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The Public Policy and Management Concentration within the Political Science major is designed for students seeking careers in government and public service. The complexity of modern government programs in health care, environmental protection, crime prevention, education, and others increasingly requires managers with specialized skills in management, budgeting, personnel, and public policy. MTSU's proximity to the state capital provides unique opportunities for hands-on training and career placement.


What We're Doing

Get real-world work in public service

MTSU has a long-standing and successful Public Service internship program, which is a central feature of the Public Policy and Management concentration. Students may earn up to 12 semester hours and gain invaluable real-world experience working in state agencies, Metro-Nashville offices, and public service organizations.

Students go to Washington for semester

Political Science students can spend a semester with the Washington Center program in Washington D.C. Recent interns worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Smithsonian, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, and Center for Strategic and International Studies.


Related Media

  • MTSU True Blue Preview: Public Administration

    MTSU True Blue Preview: Public Administration

  • MTSU | The University of Opportunities

    MTSU | The University of Opportunities

 
 
 

Public Policy and Management graduates find careers not only with government agencies, but also with non-governmental service groups; examples of career options include

  • Administrator in a variety of settings
  • Government worker at local, state, and national levels
  • Lobbyist
  • Loss control director in risk management
  • Public servant
  • Public servant
  • Researcher

The program is also valuable for students who plan to attend graduate school in public administration.

Employers of MTSU alumni include

  • Tennessee Municipal League

Public Policy and Management is a concentration available for undergraduates pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Political Science. The department also offers a B.A. or B.S. in Political Science with a general focus, with a concentration in Pre-Law, or with Teacher Licensure; and a Bachelor of Science (B.S) degree in International Relations.

For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS tab above.

Public Policy and Management is a concentration available for undergraduates pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Political Science. The Department of Political Science and International Relations also offers a B.A. or B.S. in Political Science with a general focus, with a concentration in Pre-Law, or with Teacher Licensure; and both a Bachelor of Science (B.S) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations.

The department offers minors in Public Policy and Management, Paralegal Studies, Political Science,  Political and Civic Engagement, and International Relations and also coordinates interdisciplinary minors in Urban Studies, Russian Studies, and African Studies.

A Master of Arts (M.A.) in International Affairs with a concentration in either Security and Peace Studies or Development and Globalization is available.

Public Policy and Management (B.A.)

Political Science, Public Policy and Management Concentration, B.A.

Political Science and International Relations 
615-898-5461
David Carleton, program coordinator
David.Carleton@mtsu.edu

Students majoring in Political Science can choose a general focus or a concentration in either Public Policy and Management or Pre-law.

The Public Policy and Management concentration is for those seeking administrative careers in government or public service agencies. A combination of general political science courses, core public administration courses, pertinent political science electives, and courses in related disciplines provides a sound background for an administrative career.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Political Science, Public Policy and Management, B.A., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education41 hours
Major Requirements46 hours*
Public Policy and Management Cognate9 hours
Foreign Language Requirement6 hours
Electives18-21 hours
TOTAL120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill General Education requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements include Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

The following course required by the program meets General Education requirements:

Major Requirements (46 hours)

  • 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 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 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 3250 - Public Management  3 credit hours  

    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 4270 - Non-profit and NGO Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours required)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours required) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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 4290 - Public Service Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours required)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours required) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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 4800 - Senior Seminar  3 credit hours  

    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.

 

Plus one of the following:

  • 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 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 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.

Public Policy Electives (9 hours)

  • 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 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 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 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  

    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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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  

    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.  

Public Management Electives (6 hours)

  • 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 3440 - Public Budgeting  3 credit hours  

    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 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 4590 - Administrative Law  3 credit hours  

    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 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 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.

Political Science Electives (9 hours)

  • Choose from all Political Science and International Relations non-internship courses 9 credit hours

Public Policy and Management Cognate (9 hours)

This cognate takes the place of one minor. Choose 9 hours from the following courses in consultation with advisor.

Public Policy Management

  • Any courses listed under "Policy" and "Management" not used toward the major.

