An introduction to the principles and practice of political life in a variety of domestic and international contexts. Open to freshmen only. Each 1010 section has a limited enrollment of no more than 20 students. A paper is required and is assigned on a tutorial basis with individual student-instructor conferences.

This course is intended to introduce advanced students to the concepts and methods of political science research. Substantive fields of interest--such as American politics, IR, Comparative, etc.--are all bound by similar skills and techniques inherent to the discipline of political science. Students will be introduced to these techniques in an effort to train them to become producers, not merely consumers of knowledge. This course is fundamentally about how to conduct research in political science, and what makes political science a science. The course covers both introductory quantitative methods (univariate, bivariate, and some multivariate analyses), as well as some of the most often used qualitative methods in the discipline. The course is not meant to be exhaustive of all political science methods.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Independent study on a suitable topic, with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Independent study on a suitable topic, with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

An experiential learning process coupled with pertinent academic course work. Open only to juniors and seniors in good standing. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

For especially qualified seniors with approval of the faculty director and the Office of Academic Enrichment. Students must have a minimum of a 3.400 overall grade-point average and a 3.500 grade-point average in the major.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

This course is intended to introduce advanced students to the concepts and methods of political science research, and to show how those methods can be applied to concrete problems.

For description, consult department. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

In recent decades, political scientists have used quantitative methods more and more frequently in their research. While econometric analysis is not the only analytic tool available for researchers assessing causal claims, it is imperative that any student of the discipline be able to digest and interpret the language of statistics. It is rare to pick up a journal in the discipline these days that is completely devoid of statistical analysis. Students must be able to understand this language at a minimum, and successful publication strategies (which in turn are important for successful careers) will involve the production of independent results. The trend towards econometric analysis (alongside formal theory) is unmistakable, and occurs in all subfields with the possible exception of political theory. Statistical literacy is simply indispensable for political scientists. Theoretic development is important as well, and can work hand in hand with empirical testing in important political science research. Some of you may not have had learning statistics in mind when you decided to attend graduate school. Some of you may have little mathematics or statistics background, perhaps dating back to high school. However, you should not be intimidated or afraid of integrating this language into your research interests. Moreover, if you don’t learn this material and takes steps to produce your own results, you will miss out on what is going on in your field. Even if you do not end up producing copious amounts of data and analysis, you will at a minimum need to become a competent consumer of quantitative political science research. This course, along with its partner course next semester, will allow you to recognize the foundations of econometric analysis in political science and give you the tools to accurately discern its meaning. You will also begin to produce your own conclusions based on careful analysis and interpretation. The emphasis in this course is on understanding the building blocks of quantitative research in political science.

Qualitative Methods II

This is a workshop-style PhD seminar that has one central aim: namely, to help you develop a draft of your dissertation prospectus. The dissertation prospectus represents a piece of original research on an important question in the field of political science that is approximately 35-40 pages in length, inclusive of references. The prospectus should clearly state the puzzle of the dissertation; its theoretical importance; and the research hypotheses that will be evaluated. In addition, students should explicitly articulate the specific empirical evidence and methodological techniques that they will use to assess the validity of the research hypotheses. A strong proposal does more than just summarize existing research on the question that the dissertation plans to investigate – it constitutes a promise to produce a PhD dissertation that will advance the state of the field.

The purpose of this course is to gain an in-depth understanding of the origins, evolution, and characteristics of Sustainable Human Development (SHD) both in terms of formulation and implementation.

Special Topics in Political Development.

Special topics in Comparative Politics.

Special topics in International Relations.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.