Course code for this program is PSCI.

    Bachelor's Degree Program(s)

    Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science

    Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below.

    Required Courses and Semester Credit

    The following requirements apply to students who declare a Political Science major in fall 2016 and thereafter.

    • Total hours required in Political Science courses: 42 credits.
    • Four required lower division Political Science courses: PSCI 1101, PSCI 2012, PSCI 2223 and PSCI 2004—12
    • Two required Empirical Theory and Research Methodology courses in sequence: PSCI 2075 and PSCI 3105—6
    • Upper division distribution requirement: one course in four of the six primary fields - American, Comparative, International Relations, Political Theory, Empirical Theory and Research Methodology, and Public Policy—12. Note that PSCI 3105 does not count towards the upper division distribution requirement for the Empirical Theory and Research Methodology field.
    • Political science electives: three upper division PSCI elective courses (9 credits) plus one lower or upper division PSCI elective course (3 credits)—12.
    • No courses for the PSCI major may be taken pass/fail,
    • A student must have a grade of C- or better in all 42 required hours in Political Science and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in Political Science courses.
    • No more than 45 credits in Political Science credit will count toward the /arts and Sciences graduations requirement of 120 credits (Core Curriculum) or 124 hours (College List). This may be exceeded by 6 credits (for a total of 51 credits), provided that the excess credits are taken in PSCI 4715 and PSCI 4725 (honors thesis credit).

    Note: For students who declared a Political Science major prior to Fall 2016 the requirement includes ancillary course ECON 2010 Microeconomics (4 credits), which must be completed with a grade of C- or better, instead of the required course PSCI 3105.

    Graduating in Four Years

    Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of “adequate progress” as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in political science, students should meet the following requirements:

    • Declare major by the end of the second semester.
    • Complete PSCI 1101 and two of the following required courses by the end of the third semester: PSCI 2012, 2223, 2004 or 2075.
    • Complete the remaining lower-division political science courses by the end of the fourth semester.
    • Complete 12 upper-division credit hours of political science courses, including at least one course in three of the following fields by the end of the sixth semester: American, comparative, international relations, methodology, policy and theory. In addition, complete three upper division or lower division political science elective credits.
    • Complete 12 credit hours of political science courses, including at least 9 upper-division political science elective credits and all remaining upper-division field distribution requirements during the seventh and eighth semesters.

    Students who have completed ECON 1000 prior to declaration of the major should consult an undergraduate advisor in political science.

    Minor Program

    A minor is offered in political science. Declaration of a minor is open to any student enrolled at CU-Boulder, regardless of college or school. 

    • Students must complete 21 credits of political science to complete the political science minor, of which 9 credits must be in upper-division course work. All 21 credits must be completed with grades of C- or better and an overall GPA of 2.00. None of the required hours may be taken pass/fail.
    • 9 credits of lower-division courses are required:
      PSCI 1101 American Political Systems—3
      6 credits to be distributed from two of the following courses:
      PSCI 2012 Introduction to Comparative Politics—3
      PSCI 2223 Introduction to International Relations—3
      PSCI 2004 Survey of Western Political Thought—3
      PSCI 2075 Quantitative Research Methods—3
    • 9 credits upper-division courses must be distributed in a minimum of two primary fields: American, comparative, international relations, theory, methodology and policy. PSCI 4938 Internship will not fulfill a primary field area in the minor.
    • 3 credits of lower- or upper-division political science.

    International affairs majors who wish to minor in political science must apply the following additional rules:

    • No more than 9 credits toward the PSCI minor can come from courses which count toward another major.
    • International affairs majors must take at least one upper-division course in American Politics and one course (lower- or upper-division) in political theory, in addition to the regular minor requirements.

    Graduate Degree Program(s)

    Graduate Study in Political Science

    PhD in Political Science

    The Department of Political Science at CU-Boulder has a long tradition of excellence in training graduate students. A diverse faculty of nearly 30 professors trans graduate students to conduct original research in six areas of political science:

    • American government and politics
    • comparative politics
    • international relations
    • political theory
    • public policy
    • empirical theory and methodology

    Admission is highly competitive with approximately 10-12 new students enrolled each fall. This ensures a high faculty-student ratio and close mentoring opportunities. In addition, the department holds an outstanding placement record. Full-time students are expected to complete all requirements for the PhD degree within five years of entering the program; the maximum time allowed by the Graduate School is six years.

    Program Requirements

    • course work
    • qualifying research paper and defense
    • comprehensive examinations
    • doctoral prospectus defense
    • final dissertation defense
    • minimum 30 dissertation credit hours

    The Department of Political Science offers graduate-level courses in the above mentioned six fields of study. While students take a wide range of courses, they must demonstrate mastery of two different fields: the major or first field and the minor or second field. Students must complete a minimum of three seminars in each field. Also, students are required to take at least three courses outside of their major and minor fields. Students must complete a minimum of 42 hours of course work with a B average or better. Of these 42 hours, 39 must be at the 7000 level or higher and 35 hours must be taken in the political science department. Students must also take a minimum of 30 dissertation credit hours.

    Students must take additional course work with the consideration that they will fulfill all requirements needed to complete the program. During a student’s first semester in residence they are required to take three introductory courses: PSCI 7008: Teaching Political Science, PSCI 7075: Scope and Methods, and PSCI 7085: Introduction to Political Data Analysis.

    As a condition of funding, all students appointed as graduate assistants are required to enroll in a minimum of nine credit hours per semester for their first five semesters or until they have passed comprehensive exams.

    The department does not accept applications for a terminal MA in political science. Students in the PhD program earn a MA in Political Science after the completion of a successful qualifying paper and defense at the end of the second year in the program.

    Students wishing to pursue graduate work toward this degree should carefully read the Graduate School requirements and review courses offered in this catalog. Requirements for the political science graduate program are clarified in more detail in the Guide to Graduate Studies posted under the graduate tab on the Department of Political Science website: polisci.colorado.edu/graduate/graduate-program.