Housing/Community Development

  • HSC 3430 - Housing  3 credit hours  

    HSC 3430 - Housing

    3 credit hours

    Evaluation of housing in terms of family needs, economics, building codes, legislation, and technological developments. Housing alternatives presented and analyzed with emphasis on future trends in the field.

  • LSTS 4120 - Community Development through Leisure, Sport, and Tourism

    3 credit hours

    Explores and utilizes sustainable practices to assess, develop, implement, and evaluate tourism's potential contribution to, or detraction from, the quality of life for communities. Examines economic, environmental, socio-cultural, and political impacts on community tourism development within the community tourism development context.

  • THM 3110 - Tourism Planning and Development

    3 credit hours

    Explores various dimensions of the role tourism plays in community and regional development. Discusses the theories and practices regarding tourism supply and demand, economic impact, tourism structure and policy, environmental and social considerations, travel and tourism research. Specific attention given to sustainability of the community and industry and the examination of the dynamics between social or economic development and the quality of life for the residents.

  • TRNS 1610 - Introduction to Transportation

    3 credit hours

    Transportation development, identification, and evaluation of the elements of the transportation system including historical, legislative, and trend analysis. Fall only.

Food/Health/Security

  • AGRI 2010 - World Food and Society

    3 credit hours

    A global examination of the economic, political, social, and cultural issues related to hunger including war, politics, inequities, malnutrition, population growth, food production, biotechnology, ecological destruction, and food aid. Students will examine personal and societal values concerning world food issues and explore possible directions and solutions for the future. Includes a service learning experience.

  • CJA 2800 - Introduction to Emergency and Disaster Management

    3 credit hours

    Introduces students to the growing field of emergency management specifically as applied to disasters and other hazards. Focuses on the most common types of hazards posed to first responders and the four disciplines necessary in preparing for and responding to hazards/disasters and prevention efforts applicable to these same events. Students will critically assess the roles of different agencies in the overall emergency response protocol and strengths and weaknesses of the response of emergency management teams.

  • NFS 3260 - Community Nutrition

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: NFS 1240 or NFS 2220 with C or better. Nutrition problems and practices in the community; nutrition programs of state and federal agencies; supervised field experiences; preparation of nutrition education materials.

  • SOC 4640 - Health: Organizations, Policy, and Ethics

    3 credit hours

    (Same as SW 4640.) A resource allocation assessment of U.S. health care systems. Applied ethics topics (i.e., justice, virtue, and informed consent) included.

Inequality

  • CJA 4220 - Community Relations and Critical Issues

    3 credit hours

    Analysis of public hostility toward police and current community relations projects, human relations, training and education of law enforcement officers; responsibilities of police administrators, causes of tension and conflict, dissent and disorder, positive and negative factors in the control of minority group hostilities; minority recruitment in law enforcement.

  • SOC 4011 - Social Inequality  3 credit hours  

    SOC 4011 - Social Inequality

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or SOC 2010. The origins, variations, and consequences of class, status, and power in society. Individual and group economic interests, social prestige, ideology, market and institutional inequality.

  • SW 3050 - Women and Poverty  3 credit hours  

    SW 3050 - Women and Poverty

    3 credit hours

    Predominant theories, policies, and programs dealing with poverty among women. Explores the effects of poverty on women in addition to a general knowledge of poverty; ageism, sexism, and racism in relation to poverty; historical treatment of women and views of poverty.

Workplace Diversity

  • COMM 3245 - Women, Leadership, and Communication

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Explores communication behaviors and issues unique to women in leadership positions in gendered organizations. Activities and discussions designed to develop critical-thinking skills, broaden perspectives, adapt decision-making skills to professional environments, and develop professional relationships.

  • SOC 3300 - Diversity in the Workplace

    3 credit hours

    Covers various aspects of organizational diversity, focusing primarily on the United States. Explores current patterns of social inequality in the workplace with a specific emphasis on gender, race/ethnicity, age, and family arrangements. Focuses on the link between these social patterns and workforce diversity.

 

  • LEAD 4125 - Leadership Development for Women  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    LEAD 4125 - Leadership Development for Women

    3 credit hours

    (Same as MGMT 4125.) Prerequisite: Admission to the College of Business; junior or senior standing. Examines women and leadership with an emphasis on personal development. Critically analyzes the challenges, constraints, and opportunities that women face in exercising leadership. Includes an examination of women's diverse leadership styles through an experiential learning project with a community partner.

