Courses

Political Science Undergraduate Courses

PS 1005 - Introduction to American Politics
3 credit hours

Constitutional principles, functions, and administration of American federal government; Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court. A General Education Social/Behavioral Sciences course.

PS 1010 - Introduction to Global Politics
3 credit hours

Meets part of the General Education Social/Behavioral Sciences requirement. Comparative theories and institutions of government. Law, constitutions, power, political socialization, ideologies, and the media.

PS 1015 - Introduction to Political Theory
3 credit hours

Study and analysis of significant political thinkers and political ideas. Covers the three historical periods of political thought: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern. Representative thinkers and ideas from each period used to illustrate important insights differentiated in a variety of historical circumstances. Among the major theorists covered are Plato, Aristotle, Buddha, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Burke, Mill, Marx, Voegelin, and Rawls.

PS 2000 - Political Science and International Relations as a Profession
1 credit hour

To be taken as early as possible by Political Science and International Relations majors. Provides practical information for majors on career planning and development, including potential careers in law, graduate school and research, government, policy analysis, political campaign management, lobbying, and non-profit management.

PS 2020 - State and Local Government
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. Politics and administration at the state and local level. Legislative, judicial, and administrative structures and processes; major issues and problems.

PS 2100 - Legal Courtroom Procedure
1 credit hour

For students interested in developing trial advocacy skills; practical course offering preparation for mock trial competition. May be repeated for up to four hours credit. Pass/Fail.

PS 2105 - Introduction to Latin American Studies
3 credit hours

(Same as SPAN 2105, SOC 2105, ART 2105, ANTH 2105, GEOG 2105.) A multidisciplinary, team-taught introduction to Latin America. Covers the cultures and societies of the region: pre-history, history, geography, politics, art, languages, and literatures. Required course for all Latin American Studies minors.

PS 2110 - Moot Court
1 credit hour

Students conduct research of legal controversies, prepare briefs, and argue cases before a mock judicial panel. May be repeated for up to four hours credit. Pass/Fail.

PS 2120 - Mediation Procedure
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of department chair. For students interested in developing skills as mediators and advocates in mediation settings. Practical application of theories, methods, and ethical components of mediation. Participation in intercollegiate mediation competition. May be repeated for up to four hours of credit. Pass/Fail.

PS 2130 - Model United Nations and Crisis Simulation
1 credit hour

For students interested in developing skills in negotiation and conflict resolution involving international issues. A practical application of negotiating skills, policy process, and understanding of international conflicts and problems through participation in intercollegiate MUN/crisis simulation competition. Course may be repeated for up to 4 hours of credit. Pass/Fail.

PS 2140 - Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature
1 credit hour

Students work through content and activities on legislative procedures designed to prepare them to participate in the annual Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL). May be repeated for up to 4 hours of credit. Pass/Fail.

PS 2440 - Law and the Legal System
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. A general introduction to American law and the American legal system; focus on the case system.

PS 3001 - Research Methods in Political Science
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or PS 1010. Fundamentals of quantitative methods in empirical research problems in the social sciences.

PS 3010 - Women's Rights in American Law
3 credit hours

Analysis of the legal treatment of women in the home, school, and workplace. Examines development of law, relationship of law to political movements, and current state of law and legal theory on women's rights and gender equality.

PS 3050 - The U.S. Presidency
3 credit hours

Prerequisite:  PS 1005 or permission of instructor. A comprehensive analysis of the presidency; includes origins of the presidency, political power, the nature of the institutionalized presidency, campaigns and elections, and a careful look at selected presidents.

PS 3060 - The U.S. Congress
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005. An analysis of the United States Congress; its origins, political power, the nature of the institutionalized Congress, campaigns, and elections.

PS 3100 - Politics and Film
3 credit hours

Analysis of political ideas as expressed in motion pictures. Topics include leadership, political biographies, campaigns and elections, ideology, and war.

PS 3110 - Politics and Literature
3 credit hours

A study and analysis of the intersection of politics and literature. Uses imaginative fiction to analyze central aspects of political theory, (e.g., human nature, community, power, constitutionalism, justice, equality, liberty).

PS 3150 - Humanitarian Aid and Crisis
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Examines the politics of humanitarianism in domestic and society. Considers state-centered humanitarianism as well as the efforts of NGOs and IOs. Participants will lead a peer education program sponsored by the American Red Cross.

