A basic course on the nature and purpose of our U.S. political system; includes the Constitution, institutions, processes and persons that combine to form our federal government. The student is exposed to a variety of approaches to political study.

This course examines the major social science perspectives in conjunction with an instruction in the logic and procedures of gathering information about social phenomena. The course covers such topics as: the logic of the scientific method, research design, hypotheses formation, theory and methods of scaling, and research analysis.

An overview of the field of public administration, the course includes the development and growth of public administration, organization theory, personnel administration, leadership, budgeting, administrative law, and public policy.

This course is devoted to an interdisciplinary examination of fundamental questions regarding the nature of man, politics and social relations. Values, ideas and practice as gleaned from the theories and writings of major thinkers from the 14th through early 20th centuries are explored. Special focus is directed toward ideas of Khadun, Machiavelli, Locke, and Durkheim. Other theorists such as Marx, Weber and Gandhi are also considered.

This course is devoted to an interdisciplinary examination of fundamental questions regarding the nature of man, politics and social relations. Values, ideas, and priorities as gleaned from the theories and writings of major thinkers from the late 19th and 20th centuries are explored. Special focus is directed toward ideas from the Federalists, Economic Interventionist and Social Elitists. Other topics are selected based on student and instructor interests.

This course examines the basic structures of the international system including: 1) states, nations, transnationals, international organizations, diplomacy, etc.; 2) global issues including: war/peace, deterrence, arms control, political economy, trade, human rights, peace-keeping, etc.; and, 3) global ideas: sovereignty, nationalism, modernization, etc. This course deals extensively with the contemporary international system and the issues arising from the limitations of power in international affairs. Students apply this knowledge in a United Nations simulation.

This course examines how different types of countries, i.e. established democracies, transitioning nations, and non-democracies, are governed. The course examines first the broader trends and concepts about political systems and then engages in more in-depth case studies on a number of countries representing different regions, colonial and post-colonial experiences, levels of economic development, and government types.

This course offers a working experience in the purpose and tools of qualitative field methods. The course covers rapport, methods of observation, field notes, data coding and analysis, ethnography, focus groups and interviews, as well as an introduction to quasi-experimentation.

• PS242 Logic of Analysis
• S250 Logic of Analysis

This course examines the organization, techniques, and politics of administrative planning, budget preparation and legislative process, and control systems in public organizations.

The process of formulating and administering public personnel policies is presented. Major topics include: merit system, job classification, recruitment, examination, training, promotion, discipline, pay, collective bargaining, and political activity of government employees.

This course is devoted to a thorough review, analysis and evaluation of public welfare policy and at least one other topic. These topics may include but are not limited to the following: health care, environmental regulations, energy; consolidation of federal programs; affirmative action, etc. Special emphasis is given to the formulation, adoption, implementation, impact, and evaluation of public policy.

Courses in this section are devoted to a thorough review, analysis and evaluation of topics that are relevant to the current study and practice of public administration. Topics may include but are not limited to the following: development of the merit system, terrorism, health care policy and administration; environmental regulation; energy policy; economic policy; consolidation of federal programs; affirmative action; federal grants-in-aid; and other topics. Special emphasis is given to the formulation, adopting, implementation, impact, and evaluation of public policies.

Please contact the program coordinator for more information.

This course is designed to develop student facility in the use of statistical methods and the understanding of statistical concepts. The course takes a practical approach based on statistical examples taken from everyday life. Topics include: descriptive and inferential statistics, an intuitive introduction to probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, chi-square tests, regression and correlation. Appropriate technology is used to perform the calculations for many applications, and correspondingly an emphasis is placed on interpreting the results of statistical procedures.