  • MGMT 4125 - Leadership Development for Women

    3 credit hours

    (Same as LEAD 4125.) Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Examines women and leadership with an emphasis on personal development. Critically analyzes the challenges, constraints, and opportunities that women face in exercising leadership. Includes an examination of women's diverse leadership styles through an experiential learning project with a community partner.

Communication

  • COMM 3220 - Small Group Communication

    3 credit hours

    Exploration and application of pertinent concepts and theories of group dynamics, decision-making procedures, problem solving, and leadership.

  • COMM 2140 - Introduction to Organizational Communication

    3 credit hours

    Introduces theories and processes pertaining to organizational communication; topics may include communication networks, teamwork, leadership and power, information technology, crisis communication, and organizational trends.

  • COMM 3340 - Interviewing  3 credit hours  

    COMM 3340 - Interviewing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Overviews professional interviewing techniques for employment, recruiting, counseling, persuasion, and appraisal.

  • COMM 3500 - Communication for Organizational Effectiveness

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: COMM 2100 and COMM 2140. Organizational communication and its relationship to employees, leadership, corporate culture, diversity, change, and innovation. Possible topics include work-life balance and organizational identity.

  • PR 3360 - Strategic Communication Writing for Public Relations

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: JOUR 2710 and PR 2040. Techniques of creating and writing strategic messages, including the planning and development of components for strategic communication campaigns for corporate, public service, and other persuasive messages.

Law

  • BLAW 3400 - Legal Environment of Business

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Legal rights and potential liabilities of business persons. Presentation of the dynamic nature of law in responding to the changing social, ethical, political, regulatory, and international environment. Includes the development and nature of the legal system; business crimes; the law of torts and product liability; constitutional limitations on regulatory powers; legislative, judicial, and administrative control of business activity through the laws of business organizations, securities regulations, antitrust laws, employment laws, labor and safety laws, and consumer protection.

  • 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.

  • SOC 3770 - Organizational Conflict, Negotiation, and Dispute Resolution

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: SOC 1010. Analysis of multiple approaches to assessing conflict at individual, group, and organizational levels; review of multiple negotiation processes and skills associated with successful negotiating strategies and tactics. Consideration of alternative dispute resolution domains, including mediation and arbitration. Emphasis on organizationally based conflict and skill building through exercises wherein students master analysis of conflict, practice negotiating contracts, and engage in mock mediation and arbitration activities using case study materials.

  • SOC 4540 - Juvenile Delinquency

    3 credit hours

    Social factors related to delinquency including family, peer-group, school, and community. Includes juvenile justice system and its agents.

Economics/Finance

  • ACTG 4610 - Financial Reporting for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Entities

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ACTG 3110 with minimum grade of C; admission into the College of Business. Accounting principles for state and local governments and not-for-profit entities; financial statement preparation and analysis for government and not-for-profit entities, including specialized industries such as healthcare, education, and utilities; and federal government accounting.

  • ECON 2410 - Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics

    3 credit hours

    As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of national income and its fluctuations, inflation, unemployment, role of the banking system, monetary and fiscal policies, and international topics.

  • ECON 2420 - Principles of Economics, Microeconomics

    3 credit hours

    As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of consumer and firm behavior; the pricing of goods, services, and productive factors; international topics; and an overview of the American economy.

Leadership/Management/Organizations

  • LEAD 3010 - Leadership Skills and Development

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: Junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Focuses on individual leadership development. Emphasis on leadership practices and skill development.

  • MGMT 3610 - Principles of Management

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Concepts of the management functions of planning, organizing, and controlling with an emphasis on behavioral science concepts as applied to managing people in organizations.

  • MGMT 4030 - Not-for-Profit Strategic Decision Making and Program Evaluation

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MGMT 3610; junior or senior standing; admission into the College of Business. Focuses on essential management functions of short- and long-term strategic decision-making and performance evaluation of not-for-profit organizations.  Topics include accountability and performance measurement, collective impact, long-term planning, grant writing, collaborations and partnerships, and fundraising.

