Degrees Requirements for Major Minor Political Science Courses |
Political ScienceTaylor Hall
541-552-6131
Paul Pavlich, Chair The political science major at Southern Oregon University is designed to educate citizens for active participation in a democratic society. Political science is both a traditional liberal arts discipline that emphasizes writing, speaking, and analysis, and a career-oriented discipline with a wide range of applications. Students find political science useful preparation for graduate study and careers in law, governmental service, teaching, and business. Students majoring in the discipline are encouraged to: (1) participate in the department’s Center for Social Research; (2) enroll in internships and practicum studies with student government, government agencies, and law offices; (3) develop a portfolio that demonstrates research and writing skills and community service; and (4) begin their training as career professionals and public managers. Back to top of page.DegreesBA or BS in Political Science
MinorPolitical Science Accelerated Baccalaureate Degree ProgramPolitical science majors may participate in the Accelerated Baccalaureate Degree Program. For information on this program, see page 160. Back to top of page.Requirements for MajorStudents pursuing a major in political science must meet the following requirements: - Fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements as stated beginning on page 15.
- Complete one of the courses below:
| America and Globalization (PS 110), Power and Politics (PS 201) or Authority and Law (PS 202) | 4 |
- Any three of the following (12 credits total):
| Politics of Mass Media (PS 310) | 4 | | Globalization and Inequality (PS 320) | 4 | | Public Management and the Environment (PS 330) | 4 | | Law, Science, and the Environment (PS 340) | 4 | | World Politics (PS 350) | 4 |
| Research Methods (PS 398) | 4 |
- 24 elective credits, of which 16 must be upper division.
- Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA in upper division political science courses.
Back to top of page.Minor
(24 credits minimum)
| America and Globalization (PS 110), Power and Politics (PS 201), or Authority and Law (PS 202) | 4 | | Research Methods (PS 398) | 4 | | At least 16 additional credits with 12 credits at the upper division level | 16 |
Requires submission of a portfolio of written assignments from at least two 300-level courses and the research design from PS 398.
Back to top of page.Political Science CoursesSee Course Prerequisites PolicyLower Division Courses| PS 110 America and Globalization | | 4 credits | | Introduces the nature of politics and markets, paying special attention to the politics of the United States in an interdependent world of nation states. Also explores other actors, such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, multinational corporations, and terrorist groups. Addresses the question of how an international community can respond to pressing global problems, such as environmental degradation, the need for peacekeepers, and rapid technological change. | | Approved for general education (Explorations) |
| PS 199 Special Studies | | Credit to be arranged |
| PS 201 Power and Politics | | 4 credits | | Explores the dynamics of power in the pursuit of political objectives. Analyzes social, political, economic, and cultural power. Distinguishes between power and force. | | Approved for general education (Explorations) |
| PS 202 Authority and Law | | 4 credits | | Looks at the institutional structure of social, economic, cultural, and political authority. Examines the formal, legal underpinnings of legitimate authority. | | Approved for general education (Explorations) |
| PS 210 State and Local Government | | 4 credits | | Examines the policy and problems of American state and local governments. |
| PS 250 International Scene | | 4 credits | | Introduces current international relations and global issues. Explores why nations go to war and how war might be prevented. Introduces students to changing world affairs. | | Cross-listed with IS 250 |
| PS 260 Politics and Film | | 4 credits | | Explores the role of feature film as an expression of prevailing political culture. Offers a better understanding of how film serves simultaneously as a political archive and a potential agent of social propaganda or social change. |
Upper Division Courses| PS 310 The Politics of Mass Media | | 4 credits | | Examines the impact of politics on the development of mass media and the influence of mass media on political development. Offers a critical analysis of historic and contemporary American mass media treatment of political actors and events in the U.S. and around the world. Topics include partisan, ideological, and corporate biases in the press; the political relevance of “entertainment” programming; the development of “investigative reporting”; and the emergence of Web-based political publications as challengers to the dominance of traditional electronic and print media. | | Prerequisite: Completion of all lower division general education requirements. | | Approved for general education (Synthesis) |
| PS 311 Public Opinion and Survey Research | | 4 credits | | Covers the techniques of opinion-gathering and measurement. Students explore the literature of survey research and conduct actual polls of their campus and community. Essential course for students seeking a career in politics, management, or business. |
| PS 320 Globalization and Inequality | | 4 credits | | Explores the ongoing process of economic, political, social, and cultural global integration by analyzing comparatively the impacts of globalization on governments and societies around the world. Discusses the implications of globalization for individuals, groups, and nation states. Compares reactions to globalization, including assimilation, resistance, protest, terrorism, and war. |
| PS 330 Public Management and the Environment | | 4 credits | | Explores the interplay of the federal legislative process, executive agencies, and the Office of Management and Budget in the management of public lands in the American West. Focuses on case studies from environmental policies, leadership, decision making, personnel administration, and the ethics of management. |
| PS 340 Law, Science, and the Environment | | 4 credits | | Examines the capability of the legal system to satisfactorily resolve environmental and other disputes that require decision-makers to reach conclusions based on scientific evidence. Tracks a lawsuit or administrative proceeding involving environmental issues from beginning to end, exploring the difficulties scientists, lawyers, and juries face when trying to make sense of one another. | | Prerequisite: Completion of all lower division general education requirements. | | Approved for general education (Synthesis) |