PS 3160 - American Public Policy
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. Examines the public policy-making process in the United States, the stages of policy development and the problems inherent in policymaking. At least one substantive policy area examined in depth; examples: health care, environmental, welfare, agricultural, poverty, or budgetary policies.

PS 3170 - Civil Rights Policy and Politics
3 credit hours

Assesses the institutional impact--past and present--of the civil rights movement on American political institutions (the presidency, Congress, the courts, the executive cabinets, the administrative regulatory agencies, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights). Events and topics include the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 1991 Civil Rights Act, voter dilution, felony disenfranchisement and sentencing disparities, campaign finance reform, affirmative action, disability rights, gender discrimination, and majority-minority congressional districts.

PS 3210 - International Relations
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. The state system and national power, balance of power, balance of terror, game theory, psychological aspects of international conflict, decision making, diplomacy and negotiation, war, disarmament, and collective security.

PS 3220 - Comparative Politics
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Seminar covering the theoretical literature, methodological debates, and current issues in the field of comparative politics. Offers preparation for upper-division courses in comparative politics.

PS 3250 - Public Management
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. Fundamentals of public management--organization theory, leadership, policy making, planning, budgeting, personnel, administrative law, bureaucratic behavior.

PS 3318 - Liberalism and Conservatism
3 credit hours

Examines the two major ideologies in contemporary American politics. Designed to illustrate how liberalism and conservatism provide the ideological context in which American politics conducted. Focuses on how public policy, law, political culture, and public discourse shaped by liberal and conservative ideas provide the theoretical foundation and the philosophical assumptions for political action.

PS 3320 - Public Opinion
3 credit hours

The nature of public opinion and its role in the political and social process. How opinion is shaped, created, and measured.

PS 3330 - Political Parties
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005. The nature of democracy, politics, and political parties; party organization and role in government; campaigning; primaries, conventions, general elections; the Electoral College; voting behavior and pressure groups.

PS 3335 - International Development
3 credit hours

Examines development challenges of the Global South, their origins, the role of globalization in perpetuating them, and the continuing  efforts-both domestic and international-being made to resolve them.

PS 3340 - Political Campaign Communication, Media, and Management
3 credit hours

An analysis of applied politics; how to plan and manage a modern political campaign. Readings, discussions, and hands-on projects; students will learn the strategies, tactics, and varied techniques of political campaigning.

PS 3350 - Interest Groups and Social Change
3 credit hours

Examines role of interest groups in American politics and the policymaking process, including the role of lobbyists, money, and politics, and case studies of several specific interest groups.

PS 3360 - Law and Policy
3 credit hours

Addresses the relationship between courts, policy, and society through the lens of different actors and state institutions. Utilizes legal, policy, and sociolegal scholarship that touches on issues such as bureaucracy, criminal justice, education, environmental regulation, injury litigation, and more. 

PS 3370 - American Constitutional Law I: Government Powers
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. Analysis of theories of judicial decision making as well as the establishment of judicial review itself, followed by case studies of major Supreme Court decisions in federalism. Issues covered include commerce, contracts, police, and war powers as well as restrictions placed on state governments after the ratification of the Civil War Amendments.

PS 3380 - American Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. The Supreme Court as a policy-making body in the governmental system. Focuses on case studies of major Supreme Court decisions dealing with civil liberties. Issues covered include racial and gender discrimination, freedom of speech and religion, as well as rights of the criminally accused and the right to privacy.

PS 3400 - Municipal Policy and Politics
3 credit hours

Powers, functions, and politics of municipal governments from the standpoint of city management. Attention is given to problems related to the execution of municipal policy. Offered infrequently.

PS 3420 - African American Politics
3 credit hours

The unique history, content, and form of African American political participation; examines the nature of consequences of African American influence within, or exclusion from, the workings of various American political institutions; the nature and types of issues that influence contemporary discussions in American and African American politics related to the socioeconomic conditions of African Americans. Students who have taken PS 4390 - Special Topics in Political Science (Black Politics in America) may not take PS 3420 for credit.

PS 3425 - African American Political Thought
3 credit hours

Survey of a variety of primarily black thinkers who examine important topics related to race, equality, slavery, black nationalism, integration, affirmative action, and racial harmony. Thinkers include Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, William Du Bois, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and President Obama.