  • PSY 4380 - Group Dynamics  3 credit hours  

    PSY 4380 - Group Dynamics

    3 credit hours

    The functioning of groups. Includes development of group structure, group conflict, cohesion, social influence, leadership, group productivity, group decision making, and growth groups. Classroom activities are supplemented by group projects that may require some out of class meetings.

  • SOC 4100 - Work in the 21st Century

    3 credit hours

    Examines work, occupations, and workplaces in the U.S. including history, globalization, and various social inequalities created and reproduced through work.

  • SOC 4560 - Organizational Structures and Processes

    3 credit hours

    Analysis of structure and processes of change, organizational environments, modes of power, ideologies, forms of control and resistance including alternatives to bureaucracy.

Non-profits/NGOs

  • COMM 3250 - Communication in Nonprofit Organizations

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: COMM 2140. Explores theories and techniques involving communication between organizations and their constituencies. Identification and analysis of communication involving corporate philanthropy and fundraising, fundraising events, volunteers, image, and grant writing. Possible topics include health organizations, art organizations, and nonprofits.

     

  • COMM 4200 - Communication in the Global Workplace

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: COMM 2140. Critical examination of multinational organizations and the expatriate experience, including analysis of organizational preparation and employee training.

  • MGMT 4030 - Not-for-Profit Strategic Decision Making and Program Evaluation

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MGMT 3610; junior or senior standing; admission into the College of Business. Focuses on essential management functions of short- and long-term strategic decision-making and performance evaluation of not-for-profit organizations.  Topics include accountability and performance measurement, collective impact, long-term planning, grant writing, collaborations and partnerships, and fundraising.

Foreign Language Requirement (6 hours)

  • Students must successfully complete 2010 and 2020 or any courses numbered above the 2000 level in a single foreign language.

Electives (18-21 hours)

Curriculum: Political Science, Public Policy and Management, B.A.

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Freshman Fall

  • ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing

    3 credit hours

    The first General Education English course. Emphasis on learning to adapt composing processes to a variety of expository and analytic writing assignments. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • 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.

  • Mathematics 3 credit hours
  • Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
  • General elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Freshman Spring

  • ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ENGL 1010. The second General Education English course. Emphasis on analytic and argumentative writing and on locating, organizing, and using library resource materials in the writing. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • 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.

  • Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
  • Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 14 Hours

Sophomore Fall

  • ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA) OR(Hum/FA) OR  dotslash:(Hum/FA) OR title:(Hum/FA) OR 
    (Hum/FA) OR 

    ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Traces a specific theme or idea through a number of literary texts that reflect different historical and cultural contexts. Subject will vary.

  • ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA)(Hum/FA)  dotslash:(Hum/FA) title:(Hum/FA) 
    (Hum/FA) 
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. The reading of a variety of literary types which illuminate themes and experiences common to human existence.

  • HUM 2610 - World Literatures  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA)(Hum/FA)  dotslash:(Hum/FA) title:(Hum/FA) 
    (Hum/FA) 

    HUM 2610 - World Literatures

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Representative works of French, German, and Hispanic authors in English translation. No foreign-language proficiency required. Carries General Education credit.

  • COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication

    3 credit hours

    Introduces principles and processes of effective public oral communication including researching, critical thinking, organizing, presenting, listening, and using appropriate language. Counts as part of the General Education Communication requirement. TBR Common Course: COMM 2025

  • General elective 3 credit hours
  • Foreign language course 3 credit hours
  • 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.

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Sophomore Spring

  • HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010

  • HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020

  • HIST 2030 - Tennessee History  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2030 - Tennessee History

    3 credit hours

    The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030

  • HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

    NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.

  • HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

 

  • PS 3250 - Public Management  3 credit hours  

    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.

  • Foreign language course 3 credit hours
  • Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
  • Public Policy elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Junior Fall

  • HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010

  • HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020

  • HIST 2030 - Tennessee History  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2030 - Tennessee History

    3 credit hours

    The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030

  • HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

    NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.

  • HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

 

  • PS 2020 - State and Local Government  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    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 3400 - Municipal Policy and Politics  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    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 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 4270 - Non-profit and NGO Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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.

