College of Liberal Arts and Human SciencesPolitical Science
OverviewThe department offers courses leading to the B.A. and M.A. in political science. These courses provide understanding of political systems, forms of government, and political processes throughout the world. Political science courses also offer preparation for careers in government, business, law, politics, and education. General OptionIn addition to required courses in the core curricula of both the university and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, a student majoring in political science must complete the following:
Note: This requirement also may be met by taking 12 hours in a foreign language beyond what may be needed to complete the core curriculum. Legal Studies OptionThis option is intended to help students gain appreciation of one of western civilization's greatest intellectual achievements the structure and application of the law. The option is not intended to be a pre-law program, although students hoping to attend law school may enroll for the option and may well benefit from its completion. In addition to meeting the requirements of the college and university core curricula, a student taking the legal studies option must complete:
MinorA minor in political science may be obtained by completing:
AdvisingThe department provides advisors to help students understand and meet degree requirements. Career counseling also is available in the department, as is advising for students interested in attending law school after graduation from Virginia Tech. The department participates in the Cooperative Education Program and arranges internships in state, local, and federal governments, nonprofit organizations, and other appropriate settings. The department's internship program offers students a chance to gain career-related experience in a wide variety of organizations. Information on these opportunities can be obtained from the internship director. Study abroad is available through the London Semester and other programs of the university. To provide opportunities for informal association of faculty and students, the department sponsors the Political Science Club, a chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, the pre-law honor fraternity, and a chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honor society in political science. Information about these organizations, as well as about any other aspect of the department, may be obtained from the department chair, advisors, or the department office. The department offers honors courses and participates fully in the University Honors Program. Satisfactory ProgressUniversity policy requires that students who are making satisfactory progress toward a degree meet minimum criteria toward the University Core (see Academics chapter in this catalog), toward the Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Core (see first part of this chapter), and toward the degree in political science. Satisfactory progress toward the B.A. in political science requires completion of PSCI 1014, 1024, and 2024 within the first 60 credit hours attempted. Students must also maintain an in-major GPA of 2.0. Study AbroadThe School of Public and International Affairs, of which Political Science is a part, offers the London Semester each summer. This four-week program is based in that city, but it includes visits such as to the headquarters of the European Union in Brussells and to the Parliament in Scotland. Virginia Tech offers a variety of other study-abroad programs, including that of the European Studies Center in the university's own facilities in Switzerland. HonorsHonors courses are offered in Political Science. Majors in the department also may be admitted into the University Honors Program. In this program, they may graduate with one of three honors diplomas. Two of these diplomas require a senior honors thesis written under the direction of a faculty member in the department. Undergraduate Course Descriptions (PSCI)1004 (SPIA 1004): NATIONS AND NATIONALITIESIntroduction to world and American ethnic and indigenous cultures and to social constructions of human and group identity, nationalism and extreme ethno-nationalism. Music, dance, film, art, ceremonial rituals and other multimedia forms of creative or symbolic expression, supplement readings and lectures. Multidisciplinary exploration of collective conceptions of cultural differences. (2H,3C) 1014: INTRODUCTION TO UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Government and politics of the United States; the Constitution, political culture, interest groups, political parties, elections, Congress, bureaucracy, presidency, and federal courts; selected current policy issues. (3H,3C) I,II,III,IV. 1024: INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Government and politics of selected countries outside the United States; nature of politics and government, types of political systems, linkages of people and governments, and current political issues. (3H,3C) I,II,III,IV. 2014: INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY Examines central themes involved in the practices of normative political theory. Topics will include critical review of the historical origins, established traditions, and major themes in normative political thinking. (3H,3C) 2024: RESEARCH METHODS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE Introduction to research in political science; formulation of theory, operationalization and measurement, gathering, analysis and interpretation of data. Pre: 1014, 1024. (3H,3C) I,II,III,IV. 2054 (GEOG 2054) (IS 2054): INTRODUCTION TO WORLD POLITICS An introduction to the prevalent methods and theories in the study of world politics. Topics include: historical context of contemporary world politics, global actors and power relations, international conflict and conflict resolution, international systems, interdependence, trade an integration, international law and prospects for global governance. (3H,3C) 2064 (GEOG 2064) (IS 2064): THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND WORLD POLITICS An introduction to the interaction of politics and economics power and wealth, within the world political economy. Topics include: the international financial system, the dynamics and principles of trade, and the role of transnational firms, as well as issues of environmental protection, sustainable development, and the distribution of wealth and power. (3H,3C) 2964: FIELD STUDY Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course. 