PS 3430 - Comparative Public Policy
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Explores the politics of policymaking. Examines the factors influencing public policies and why countries have different policies, how domestic factors shape these policies, and how international factors influence these policies. Looks at the role of institutions, interests, and ideas in policymaking.

PS 3440 - Public Budgeting
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. Analysis of the legal and social nature of government budgets emphasizing the procedures and administrative methods of fiscal control. Budget documents at state and local levels. Offered infrequently.

PS 3450 - The Politics of Social Welfare Policy
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Overview of the structure and functions of welfare states in the rich, industrialized democracies (primarily European); covers key arguments and debates about the emergence and contemporary fate of these welfare states. Emphasizes drawing ideas from the experiences of other countries to inform policy solutions to problems we confront in the US.

PS 3490 - Alternative Dispute Resolution
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of the department chair. Theory, methods, and ethical components of alternative dispute resolution (ADR); emphasis on various forms of mediation, but including other ADR formats such as arbitration, negotiation, and summary jury trial.

PS 3500 - International Law
3 credit hours

General principles of modern international law taught by the case study method in a seminar format encouraging debate and discussion. Issues concerning the development of international law and human rights will be studied.

PS 3530 - Legal Writing and Research
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. A specialized composition course for the student planning to attend law school or paralegal school or to become a legal secretary. Practice in legal research, documentation, and a variety of legal problems.

PS 3550 - Democratic Participation and Civic Advocacy
3 credit hours

Focus on theories of democratic participation, the role and impact of participation in a democracy, and practical approaches to building and working through organizations advocating for candidates or particular policies or working with the government in crafting and implementing public policies.  

PS 3600 - U.S. Environmental Policy
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005. Comprehensive introduction to U.S. environmental policy. Explores federal environmental policy, focusing on the legislation of the 1960s and 1970s, critiques of command and control regulation, the effects of conservatism on environmental policymaking, and the turns to state-level governance, market-based solutions, and collaborative governance. 

PS 3610 - Environmental Justice
3 credit hours

Focuses on environmental harms unequally distributed across both U.S. and global populations--low income communities, communities of color, and women suffer disproportionately from environmental harms. Explores a range of conceptual approaches to environmental justice and case studies, including Hurricane Katrina.

PS 3780 - Study Abroad
3 to 6 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Supervised study in a foreign country; familiarizes students with foreign cultures and political systems. Three to six hour classes may be repeated once if country of destination varies. No more than 6 hours may count toward a political science major. Pass/Fail.

PS 3910 - International Organization
3 credit hours

Development and prospects of the United Nations Organization and its major approaches to peace--pacific settlement, collective security, international law, arms control, trusteeship, preventive diplomacy, international conferences, functionalism. Offered infrequently.

PS 4015 - Topics in Law and Courts
3 credit hours

Special topics in the areas of law, courts, and society. Subject matter varies by instructor and semester. Course may be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.

PS 4030 - Human Rights
3 credit hours

(Same as GS 4030.) Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Fosters critical thinking about human rights by developing skills in weighing powerful but opposing arguments in complex moral situations. Familiarizes students with the role of both national and international organizations in global politics.

PS 4040 - Pre-Law Internship
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Senior standing, competitive selection, PS 2440, or by permission of instructor. Familiarizes pre-law students with general law office procedures and an active law environment.

PS 4070 - Political Violence and Terrorism
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Examines political violence, including assassination, terror, repression, and genocide, in comparative and international perspectives. Theoretical and case study approaches used to examine forms, goals of, tactics, and responses to political violence.

PS 4120 - Tennessee Government
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005 or permission of instructor. Structure, functions, and processes of Tennessee's governmental and political institutions. Policy issues studied.

PS 4150 - Global Issues in Human Trafficking
3 credit hours

(Same as GS 4000). Human trafficking examined globally in regards to issues of recruiting, transporting/transferring, and harboring/receiving persons through force for the purpose of exploitation. Laws and preventative measures also examined. Students research trafficking issues in global contexts and engage in Experiential Learning activities by volunteering in service projects with registered and certified local non-profit organizations, whose missions are to combat human trafficking locally and globally.

PS 4180 - Contemporary African Politics
3 credit hours

Comparative study of selected African political systems with different colonial traditions in the process of rapid change; trends, issues and common themes in African politics. The ideology and politics of development, political system forms and processes, development efforts, and the challenges of state and nation-building.