  • Foreign language course 3 credit hours
  • Public Management elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Junior Spring

  • PS 4290 - Public Service Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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.

  • Public Policy elective 3 credit hours
  • PS elective 3 credit hours
  • Public Management elective 3 credit hours
  • Foreign language course 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Senior Fall

  • Public Policy elective 3 credit hours
  • PA cognate 6 credit hours
  • PS elective 3 credit hours
  • General elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Senior Spring

  • PS 4800 - Senior Seminar  3 credit hours  

    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.

  • PA cognate 3 credit hours
  • General electives 6 credit hours
  • PS elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Public Policy and Management (B.S.)

Political Science, Public Policy and Management Concentration, B.S.

Political Science and International Relations 
615-898-5461
David Carleton, program coordinator
David.Carleton@mtsu.edu

Students majoring in Political Science can choose a general focus or a concentration in either Public Policy and Management or Pre-law.

The Public Policy and Management concentration is for those seeking administrative careers in government or public service agencies. A combination of general political science courses, core public administration courses, pertinent political science electives, and courses in related disciplines provides a sound background for an administrative career.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Political Science, Public Policy and Management, B.S., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education41 hours
Major Requirements46 hours*
Public Policy and Management Cognate9 hours
Minor15-18 hours
Electives6-9 hours
TOTAL120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill General Education requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements include Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

The following course required by the program meets General Education requirements:

Major Requirements (46 hours)

  • 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 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 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 3250 - Public Management  3 credit hours  

    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 4270 - Non-profit and NGO Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours required)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours required) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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 4290 - Public Service Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours required)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours required) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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 4800 - Senior Seminar  3 credit hours  

    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.

 

Plus take one of the following:

  • 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 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 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.

Public Policy Electives (9 hours)

  • 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 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 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 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  

    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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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  

    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.  

Public Management Electives (6 hours)

  • 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 3440 - Public Budgeting  3 credit hours  

    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 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 4590 - Administrative Law  3 credit hours  

    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 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 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.

Political Science Electives (9 hours)

  • Choose from all Political Science and International Relations non-internship courses 9 credit hours

Public Policy and Management Cognate (9 hours)

Complete three of the following courses in consultation with advisor.

Public Policy Management

  • Any courses listed under "Policy" and "Management" not used toward the major.

Housing/Community Development

  • HSC 3430 - Housing  3 credit hours  

    HSC 3430 - Housing

    3 credit hours

    Evaluation of housing in terms of family needs, economics, building codes, legislation, and technological developments. Housing alternatives presented and analyzed with emphasis on future trends in the field.

  • LSTS 4120 - Community Development through Leisure, Sport, and Tourism

    3 credit hours

    Explores and utilizes sustainable practices to assess, develop, implement, and evaluate tourism's potential contribution to, or detraction from, the quality of life for communities. Examines economic, environmental, socio-cultural, and political impacts on community tourism development within the community tourism development context.

  • THM 3110 - Tourism Planning and Development

    3 credit hours

    Explores various dimensions of the role tourism plays in community and regional development. Discusses the theories and practices regarding tourism supply and demand, economic impact, tourism structure and policy, environmental and social considerations, travel and tourism research. Specific attention given to sustainability of the community and industry and the examination of the dynamics between social or economic development and the quality of life for the residents.

  • TRNS 1610 - Introduction to Transportation

    3 credit hours

    Transportation development, identification, and evaluation of the elements of the transportation system including historical, legislative, and trend analysis. Fall only.

Food/Health/Security

  • AGRI 2010 - World Food and Society

    3 credit hours

    A global examination of the economic, political, social, and cultural issues related to hunger including war, politics, inequities, malnutrition, population growth, food production, biotechnology, ecological destruction, and food aid. Students will examine personal and societal values concerning world food issues and explore possible directions and solutions for the future. Includes a service learning experience.

  • CJA 2800 - Introduction to Emergency and Disaster Management

    3 credit hours

    Introduces students to the growing field of emergency management specifically as applied to disasters and other hazards. Focuses on the most common types of hazards posed to first responders and the four disciplines necessary in preparing for and responding to hazards/disasters and prevention efforts applicable to these same events. Students will critically assess the roles of different agencies in the overall emergency response protocol and strengths and weaknesses of the response of emergency management teams.