2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY Variable credit course. 2984: SPECIAL STUDY Variable credit course. 3015,3016 (PHIL 3015, 3016): POLITICAL THEORY Analysis of the fundamental ideas in the history of political theory. 3015: Plato to the 17th century. 3016: late 17th century to the present. Pre: 1014, 1024. (3H,3C) 3015: I; 3016: II. 3214: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION Levels and types of political participation; reasons for participation; who participates and why; effects of political activity on political processes. Pre: 1014 or 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3224: PUBLIC OPINION Sources and distribution of public opinion; measurement of public opinion; relationships between public opinion and public policy; institutions linking public opinion to government decisions. Pre: 1014 or 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3234: VOTING AND ELECTIONS Voting, elections, and support for political parties and party leaders in the United States and other Western democracies; impact of economic conditions on political support and patterns of realignment and dealignment. Pre: 1014 or 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3244 (COMM 3244): POLITICAL COMMUNICATION Distribution of political information; elite-mass communication; alternative models of political communication; communication and telecommunications policy. Pre: 1014 or 1024. (3H,3C) 3255,3256: THE POLITICS OF RACE, ETHNICITY AND GENDER Studies the status and political behavior of selected political minorities. 3255: compares African-, Mexican- and Native-Americans. 3256: examines diverse political responses to traditional gender roles, current gender issues, and the unique gender problems facing people of color. Pre: 1014 or 1024. (3H,3C) 3255: I; 3256: II. 3264: INTEREST GROUPS Formation, structure, activities, and regulation of interest groups; comparison of American interest groups with those in other countries; evaluation of interest groups as participants in the political process. Pre: 1014 or 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3274: POLITICAL PARTIES Development, organization, activities, and personnel of political parties; citizens' partisan attitudes and behavior; origins, characteristics, stability, and changes of party systems. Pre: 1014 or 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3314: CONGRESS Congressional structure; organization and procedure; characteristics of members of Congress; Congressional elections; decision-making and external influences; change and reform. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) I. 3324: THE PRESIDENCY Election, institutionalization, staffing, relations with Congress, and the bureaucracy; initiation and implementation of public policy. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) II. 3334: JUDICIAL PROCESS Structure and functions of American legal institutions; participants in the process, impact of legal institutions on society. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) II. 3344 (UAP 3344): GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES Critical examination of major global environmental problems (e.g., global warming, atmospheric ozone depletion, acid rain, tropical deforestation, toxic waste) with emphasis on their social, economic, political, ethical, and policy implications and solutions. Pre: completion of Area 4 of University Core. (3H,3C) II. 3354: CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: STRUCTURES AND RELATIONSHIPS Power and authority of president, Congress, and courts; division of powers between states and federal government. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) 3364: CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS Civil rights and liberties; rights of criminal defendants; competing conceptions of constitutional rights. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) 3414 (UAP 3434): PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION The role and context of public administration in the contemporary United States, administrative organization and decision-making, public finance, human resources administration, and program implementation. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) 3424: STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Institutions, functions, and policies of state, county, and municipal governments in the U.S.; issues confronting these governments in the federal system. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) I. 3434: URBAN POLITICS Basic concepts of urban politics; governmental structures, policy processes, and political conflicts in U.S. cities, policy options for coping with urban problems. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) II. 3444 (UAP 3444): ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND POLICY The legal context of the exercise of discretion by public administrators in the United States. Adjudication and rule-making; access to administrative processes and information; legislative and judicial control of administration. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) 3514: LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Introduction to the political systems of Latin American countries, including legislative-executive relations, interest groups, political parties, electoral systems, political violence, and socio-political development. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) II. 3515,3516: EUROPEAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS The government and politics of selected European states and of the European Union. 