PS 4190 - Contemporary Middle East Politics
3 credit hours

Comparative study of political institutions, political processes, political dynamics, and behavior in the Middle East and North Africa. Emphasizes historical, socio-cultural, and ideological forces that have shaped politics in the region, including Zionism, Islamism, Arab nationalism, colonialism, and the Palestinian Conflict.

PS 4200 - Directed Studies
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Independent readings in a particular area under the supervision of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.

PS 4210 - International Conflict: Causes, Consequences, and Responses
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding the causes of interstate war, intrastate war, and transnational terrorism as well as the social consequences of and policy responses to international conflict.

PS 4220 - World Politics
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Experiencing contemporary international politics through the medium of simulation. Particular focus areas include the U.S., F.S.U., People's Republic of China, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southern Africa.

PS 4230 - Classical Political Theory
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005, PS 1010, or PHIL 1030. Western political theory from the ancient Greeks through the medieval Christians. Includes Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Aristotle, stoicism, skepticism, Lucretius, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas More.

PS 4240 - American Foreign Policy
3 credit hours

Foreign policies in the nuclear age from Kennan and Containment to the present with particular emphasis on contemporary problems and policies.

PS 4260 - Women and Public Policy
3 credit hours

Explores the relationships between women and contemporary public policy in in the Global North and Global South. Topics include how public policy is made and women's political roles in the making of public policy, as well as women's administrative roles in the implementation of public policy. Focuses on theories of representation, whether women have identifiable policy interests, the diversity of women's policy interests, how those interests expressed, and whether women's policy interests differ from men's (e.g., the gender gap in voting and public opinion).

PS 4270 - Non-profit and NGO Internship
1 to 12 credit hours

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, PS 1005, and a 2.50 minimum GPA. Students work for a political campaign, a non-profit or NGO, or an interest group as a volunteer under the joint administration of the organization and the department. Only six hours may count toward a political science major and three hours toward a political science minor. Arrangement for this course must be made in advance.

PS 4271 - Political Campaigns and Politics Internships
3 to 12 credit hours

Students work for a political campaign, a political party, a lobbying firm, or an interest group engaged in politics, or otherwise engage in political activism. Only six hours may count toward a political science major or a political science minor. Arrangements for this course must be made in advance.

PS 4275 - NGOs and Non-Profits
3 credit hours

(Same as GS 4275.) Key topics and issues surrounding the political environment and competing pressures that international non-governmental organizations and domestic non-profits confront. Formal readings paired with discussions from practitioners in the field and hands-on professional exercises.

PS 4280 - The Washington Experience
12 credit hours

A cooperative program with the Washington Center that provides for student service with a governmental office in Washington, D.C., on a full-time basis during the fall or spring semester. On-the-job training will be supplemented with lectures and other activities. Students selected on a competitive basis. Only six hours count toward a Political Science major or minor.

PS 4290 - Public Service Internship
1 to 12 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing and 2.50 minimum GPA. Student assigned to a public service agency as an employee under the joint administration of the agency and the department. May be repeated for up to 12 hours of credit, but only six hours of internship credit may count toward a Political Science major or minor. Arrangement for this course must be made in advance.

PS 4300 - Policymaking in the European Union
3 credit hours

Adopts a public policy perspective on the process of planning and implementation of the EU policies and focuses on how EU policies work in practice on the ground, mechanisms of policy-making and implementation, and effects on national public policymaking systems, public administrations and bureaucracies, and on citizens.

PS 4310 - Comparative Asian Government
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Comparative analysis of the governmental forms and practices of China, Japan, India, and other governments in the region.

PS 4325 - Chinese Politics
3 credit hours

Content structured into two sections: domestic and global. The first section examines the origin, development, and future prospects of China's economy and politics. The second section focuses on China's global impact by analyzing the nature, extent, and implications of China's power on the world stage. Students will assess China's global impact along four major dimensions-economic, political, security, and cultural.

PS 4360 - Legislative Internship
3 to 12 credit hours

A cooperative program with the State of Tennessee that provides for student service with the legislature on a full-time basis during the spring semester. Students selected on a competitive basis. Only six hours may count toward a Political Science major or minor.

PS 4390 - Special Topics in Political Science
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or PS 1005 or permission of the instructor. An in-depth study of a special topic significant in contemporary political developments or political science literature. May be taken more than once, as topics change, with up to six credit hours applied to a Political Science major.