  • NFS 3260 - Community Nutrition

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: NFS 1240 or NFS 2220 with C or better. Nutrition problems and practices in the community; nutrition programs of state and federal agencies; supervised field experiences; preparation of nutrition education materials.

  • SOC 4640 - Health: Organizations, Policy, and Ethics

    3 credit hours

    (Same as SW 4640.) A resource allocation assessment of U.S. health care systems. Applied ethics topics (i.e., justice, virtue, and informed consent) included.

Inequality

  • CJA 4220 - Community Relations and Critical Issues

    3 credit hours

    Analysis of public hostility toward police and current community relations projects, human relations, training and education of law enforcement officers; responsibilities of police administrators, causes of tension and conflict, dissent and disorder, positive and negative factors in the control of minority group hostilities; minority recruitment in law enforcement.

  • SOC 4011 - Social Inequality  3 credit hours  

    SOC 4011 - Social Inequality

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or SOC 2010. The origins, variations, and consequences of class, status, and power in society. Individual and group economic interests, social prestige, ideology, market and institutional inequality.

  • SW 3050 - Women and Poverty  3 credit hours  

    SW 3050 - Women and Poverty

    3 credit hours

    Predominant theories, policies, and programs dealing with poverty among women. Explores the effects of poverty on women in addition to a general knowledge of poverty; ageism, sexism, and racism in relation to poverty; historical treatment of women and views of poverty.

Workplace Diversity

  • COMM 3245 - Women, Leadership, and Communication

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Explores communication behaviors and issues unique to women in leadership positions in gendered organizations. Activities and discussions designed to develop critical-thinking skills, broaden perspectives, adapt decision-making skills to professional environments, and develop professional relationships.

  • SOC 3300 - Diversity in the Workplace

    3 credit hours

    Covers various aspects of organizational diversity, focusing primarily on the United States. Explores current patterns of social inequality in the workplace with a specific emphasis on gender, race/ethnicity, age, and family arrangements. Focuses on the link between these social patterns and workforce diversity.

 

  • LEAD 4125 - Leadership Development for Women  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    LEAD 4125 - Leadership Development for Women

    3 credit hours

    (Same as MGMT 4125.) Prerequisite: Admission to the College of Business; junior or senior standing. Examines women and leadership with an emphasis on personal development. Critically analyzes the challenges, constraints, and opportunities that women face in exercising leadership. Includes an examination of women's diverse leadership styles through an experiential learning project with a community partner.

  • MGMT 4125 - Leadership Development for Women

    3 credit hours

    (Same as LEAD 4125.) Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Examines women and leadership with an emphasis on personal development. Critically analyzes the challenges, constraints, and opportunities that women face in exercising leadership. Includes an examination of women's diverse leadership styles through an experiential learning project with a community partner.

Communication

  • COMM 3220 - Small Group Communication

    3 credit hours

    Exploration and application of pertinent concepts and theories of group dynamics, decision-making procedures, problem solving, and leadership.

  • COMM 2140 - Introduction to Organizational Communication

    3 credit hours

    Introduces theories and processes pertaining to organizational communication; topics may include communication networks, teamwork, leadership and power, information technology, crisis communication, and organizational trends.

  • COMM 3340 - Interviewing  3 credit hours  

    COMM 3340 - Interviewing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Overviews professional interviewing techniques for employment, recruiting, counseling, persuasion, and appraisal.

  • COMM 3500 - Communication for Organizational Effectiveness

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: COMM 2100 and COMM 2140. Organizational communication and its relationship to employees, leadership, corporate culture, diversity, change, and innovation. Possible topics include work-life balance and organizational identity.

  • PR 3360 - Strategic Communication Writing for Public Relations

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: JOUR 2710 and PR 2040. Techniques of creating and writing strategic messages, including the planning and development of components for strategic communication campaigns for corporate, public service, and other persuasive messages.

