Students are eligible to take advanced courses after 6 hours of introductory work.
Prerequisites: PSCI 1040 and PSCI 1050 are prerequisite to advanced courses in American government and politics, public law, public policy, and international relations (See Fields A, B, D and F in departmental copy). Three hours of political science are prerequisite to advanced courses in political theory and methodology and comparative government and politics (See Fields C and E in departmental copy).
PSCI 1040-PSCI 1050-PSCI 1060. American Government. 3 hours each. PSCI 1040 must be taken to satisfy the requirement of a course emphasizing U.S. and Texas constitutions. PSCI 1050 or PSCI 1060 fulfills the remaining 3 hours of the legislative requirement for 6 hours of government.
PSCI 1040 (GOVT 2301). American Government: Laws and Institutions. U.S. and Texas constitutions, federalism, local government, institutions, civil rights and civil liberties. Satisfies legislative requirement of a course emphasizing U.S. and Texas constitutions.
PSCI 1050 (GOVT 2302). American Government: Process and Policies. Political parties, elections, interest groups, mass media, public opinion and public policy.
PSCI 1060. American Government: Topics. Individually or team-taught courses that explore in depth a substantive aspect of American government or politics. Topics vary and may include (but are not limited to) specific contemporary public issues, institutional simulations, and politics through the arts and literature. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. May be used for duplication only when topic is the same.
PSCI 1041-PSCI 1051. Honors American Government. 3 hours each. Fulfills legislative requirement of 6 hours of American government for students in the Honors College; 1041 satisfies the requirement of a course emphasizing U.S. and Texas constitutions.
PSCI 1041. Constitutions of the United States and Texas, federalism and political processes. Prerequisite(s): acceptance to Honors College.
PSCI 1051. Organization, powers, processes and functions of national and state governments. Prerequisite(s): PSCI 1041 and acceptance to Honors College.
PSCI 1085. The American Political and Economic Experience. 3 hours. Study of the organization, powers, processes and functions of institutions of national and state governments; civil liberties and civil rights; and public policy. Integrated into each political science topic are topics of macroeconomics, which are discussed in the context of American government. Includes principles of economic organization and growth in modern economies; decision-making that affects economic policy and activities, including official appointments to the Federal Reserve; economic issues, including money and banking and monetary and fiscal policy; and discussion of income and business cycles as they relate to various areas, including education, social welfare, and environmental policy. Prerequisite(s): acceptance into the Honors College. May be substituted for PSCI 1050/1051 and ECON 1110. Fulfills 3 hours of the legislative requirement of 6 hours of American government.
PSCI 2300. Introduction to Political Research. 3 hours. Emphasizes the conceptual and analytical tools necessary for conducting and understanding research in political science. Includes an introduction to statistical analysis and computer use. Prerequisite(s): PSCI 1040 or PSCI 1050/1060, or consent of department.
PSCI 2900. Special Problems. 1–3 hours.
PSCI 3010. American State and Local Government. 3 hours. Political processes among state and local governments, and similarities and variations in the politics and policies of states.
PSCI 3100. Topics in American Government. 3 hours. Major areas of research and controversy in American politics. Representative topics include political campaigning, minority group politics, and science fiction and politics. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
PSCI 3110. The Legislative Process. 3 hours. Legislative behavior, representation, selection of legislators, organization and procedures; relationships to other branches of government.
PSCI 3120. Women and Politics. 3 hours. Explores aspects of women’s political, legal and economic lives in which gender intersects with government; provides overview of issues and important concepts, events and movements concerning them. Satisfies the Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 3130. Interest Groups. 3 hours. The theory, development, types, operations and effectiveness of interest groups in American politics.
PSCI 3160. Mass Media in American Politics. 3 hours. Mass media’s impact upon the political process, institutions and the individual.
PSCI 3200. The American Legal System. 3 hours. Institutions and processes; courts and judicial behavior.
PSCI 3210. The U.S. Supreme Court. 3 hours. Explores varying aspects of the U.S. Supreme Court, including how the Supreme Court selects and decides cases, how justices are appointed to the Supreme Court, how the Supreme Court interacts with other branches of government and interest groups, and how decisions are implemented.
PSCI 3310. Political Theory: Socrates to the Eighteenth Century. 3 hours. Political philosophy of Western civilization from early to modern times; works of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes and others. Satisfies the Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 3320. Political Theory: Eighteenth Century to the Present. 3 hours. Political thought since the 18th century; Locke and Rousseau; liberalism and conservatism; doctrines of Western democracy; Marxist communism and socialism; 20th-century nationalism. Satisfies the Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 3420. Bureaucracy and Public Policy. 3 hours. A study of the nature of bureaucracy, its role in policy development and the problem of bureaucratic responsibility. (Same as PADM 3420.)