PS 4510 - International Political Economy
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. The relation between politics and economics in international affairs and its implications for global peace, security, ecology, and social welfare.

PS 4550 - Climate Change Policy and Politics
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005. Covers climate policy at the international, national, state, and city scales; public opinion on climate change; relationship between partisanship and climate change; climate justice; geoengineering; and climate activism. 

PS 4560 - Identity and the Law
3 credit hours

Covers how laws and policies create and reinforce identity groups during the creation, implementation, and interpretation of laws and policies, including how government institutions have defined rights and responded to individuals on the basis of their identities.

PS 4590 - Administrative Law
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005, PS 3250, or permission of instructor. Procedural aspects, substantive issues, judicial review of the type of law concerned with the powers and procedures of government agencies and the rights of citizens affected by them.

PS 4600 - Environmental Law
3 credit hours

Introduces students to the fundamentals of environmental law. Covers the development of U.S. environmental law, critical environmental cases in U.S. case law, litigation over major federal environmental laws, the basics of international environmental law, and case studies of environmental law. 

PS 4630 - Public Human Resources Management
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 3250 or permission of instructor. Human resources administration in government agencies. Patterns of position classification, compensation, recruitment, selection, training, performance appraisal, promotion, discipline, separation, collective bargaining.

PS 4690 - International Relations of the Middle East
3 credit hours

Examines framework within which to understand Middle East international relations. Includes Arab/Israeli conflict; oil and Middle East international relations; political Islam; the war on terror; and United States, European, Chinese, and Russian policies in the Middle East.

PS 4700 - American Political Thought
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005, PS 1010, PHIL 1030, or permission of instructor. Major thinkers and movements in American political thought from colonial times to the twentieth century with special emphasis on the thoughts of the framers of the American Constitution and their contemporaries.

PS 4770 - Russian Politics
3 credit hours

The formation and evolution of the Russian state from the pre-Communist to the Soviet (Communist) and post-Soviet stages of its development. Special attention given to the historical origins and the role of authoritarianism in the Russian political culture and to the ideological foundations, formation, evolution, and the reasons for decline of the Communist system.

PS 4800 - Senior Seminar
3 credit hours

Prerequisites:  PS 1005 and 12 additional hours of upper-division political science courses. A reading and discussion seminar designed to integrate knowledge of the subfields of political science through critical reflection on politics, law, ideology, and culture from both a domestic and global perspective.

PS 4801 - Senior Seminar in International Relations
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 1010, PS 3001, PS 3210, and PS 3220 as well as 6 hours electives in the major. A reading and discussion seminar focused on the subfields of international relations and comparative politics, the practical application of theories, preparation for professional work or graduate study following graduation, and assessment of student learning outcomes for the program.

PS 4820 - Topics in American Politics
3 credit hours

Special topic in the area of American politics. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.  

PS 4830 - Topics in Public Policy and Management
3 credit hours

Special topics in the area of public policy and management. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.  

PS 4850 - Topics in Comparative Politics
3 credit hours

Advanced study in the area of comparative politics. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.

PS 4860 - Topics in International Relations
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 1010 and PS 3210. Advanced study in the area of international relations. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.

PS 4870 - Topics in Political Theory
3 credit hours

Advanced study in the area of political theory. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.  

PS 4900 - Latin American Politics
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010 or permission of instructor. Emphasis on the comparative analysis of structures, functions, and aspects of Latin American political cultures and systems.

PS 4920 - Modern Political Theory
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010, PS 1005, or PHIL 1030 or permission of instructor. Western political theory from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Includes Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, J.S. Mill, Marx and Engels, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, facism, existentialism, Strauss, Arendt, and contemporary thought.

PS 4930 - Introduction to Contemporary Political Philosophy
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1005, PS 1010, or PHIL 1030 or permission of instructor. Aims to foster critical thinking about contemporary political philosophy by introducing students to four main approaches: Aristotelianism, Utilitarianism, Contractarian Liberalism, and Marxism. Familiarizes students with certain philosophical arguments about important issues in both national and global politics such as multiculturism, justice, democracy, and freedom.

PS 4950 - Community-Based Research Practicum
1 to 6 credit hours

Supervised planning and carrying out applied social research project defined in partnership with a local civic group, nonprofit agency, or public department. Students may work individually or in groups or up to six. A final report is presented to the community partner at the end of the course. Projects must be approved prior to enrollment by the department's student research committee.  