Law

  • BLAW 3400 - Legal Environment of Business

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Legal rights and potential liabilities of business persons. Presentation of the dynamic nature of law in responding to the changing social, ethical, political, regulatory, and international environment. Includes the development and nature of the legal system; business crimes; the law of torts and product liability; constitutional limitations on regulatory powers; legislative, judicial, and administrative control of business activity through the laws of business organizations, securities regulations, antitrust laws, employment laws, labor and safety laws, and consumer protection.

  • 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.

  • SOC 3770 - Organizational Conflict, Negotiation, and Dispute Resolution

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: SOC 1010. Analysis of multiple approaches to assessing conflict at individual, group, and organizational levels; review of multiple negotiation processes and skills associated with successful negotiating strategies and tactics. Consideration of alternative dispute resolution domains, including mediation and arbitration. Emphasis on organizationally based conflict and skill building through exercises wherein students master analysis of conflict, practice negotiating contracts, and engage in mock mediation and arbitration activities using case study materials.

  • SOC 4540 - Juvenile Delinquency

    3 credit hours

    Social factors related to delinquency including family, peer-group, school, and community. Includes juvenile justice system and its agents.

Economics/Finance

  • ACTG 4610 - Financial Reporting for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Entities

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ACTG 3110 with minimum grade of C; admission into the College of Business. Accounting principles for state and local governments and not-for-profit entities; financial statement preparation and analysis for government and not-for-profit entities, including specialized industries such as healthcare, education, and utilities; and federal government accounting.

  • ECON 2410 - Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics

    3 credit hours

    As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of national income and its fluctuations, inflation, unemployment, role of the banking system, monetary and fiscal policies, and international topics.

  • ECON 2420 - Principles of Economics, Microeconomics

    3 credit hours

    As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of consumer and firm behavior; the pricing of goods, services, and productive factors; international topics; and an overview of the American economy.

Leadership/Management/Organizations

  • LEAD 3010 - Leadership Skills and Development

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: Junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Focuses on individual leadership development. Emphasis on leadership practices and skill development.

  • MGMT 3610 - Principles of Management

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Concepts of the management functions of planning, organizing, and controlling with an emphasis on behavioral science concepts as applied to managing people in organizations.

  • MGMT 4030 - Not-for-Profit Strategic Decision Making and Program Evaluation

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MGMT 3610; junior or senior standing; admission into the College of Business. Focuses on essential management functions of short- and long-term strategic decision-making and performance evaluation of not-for-profit organizations.  Topics include accountability and performance measurement, collective impact, long-term planning, grant writing, collaborations and partnerships, and fundraising.

  • PSY 4380 - Group Dynamics  3 credit hours  

    PSY 4380 - Group Dynamics

    3 credit hours

    The functioning of groups. Includes development of group structure, group conflict, cohesion, social influence, leadership, group productivity, group decision making, and growth groups. Classroom activities are supplemented by group projects that may require some out of class meetings.

  • SOC 4100 - Work in the 21st Century

    3 credit hours

    Examines work, occupations, and workplaces in the U.S. including history, globalization, and various social inequalities created and reproduced through work.

  • SOC 4560 - Organizational Structures and Processes

    3 credit hours

    Analysis of structure and processes of change, organizational environments, modes of power, ideologies, forms of control and resistance including alternatives to bureaucracy.

Non-profits/NGOs

  • COMM 3250 - Communication in Nonprofit Organizations

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: COMM 2140. Explores theories and techniques involving communication between organizations and their constituencies. Identification and analysis of communication involving corporate philanthropy and fundraising, fundraising events, volunteers, image, and grant writing. Possible topics include health organizations, art organizations, and nonprofits.

     

  • COMM 4200 - Communication in the Global Workplace

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: COMM 2140. Critical examination of multinational organizations and the expatriate experience, including analysis of organizational preparation and employee training.

  • MGMT 4030 - Not-for-Profit Strategic Decision Making and Program Evaluation

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MGMT 3610; junior or senior standing; admission into the College of Business. Focuses on essential management functions of short- and long-term strategic decision-making and performance evaluation of not-for-profit organizations.  Topics include accountability and performance measurement, collective impact, long-term planning, grant writing, collaborations and partnerships, and fundraising.