PSCI 3500. Introduction to Peace Studies. 3 hours. Origins and extent of violence in human relations, foreign and domestic. Satisfies a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 3600. Comparative Politics. 3 hours. Major concepts and approaches to comparative government and politics.
PSCI 3700. Area Politics. 3 hours. Political institutions, processes, problems and policies in distinctive geographic or cultural areas of the world. Frequently offered areas include Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the Anglo-American democracies, and the Commonwealth of Nations. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
PSCI 3810. International Relations. 3 hours. Analytical survey of current world politics. Satisfies a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 3910. Practicum. 1–3 hours. Field practicum offered as special problems or organized course. Prerequisite(s): consent of department and chair; PSCI 3110 for national or state legislative internships.
PSCI 4020. Urban Politics. 3 hours. The city in social order; political machinery of central city and suburbs; types of conflicts, policies, leadership and groups; metropolitan government.
PSCI 4100. Political Parties. 3 hours. Development, nature, problems, organization, operation and functions.
PSCI 4120. Public Opinion and Participation. 3 hours. Shaping factors, communication techniques, public opinion, governmental action and democracy.
PSCI 4130. American Intergovernmental Relations. 3 hours. Federal system; constitutional and theoretical bases of federalism; national/state/local government conflict and cooperation; regional arrangements; political centralization; impact upon American traditions; future prospects. (Same as PADM 4130.)
PSCI 4140. The Presidency. 3 hours. Development of power, influence and limitations of the chief executive; selection, office, changing role and problems of control.
PSCI 4200-PSCI 4210. Constitutional Government and Law in the United States. 3 hours each. Constitution of the United States, work of the Supreme Court, and effects of decisions on national and state government.
PSCI 4200. Constitutional Law: Discrimination and the Powers of the Government. Decisions of the United States Supreme Court; scope of legislative, executive and judicial power; presidential power in war and foreign affairs; clash of national and state power; economic liberties and property rights; racial and gender discrimination.
PSCI 4210. Constitutional Law: Rights and Liberties. Decisions of the United States Supreme Court; freedom of religion, speech and press; rights of criminal defendants; right to privacy.
PSCI 4220. Jurisprudence. 3 hours. Law in the modern state, meaning and objects, sources and growth, and conceptions of rights and justice. Prerequisite(s): 3 hours in public law.
PSCI 4320. American Political Theory. 3 hours. American political thought since Colonial beginnings.
PSCI 4330. Topics in Political Theory. 3 hours. This course addresses either the work of selected theorists, such as Plato, Thucydides, Machiavelli, Locke or Marx, or themes, such as morality and politics, liberalism and authoritarianism. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
PSCI 4360. International Ethics. 3 hours. A reading of authors from ancient to the modern world who have examined ethical issues as they relate to international politics. Consideration of ethical positions such as amoral realism, legal positivism, human rights, critiques of human rights, just war theories and Islamic approaches to international ethics. Topics may include the nature of law and morality as well as policy issues such as the use of force against terrorists.
PSCI 4450. Public Policy Analysis. 3 hours. Policy making, impact of public policy and factors that place specific problems on the public agenda. (Same as PADM 4450.)
PSCI 4490. Topics in Public Policy. 3 hours. Analysis of the making, implementation and evaluation of major policy issues in the United States. Representative topics include aging, defense, civil rights, economic growth, education, environment, health care and poverty. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Prerequisite(s): PSCI 1040, PSCI 1050 and PSCI 2300 or its equivalent.
PSCI 4500. Leadership Capstone Seminar. 3 hours. Exploration of political leadership to provide the student with the tools for understanding the concept of political leadership, its place in a democratic society and its role in the student’s life in relation to government. Prerequisite(s): PSCI 1040, PSCI 1050, PSCI 2300, and four upper-level courses or consent of department.
PSCI 4520. International Human Rights. 3 hours. Consideration of the concept and role of human rights in international affairs. Satisfies a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 4630. The Military in Politics. 3 hours. Involvement of the world’s military forces in domestic politics, government and policy making, especially in the non-Western nations of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Topics include civil-military relations, military forces as interest groups, military intervention and the coup d’etat, and military performance in government.