| PS 350 World Politics | | 4 credits | | Examines the nature and structure of the modern international state system, with reference to theory and practice. Emphasizes the United Nations system and international law. | | Cross-listed with IS 350 |
| PS 398 Research Methods | | 4 credits | | Introduces the basic techniques of political science research and writing. Incorporates the Internet and government documents. Meets the computer literacy requirement for political science and international studies majors. | | Cross-listed with IS 398 |
| PS 399 Special Studies | | Credit to be arranged |
| PS 401/501 Research | | Credit to be arranged |
| PS 403/503 Thesis | | Credit to be arranged |
| PS 405/505 Reading and Conference | | Credit to be arranged |
| PS 407/507 Seminar | | Credit to be arranged |
| PS 409/509 Practicum | | Credit to be arranged |
| PS 419/519 Topics in American Politics | | 4 credits each | | Offers the following and other topics as needed: Political Parties, Interest Groups, Political Campaigns, Presidency, Congress, Politics and Media, Oregon Politics, Rogue Valley Politics, Public Policy, and Political Scandal. Repeat credit is allowed for distinct topics. Prerequisites are determined by topic. |
| PS 429/529 Topics in Comparative Politics | | 4 credits each | | Offers the following and other topics as needed: Europe, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Third-World Politics, Revolution, Terrorism, and Political Violence. Repeat credit is allowed for distinct topics. Prerequisites are determined by topic. |
| PS 430/530 Nonprofit Organization Management | | 3 credits | | Covers management techniques and practices widely employed in the nonprofit organizational environment. Emphasizes organizational structure, personnel management, budget and finance, board development, planning and decision making, grant and RFP procedures, and liability issues as they pertain to the not-for-profit enterprise. | | Cross-listed with MM 530 |
| PS 431/531 Public Organizations | | 3 credits | | Provides a conceptual framework for examining bureaucracy, scientific management, human relations, and open-systems types of organizations. Studies leadership style, job characteristics, and performance goals. Undergraduate prerequisite: PS 330. |
| PS 432/532 Policy Analysis | | 3 credits | | Examines the process of policy formation and implementation. Teaches quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing public policy and helps students evaluate alternative solutions by their political, economic, legal, and administrative feasibility. Undergraduate prerequisites: PS 330 and 398. |
| PS 433/533 Public Financial Management | | 3 credits | | Provides the necessary management skills in financial and budget analysis for careers in public management and consulting or for service as a board member or an elected or appointed official. Includes study of financial theory, which addresses the sources and uses of public funds (e.g., taxing, borrowing, the cost of capital). Undergraduate prerequisites: PS 330 and 398. |
| PS 434/534 Human Resource Management | | 3 credits | | Examines human resource policies as practiced in governmental contexts, particularly at the local level. Emphasizes innovative techniques for enhancing employee performance and agency effectiveness. Undergraduate prerequisite: PS 330. |
| PS 435/535 Administrative Law | | 3 credits | | Explores the law of public agencies, such as the scope of an agency’s authority, decision making (including the use of discretion), tort claims, and freedom of information and open meeting requirements. Undergraduate prerequisite: PS 240 or 340. |
| PS 436/536 Health Care Policy | | 3 credits | | Studies how social and political issues converge in the area of health care and how insurance and pharmaceutical companies, doctors, and state and local officials all have a stake in the outcome of health care policy decisions. Briefly reviews international health care policy. Undergraduate prerequisite: PS 330. |
| PS 437/537 Policy and Project Development | | 3 credits | | Introduces the skills necessary for developing policies that will be presented to government bodies. Covers how to take an idea from the conceptual stage to implementation. |
| PS 439/539 Topics in Management | | 3 credits each | | Offers the following and other topics on the basis of need: Intergovernmental Relations, Environmental Policy, Global Environmental Policy, International Public Management, Public Resources Policy, Water Law, and Comparative Public Policy. Repeat credit is allowed for distinct topics. Prerequisites determined by topic. |
| PS 440/540 Legal Research and Reasoning | | 4 credits | | Explores how to find “the law,” make sense of it, and communicate your findings and conclusions coherently and persuasively to other people. Emphasizes research strategies, problem solving, and analysis. Uses print and online resources. Undergraduate prerequisite: PS 240. |
| PS 441/541 Environmental Law and Policy | | 4 credits | | Examines the major techniques and strategies used by policymakers and regulators to protect and enhance the environment. Pays special attention to the economic, social, and political barriers that prevent effective regulation of the environment. |
| PS 449/549 Topics in Law | | 4 credits | | Offers the following and other topics as needed: Constitutional Law, International Law, First Amendment, Free Speech, Separation of Church and State, and Affirmative Action. Repeat credit is allowed for distinct topics. Prerequisites determined by topic. |
| PS 450/550 U.S. Foreign Policy | | 4 credits | | Explores the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy, especially from World War II to the present. | | Prerequisite: PS/IS 350 | | Cross-listed with IS 450/550 |
| PS 459/559 Topics in International Relations | | 4 credits | | Offers the following and other topics as needed: Superpowers, Model United Nations, Issues of War and Peace, International Organizations, and Human Rights. Repeat credit is allowed for distinct topics. Prerequisites determined by topic. |
| PS 469/569 Topics in Political Theory | | 4 credits | | Examines selected concepts, themes, ideologies, and theorists in the study of politics. Offers the following and other topics as needed: Modern Political Theory, Political Ideologies, Critical Theory, Equality and Freedom, and American Political Thought. Repeat credit is allowed for distinct topics. Prerequisites determined by topic. |
| PS 498 Senior Seminar | | 4 credits | | Enables students to apply the concepts, principles, and theories of political science to a practical simulation of political action. | | Prerequisite: Senior standing |
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