Minor (15-18 hours)

Electives (6-9 hours)

Curriculum: Political Science, Public Policy and Management, B.S.

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural  Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Freshman Fall

  • ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing

    3 credit hours

    The first General Education English course. Emphasis on learning to adapt composing processes to a variety of expository and analytic writing assignments. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • 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.

  • Mathematics 3 credit hours
  • Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
  • General elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 Hours

Freshman Spring

  • ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ENGL 1010. The second General Education English course. Emphasis on analytic and argumentative writing and on locating, organizing, and using library resource materials in the writing. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • 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.

  • Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
  • Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 14 Hours

Sophomore Fall

  • ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA) OR(Hum/FA) OR  dotslash:(Hum/FA) OR title:(Hum/FA) OR 
    (Hum/FA) OR 

    ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Traces a specific theme or idea through a number of literary texts that reflect different historical and cultural contexts. Subject will vary.

  • ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA) OR(Hum/FA) OR  dotslash:(Hum/FA) OR title:(Hum/FA) OR 
    (Hum/FA) OR 

    ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. The reading of a variety of literary types which illuminate themes and experiences common to human existence.

  • HUM 2610 - World Literatures  3 credit hours  
    (Hum/FA)(Hum/FA)  dotslash:(Hum/FA) title:(Hum/FA) 
    (Hum/FA) 

    HUM 2610 - World Literatures

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Representative works of French, German, and Hispanic authors in English translation. No foreign-language proficiency required. Carries General Education credit.

 

  • COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication  3 credit hours  
    (Comm)(Comm)  dotslash:(Comm) title:(Comm) 
    (Comm) 

    COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication

    3 credit hours

    Introduces principles and processes of effective public oral communication including researching, critical thinking, organizing, presenting, listening, and using appropriate language. Counts as part of the General Education Communication requirement. TBR Common Course: COMM 2025

  • 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.

  • General elective 3 credit hours
  • Minor 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Sophomore Spring

  • HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010

  • HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020

  • HIST 2030 - Tennessee History  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2030 - Tennessee History

    3 credit hours

    The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030

  • HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

    NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.

  • HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

 

  • PS 3250 - Public Management  3 credit hours  

    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.

  • Minor 3 credit hours
  • Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
  • Public Policy elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Junior Fall

  • HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010

  • HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020

  • HIST 2030 - Tennessee History  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2030 - Tennessee History

    3 credit hours

    The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030

  • HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

    NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.

  • HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

 

  • PS 4270 - Non-profit and NGO Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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.

  • Minor 3 credit hours
  • Public Management elective 3 credit hours

 

  • PS 2020 - State and Local Government  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    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 3400 - Municipal Policy and Politics  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    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 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.

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Junior Spring

  • PS 4290 - Public Service Internship  1 to 12 credit hours  
    (3 credit hours required)(3 credit hours required)  dotslash:(3 credit hours required) title:(3 credit hours required) 
    (3 credit hours required) 

    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 elective 3 credit hours
  • Public Policy elective 3 credit hours
  • Public Management elective 3 credit hours
  • Minor 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Senior Fall

  • Public Policy elective 3 credit hours
  • PS elective 3 credit hours
  • PPM cognate 6 credit hours
  • Minor 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

Senior Spring

  • PS 4800 - Senior Seminar  3 credit hours  

    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.

  • PPM cognate 3 credit hours
  • General elective 3 credit hours
  • General elective/minor 3 credit hours
  • PS elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 Hours

 

Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.

Political Science

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.  

Online or Hybrid Programs at a Glance

This program is available .


For More Information or Explore Your Options​

Contact your department / program coordinator or advisor for more details about the program OR work one-on-one with your advisor to explore your options.


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Contact Information

David Carleton
David.Carleton@mtsu.edu

Phone | 615-898-2708
Fax | 615-898-5460

Who is My Advisor?

Amber Hawkins (A-L)
Amber.Hawkins@mtsu.edu
615-494-7826 | PH 126

Ja'Net Davis (M-Z)
JaNet.Davis@mtsu.edu
615-494-7651 | PH 123

 

Mailing Address

Department of Political Science and International Relations
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 29
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132

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