PS 4970 - Undergraduate Research
1 to 6 credit hours

Students pursue their own topics and fields of concentration under the supervision of a political science faculty member. Working with the faculty member, the student will design and conduct independent research, with the final paper presented at a conference or a public forum on campus.  

Paralegal Undergraduate Courses

PLEG 3010 - Litigation
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 1005 or PS 2440. Legal procedures required for introducing and pursuing cases in the judicial system.

PLEG 3410 - Family Law
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 1005 or PS 2440. The law of marriage, divorce, child custody and support, adoption, paternity, and related issues.

PLEG 3420 - Torts
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 1005 or PS 2440. The law of injury to legally protected interests in personal safety, liberty, and property.

PLEG 4010 - Internship
3 credit hours

Supervised work in a law office or agency as a paralegal assistant.

Political Science Graduate Courses

PS 5030 - Human Rights
3 credit hours

Aims to foster critical thinking about human rights, develop skills in weighing powerful but opposed arguments, and evaluate complex moral situations. Familiarization with the role of national and international organizations in human rights and global politics.

PS 5060 - The U.S. Congress
3 credit hours

An analysis of the United States Congress. The origins of the Congress, political power, the nature of the institutionalized Congress, campaigns, elections.

PS 5070 - Political Violence and Terrorism
3 credit hours

Political violence, assassination, terror, repression, and genocide examined in comparative and international perspective. Theoretical and case study approaches used to examine political violence forms, goals, tactics, and responses. Significant independent research component.

PS 5120 - Tennessee Government
3 credit hours

Structure, functions, and processes of Tennessee's governmental and political institutions. Policy issues studied.

PS 5180 - Contemporary African Politics
3 credit hours

Prerequisite:  PS 1010  or permission of instructor. Comparative study of selected African political systems with different colonial traditions in the process of rapid change; trends, issues, and common themes in African politics. The ideology and politics of development, political system forms and processes, development efforts, and the challenges of state and nation-building.

PS 5190 - Contemporary Middle East Politics
3 credit hours

Comparative study of political institutions, political processes, political dynamics and behavior in the Middle East and North Africa. Emphasizes historical, socio-cultural, and ideological forces that have shaped politics in the region, including Zionism, Islamism, Arab nationalism, colonialism, and the Palestinian Conflict.

PS 5200 - Problems in Government
3 credit hours

Work done on a tutorial basis under the close direction of a professor. Student must present a proposal for departmental consideration and acceptance before enrolling in this course.

PS 5210 - International Relations
3 credit hours

National power, balance of power, nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, war as an instrument of national policy, economic instruments of national policy, diplomacy, collective security, international law, and organization.

PS 5220 - World Politics
3 credit hours

Experiencing contemporary international politics through the medium of simulation. Particular focus areas include the U.S., former Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southern Africa.

PS 5230 - Classical Political Theory
3 credit hours

Western political theory from the ancient Greeks through the medieval Christians. Includes Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Aristotle, stoicism, skepticism, Lucretius, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas More.

PS 5240 - American Foreign Policy
3 credit hours

Foreign policies in the nuclear age from Kennan and containment to the present with emphasis on contemporary problems and policies.

PS 5250 - Public Administration
3 credit hours

Fundamentals of public management: organization theory, leadership, policy making, planning, budgeting, personnel, administrative law, bureaucratic behavior.

PS 5275 - NGOs and Non-Profits
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission required for non-International Affairs students. Key topics and issues surrounding the political environment and competing pressures that international non-governmental organizations and domestic non-profits confront. Formal readings paired with discussions from practitioners in the field and hands-on professional exercises.

PS 5300 - Comparative European Governments
3 credit hours

Comparative analysis of the governmental forms and practices of England, France, Germany, the European Community, and others.

PS 5310 - Comparative Asian Government
3 credit hours

Comparative analysis of the governmental forms and practices of China, Japan, India, and other governments of the region.

PS 5320 - Public Opinion
3 credit hours

The nature of public opinion and its role in the political and social process; myths, symbols, other instruments; techniques of propaganda.

PS 5325 - Chinese Politics
3 credit hours

Content structured into two sections: domestic and global. The first section examines the origin, development, and future prospects of China's economy and politics. The second section focuses on China's global impact by analyzing the nature, extent, and implications of China's power on the world stage. Students will assess China's global impact along four major dimensions-economic, political, security, and cultural.