3515: normally includes the United Kingdom. 3516: normally includes Germany and Hungary. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) 3515: I; 3516: II. 3524: POLITICS OF POST-COMMUNIST SYSTEMS Institutions, party structures, political economy, elite politics, ethnic conflicts, leadership dynamics, and mass political behavior in Russia and other post-communist political systems. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) II. 3534: AFRICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Survey of major concepts and themes in the study of African politics and development: analyses of the state, political institutions, social forces, democratization, sustainable development, issues of contemporary African politics. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3544 (JUD 3544): THE STATE OF ISRAEL: A POLITICAL HISTORY This course provides a survey on the political history of the State of Israel and highlights major themes uniquely characterizing the specific events surrounding its establishment and its first 50 years of existence. Additionally, the course will add a comparative dimension by using the political history of Israel as a case study to discuss major themes in political science such as democracy, government, political economy, etc. PSCI 1024 or JUD 2134. (3H,3C) II. 3554: COMPARATIVE POLITICAL ECONOMY Economic policies and collective choice processes of pre-industrial, industrializing, and advanced industrial states; problems and crises of industrial development, economic distribution, and technological transfer in the transition from an agrarian to advanced industrial society. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) II. 3564: VIOLENT POLITICAL CHANGE Historical origins, political processes, and institutional outcomes of violent political change, rising from mass protest movements, revolutionary organization, military coups, and radical political parties. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3574: GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF JAPAN Introduction to governmental institutions, patterns of political organization and behavior, and key policies of the Japanese political system. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3584: GOVERNMENTS AND POLITICS OF ASIA Introduction to governmental institutions, political behavior, and social and economic policy approaches of China and other selected countries in the Asian region. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3615-3616: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Structure and development of the modern international system; theories of international politics; international law; international organizations. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) 3615: I; 3616: II. 3625,3626: FOREIGN POLICIES OF THE SUPER POWERS 3625: Formulation of American foreign policy; roles of the President, Congress, press, public, and bureaucracy; central themes, issues, and problems of American diplomacy; 3626: Development and operational practices of Russian foreign policy decision-making in the international environment; party and state political institutions; Marxist-Leninist ideology. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) 3625: I; 3626: II. 3684 (AINS 3684): INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND WORLD POLITICS A survey of the historical and contemporary struggles of indigenous peoples throughout the world. Examines the dynamics of colonialism (internal and external), identity construction, gender, cultural integrity, and the ongoing global indigenous rights discourse. In addition to covering broad global processes/theoretical approaches, comparative case studies of particular indigenous groups, such as the Maasai (Kenya, Tanzania) and Mayans (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize), are used to highlight the global, regional and intra-community diversity among contemporary indigenous peoples. (3H,3C) 3714 (UAP 3714): THE U S POLICY PROCESS Description and analysis of the processes and institutions involved in the making and implementation of public policy in the United States, with a primary focus on domestic and economic policy. Empirical and normative models of the process of public policy making in the U.S. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) I. 3724: POVERTY AND WELFARE POLICY Public policies regarding the poor, impact of current policies; future policy options. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) I. 3734: NATIONAL SECURITY Post-1945 strategic problems, policies, and security commitments of major participants in international politics, especially the United States and Russia; effects of security policies on international and domestic political economies. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3744 (UAP 3744): PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS Methods and approaches used in the analysis and evaluation of public policy; strengths and limitations of various analytic tools; normative issues in the practice of policy analysis. Pre: 1014. (3H,3C) II. 3754: AMERICAN POLITICAL THEORY American political theory from the pre-Revolutionary era to the present. American contribution to the understanding of freedom, equality, political community, constitutionalism, political dissent, and the welfare state. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) I. 3764: CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRATIC THEORY History and critiques of classical theories of democracy; contradictions within and contemporary problems facing democracy; future of democracy according to conservative, liberal, and radical theoretical perspectives. Pre: 1014, (3015 or 3016). (3H,3C) II. 3774 (UAP 3774): MARXIAN POLITICAL ANALYSIS Contemporary uses of Marxian concepts and theories to study the world economy, business structure, current social issues, modern ethical values, and alienation. Pre: 1024, (3016 or 3554). (3H,3C) II. 3784: ORIGINS OF THE STATE Theories of the origins of politics and government; evidence of state formation in prehistoric societies; political behavior in contemporary pre-literate societies as precursor to state formation. Pre: 1024. (3H,3C) II. 4214: SENIOR SEMINAR IN POLITICAL BEHAVIOR Political behavior: socialization, voting, opinion formation and expression, decision-making in government, as explained by personality, rationality, culture, class, and institutional roles. Topics vary from semester to semester as announced. Must have senior standing and any two of the prerequisites. Pre: 3214, 3224, 3234, 3244, 3264, 3274. (3H,3C) 4314: SENIOR SEMINAR IN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Selected topics in political institutions, including decision-making, types and structures of political institutions, internal and external influences on institutional behavior. Topics vary from semester to semester. Must have senior standing and any two of the prerequisites. X-grade allowed. Pre: 3314, 3324, 3334, 3515, 3516, 3524. (3H,3C) 4314H: HONORS SENIOR SEMINAR IN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS X-grade allowed. (3H,3C) 4324: SENIOR SEMINAR IN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW Cases, law review articles, and related materials containing describing, or commenting on major decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Topics vary from semester to semester as announced. Must have senior standing and any two of the prerequisites. Pre: 3334, 3345, 3346. (3H,3C) 4414: SENIOR SEMINAR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Selected topics in public administration, including norms of practice, government personnel, administrative process, administrative law, privatizing, and contracting. Topics vary from semester to semester as announced. Must have senior standing and any two of the prerequisites. Pre: 3415, 3416, 3424. (3H,3C) 4514: SENIOR SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS Selected topics in the comparative analysis of political behavior, processes, and institutions; cross-national institutional and aggregate data analysis. Topics vary from semester to semester as announced. Must have senior standing and any two of the prerequisites. Pre: 3515, 3516, 3524, 3554, 3564. (3H,3C) 4614: SENIOR SEMINAR IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Selected topics in international relations, including objectives of national policy, dimensions and components of national power, comparative diplomacy, international conflict and cooperation, instruments for conflict resolution. Topics vary from semester to semester as announced. Must have senior standing and any two of the prerequisites. Pre: 3615, 3616, 3625, 3626, 3734. (3H,3C) 4624 (UAP 4624): THE WASHINGTON SEMESTER: SEMINAR IN AMERICAN POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY This seminar is the integrative forum for the principal elements of the Washington Semester experience. The course explores both the role of political institutions in policy formation and implementation and the primary managerial and leadership challenges that arise for implementing organization managers in American democratic public policy-making. PRE: Junior standing or instructor consent and acceptance into the Washington Semester program. X-grade allowed. (3H,3C) III,IV. 4624H (UAP 4624H): HONORS THE WASHINGTON SEMESTER: SEM IN AMERICAN POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY X-grade allowed. (3H,3C) 4644 (UAP 4644): THE WASHINGTON SEMESTER: POLITICS, POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION IN A DEMOCRACY This course is part of the Washington Semester. Explores the relationship between the imperatives of democratic mobilization, policy choices and organizational choices through intensive study of the operating context of a selected public or nonprofit organization. Examines implications of policy-maker choices for implementing institution dynamics and challenges. Junior standing and acceptance into the Washington Semester program required. X-grade allowed. Pre: 3714. (3H,3C) III,IV. 4644H (UAP 4644H): HONORS THE WASHINGTON SEMESTER: POLITICS, POLICY AND ADMIN IN A DEMOCRACY X-grade allowed. (3H,3C) 4714: SENIOR SEMINAR IN POLICY ANALYSIS Theoretical, analytical, and methodological approaches used to assess government activities and public policy. Topics vary from semester to to semester as announced. Must have senior standing an any two of the prerequisites. Pre: 3724, 3734. (3H,3C) 4724: SENIOR SEMINAR IN POLITICAL THEORY Selected topics in analytic political philosophy, contemporary ideologies, and democratic theory. Topics vary from semester to semester as announced. Senior standing required. Must have senior standing and any two of the prerequisites. Pre: 3015 or 3016 or 3764 or 3754 or 3774. (3H,3C) 4754: INTERNSHIP PROGRAM Qualified students are placed in an administrative or legislative staff position under the combined supervision of a faculty member and a responsible supervisor in the employing agency. Detailed reports on the internship experience and a specific project will be required of each intern. (Variable credit to maximum of 6 credits for a full-time position over an entire semester). 3 hours of appropriate advanced American government courses, Junior standing, a screening interview, GPA of 3.00 or better and consent required. Variable credit course. X-grade allowed. I,II. 4964: FIELD STUDY Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course. 4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY Variable credit course. X-grade allowed. 4984: SPECIAL STUDY Variable credit course. 4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH Variable credit course. Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Programs of Study Air Force ROTC | Apparel, Housing & Resource Management | Army ROTC | Communication | English Foreign Languages and Literatures | History | Human Development | Interdisciplinary Studies | International Studies Music | Navy ROTC | Philosophy | Political Science | School of Education Science and Technology in Society | Sociology | Theatre Arts |