PSCI 4640. Revolution and Political Violence. 3 hours. Causes and consequences of revolution and other forms of political violence in nations.
PSCI 4650. Comparative Public Policy. 3 hours. Public policy and policy making in Westernized democratic nations. Analysis and evaluation of public policies. Introduction to cross-national policy study techniques.
PSCI 4660. Democracy and Democratization. 3 hours. Explores democracy’s nature, causes of democratization, the spread of democracy in the world, and problems of consolidation of democracy. Satisfies a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 4670. Third World Politics. 3 hours. Comparative examination of the process and dynamics of political change and development in Third World nations of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Prerequisite(s): PSCI 3600.
PSCI 4700. Topics in Comparative Politics. 3 hours. Major areas of research and controversy in the politics of contemporary nations. Representative topics include political socialization, peasant movements, political recruitment and judicial politics. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
PSCI 4710. Middle East Politics: Critical Issues. 3 hours. Overview of Middle Eastern regional politics. Attention is given to such issues as legitimacy, authority, identity, military, democracy and religious fundamentalism. Satisfies a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 4720. Ethnicity in World Politics. 3 hours. Consideration of the concepts of ethnicity and nationalism as divisive elements in world affairs. Satisfies a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 4800. The Politics of International Organization. 3 hours. The formation of policy at the international level on questions of military security, the environment, the international economy, economic development through the United Nations and related agencies, and the place of the multinational corporation in world affairs.
PSCI 4810. International Law. 3 hours. Theoretical and political foundations of the law among nations; formation, change, application and enforcement of law; modern trends. Prerequisite(s): PSCI 3200 or PSCI 3810, or consent of instructor.
PSCI 4820. Contemporary International Problems. 3 hours. Major contemporary problems and conflicts confronting the international system. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
PSCI 4821. International Conflict. 3 hours. Examines the forces that promote conflict and peace within the international system, including change over time. Students survey the scholarly literature on war to learn what leading research can explain about international conflict.
PSCI 4822. International Conflict Management. 3 hours. Examination of the idea of international conflict management, focusing on the forms it can take and the conditions under which it can be successful.
PSCI 4823. International Criminal Tribunals and War Crimes. 3 hours. Examines international war crimes, such as Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, including the causes and consequences of such conflicts. Efforts to establish institutions of international justice, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Students explore international legal issues associated with such courts.
PSCI 4824. Islam, Democracy and Human Rights. 3 hours. Surveys Islamic political thought in order to understand basic Islamic concepts and doctrines, such as role of religion in politics, rights and duties of the individual and community, and the nature of government. Course includes an examination of 19th- and 20th-century liberal and conservative Islamic thinkers and their efforts to reinterpret Islam to meet the challenges of modernization. Study of contemporary debates within Islam, such as democracy and human rights.
PSCI 4825. Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East. 3 hours. Examines conflict in the Middle East at regional, national and sub-national levels from several ideological perspectives. Students examine specific conflicts and efforts to secure peace in the region.
PSCI 4830. American Foreign Policy. 3 hours. Principles and bases on which American foreign policy rests; machinery and personnel for policy formulation.
PSCI 4840. Major Problems of American Foreign Policy. 3 hours. Recent policies, decision making, implementation and coordination.
PSCI 4850. Critical Issues in World Politics. 3 hours. Examination of major issues in world politics, including potential for war, religious fundamentalism, morality, weapons of mass destruction, and diminishing resources. Satisfies a portion of the Understanding the Human Community requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
PSCI 4860. International Political Economy. 3 hours. A study of the politics of economic issues in international affairs, including the creation, maintenance and decay of international cooperation in trade; monetary and financial relations among Western countries; the roles of state and non-state participants; conflict and cooperation in East-West and North-South international economic relations; and an examination of the imperialist and world systems approaches to international affairs.
PSCI 4900-PSCI 4910. Special Problems. 1–3 hours each.
PSCI 4951. Honors College Capstone Thesis. 3 hours. Major research project prepared by the student under the supervision of a faculty member and presented in standard thesis format. An oral defense is required of each student for successful completion of the thesis. Prerequisite(s): completion of at least 6 hours in honors courses; completion of at least 12 hours in the major department in which the thesis is prepared; approval of the department chair and the dean of the school or college in which the thesis is prepared; approval of the dean of the Honors College. May be substituted for HNRS 4000.
Date of initial release: July 1, 2010 — Copyright © 2010 University of North Texas
Page updated:
July 27, 2010
— Comments or corrections: catalog@unt.edu
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