PS 5330 - Political Parties
3 credit hours

The nature of democracy, politics, and political parties; party organization and role in government; campaigning, primaries, conventions, general elections; the electoral college; voting behavior and pressure groups.

PS 5360 - Legislative Internship
3 to 12 credit hours

A cooperative program with the state of Tennessee that provides for student service with the legislature on a full-time basis during the spring semester. Students selected on a competitive basis. Only six hours may count toward the degree for graduate programs.

PS 5370 - American Constitutional Law
3 credit hours

The Supreme Court as a policy-making body in the governmental system. Emphasis on case studies in major areas of conflict including federalism, civil liberties, criminal procedure, and economic regulation.

PS 5380 - American Constitutional Law
3 credit hours

The Supreme Court as a policy-making body in the governmental system. Emphasis on case studies in major areas of conflict including federalism, civil liberties, criminal procedure, and economic regulation.

PS 5400 - Municipal Government
3 credit hours

The structure, powers, functions, and politics of municipal governments from the standpoint of city management. Attention is given to problems of municipal policy implementation.

PS 5440 - Governmental Budgeting and Finance Administration
3 credit hours

Analysis of the legal and social nature of government budgets emphasizing the procedures and administrative methods of fiscal control. Study of budget documents at state and local levels. Offered only in alternate years.

PS 5500 - International Law
3 credit hours

General principles of modern international law taught by the case study method in a seminar format encouraging debate and discussion. Issues concerning the development of international law and human rights.

PS 5510 - International Political Economy
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 1010 and 3210 or permission of instructor. The relationship between politics and economics in international affairs and its implications for global peace, security, the ecology, and social welfare.

PS 5590 - Administrative Law
3 credit hours

Procedural aspects, substantive issues, judicial review of the type of law concerned with the powers and procedures of government agencies and the rights of citizens affected by them.

PS 5630 - Personnel Management
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 3250 or permission of instructor. The development and characteristics of public personnel administration in the United States with attention to recruitment, selection, position classification, compensation, performance evaluation, promotion, motivation, morale, discipline, separation, and public service unionism. Offered only in alternate years.

PS 5690 - International Relations of the Middle East
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 1010, PS 3210, PS 4190, or MES 2100. The contextual, substantive, and theoretical framework within which to understand Middle East international relations. Course themes include the Arab/Israeli Conflict, the major powers and the Middle East, Middle East Oil and international relations, Globalization and the Middle East, Islam and Middle East international relations, regional cooperation, and terrorism.

PS 5700 - American Political Thought
3 credit hours

Major thinkers and movements in American political thought from colonial times to the twentieth century with special emphasis on the thoughts of the framers of the American Constitution and their contemporaries.

PS 5770 - Russian Politics
3 credit hours

Formation and evolution of the Russian state from pre-Communist to Soviet and post-Soviet stages. Special attention to historical origins and the role of authoritarianism in Russian political culture and to the ideological foundations, formation, and evolution and the reasons for decline of the Communist system. Includes a brief discussion of the other post-Soviet states.

PS 5900 - Latin American Politics
3 credit hours

Comparative analysis of the institutions, functions, and aspects of culture of the Latin American nation-states and their relevance to understanding international relations, world politics, and diplomacy.

PS 5910 - International Organization
3 credit hours

Development and prospects of the United Nations Organization and its major approaches to peace - pacific settlement, collective security, international law, arms control, trusteeship, preventive diplomacy, international conferences, functionalism. Offered only in alternate years.

PS 5920 - Modern Political Theory
3 credit hours

Western political theory from the Renaissance to the present. Includes Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, J.S. Mill, Marx and Engels, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, facism, existentialism, Strauss, Arendt, and contemporary thought.

PS 6100 - Theory and Practice I: International Relations
3 credit hours

Examines the theoretical foundations of international relations, the historical contexts in which they arose, the practical implications of the competing theoretical models, and the contemporary issues that occupy researchers and policymakers in the discipline.

PS 6110 - International Security in a Changing World
3 credit hours

Surveys the research on the causes of international conflict, including interstate and intrastate conflict as well as other types of political violence between states and non-state actors. Includes discussions of the major wars in the modern international system, the military legacy of the Cold War, recent and continuing conflicts (intrastate and interstate), and the future of conflict in the international system.

PS 6120 - Peace and Conflict Resolution: Concepts, Processes, and Consequences
3 credit hours

Surveys the theories of conflict resolution, the skills involved in negotiation, mediation, and crisis management, and the implications of crisis management. It includes discussions of theoretical premises of conflict resolution, negotiation, and mediation as well as the techniques of each and how they differ. It examines the ways in which society is reconstructed and the implication of reconstruction for the future of society.

PS 6150 - Special Topics in International Security and Peace Studies
3 credit hours

Study in a specialized area within international security and peace studies. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.

PS 6170 - Literature Review in International Affairs
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 6100, PS 6200, PS 6400, PS 6500, PS 6110, and PS 6120 or PS 6210 and PS 6220. Focuses on the selection of a research topic and review of pertinent literature associated with a thesis.

PS 6200 - Theory and Practice II: Comparative Politics
3 credit hours

Examines the theories and methods of comparative politics, the evolution of the discipline, and the issues that drive comparative political research today. Readings include both classic and contemporary literature from different theoretical, empirical, and methodological orientations.

PS 6210 - Global Political Economy and Globalization
3 credit hours

Examines the major theoretical approaches to global political economy. Discusses the emergence of the global economy, globalization trends, and their impacts on and among countries and regions of the world. Examines the role of states, international and domestic institutions, and other factors in creating and/or managing conflicts and facilitating of cooperation in the global political economy.

PS 6220 - Seminar in International Development
3 credit hours

Examines the continuing problems and challenges of development across the world. It traces the roots of such problems, discusses the different approaches, concepts and theoretical methods of development, and assesses the impact of globalization on Third World politics, economics, and societies.

PS 6250 - Special Topics in International Development and Globalization
3 credit hours

Study in a specialized area within international development. May be repeated for credit when subject matter varies.

PS 6290 - Practicum in International Affairs
1 to 6 credit hours

A supervised experience with students placed in organizations active in globalization and development issues. The practicum placement must be approved by the graduate advisor and departmental graduate director prior to enrolling.

PS 6300 - Readings in International Relations
1 to 3 credit hours

The theoretical basis of international politics. The biological, sociological, psychological, economic, and ideological aspects of international relations. May be repeated for a total of six (6) hours with different topics.

PS 6350 - International Affairs I: Concepts and Cases
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor for non-International Affairs students. Applies professional techniques and scholarly knowledge to historical and contemporary case studies of international and transnational problems. Emphasizes the use of concepts and evidence to understand and analyze complex issues and conflicts in international affairs, as well as skills needed to develop, justify, advocate, and present solutions and policy options.

PS 6400 - International Affairs II: Governance and Transnational Issues
3 credit hours

Familiarizes students with the major actors, institutions, and legal networks in the fields of U.S. foreign policy and global governance as well as with the policy outcomes. Discusses in a systematic manner what actors do, how they do it and how do they interact in the process. Special attention given to the effects these actors, institutions, and legal regimes have on the international system in such areas as maintaining order and promoting peace; regulating migration and economic development; and promoting social equality, human rights, and environmental security. Encourages students to relate the course material to the ongoing international processes and current events.

PS 6500 - Research Methods in International Affairs
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 3001. Develops the methods of research and data analysis commonly used in the study of international affairs. Emphasis upon proper design and execution of research strategies and upon practical application through use of software such as STATA or R. Required for completion of the M.A. in International Affairs.

PS 6550 - International Affairs I: Professional Skills and Methods
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: PS 6250 and PS 6400 or approval by the MAIA graduate director. Foundational skills to work as professionals in international affairs. Focuses on the acquisition, evaluation, analysis, and presentation of information on problems and issues in international affairs. Emphasis is on open-source research, creating the types of documents that are in-demand in professional settings, and professional oral presentations.

PS 6600 - Global Justice
3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Instructor's permission required for non-International Affairs students. Fosters critical thinking about pressing problems in the domain of global justice such as the justice of war; global poverty and inequality; theories of human rights; humanitarian intervention; environmental justice; cosmopolitan democracy and global governance; and the role of NGO's and advocacy groups.

PS 6640 - Thesis Research
1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisite: PS 6170. Drawing on work from PS 6170, collect and analyze data and compose thesis. Once enrolled, student should register for at least one credit hour of master's research each semester until completion.

 

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