This is a rough classification that might be useful for students as a guide to the kinds of courses within the discipline of political science. Some of our courses logically belong in multiple fields or subfields, and are listed that way.
U.S. Politics:
This field involves four main types of courses. Students might want to focus on one dimension, or make a point of seeing U.S. politics and government from multiple perspectives.
Institutions which exercise formal authority – the governing structure
POSC 301: Decision-making in American Cities
POSC 302: State Politics and Policy
POSC 308: The American Presidency
POSC 310: The Legislative Process
POSC 323: Judicial Politics
POSC 385: U.S. Bureaucratic Politics
Intermediary Institutions – the processes of political influence
POSC 306: Interest Groups in the Policy Process
POSC 319: Politics and Money
POSC 321: News Media and Politics
POSC 322: Political Movements and Political Participation
POSC 341: Elections, Voters, and Political Parties
POSC 342: Public Opinion and American Democracy
Constitutional Law
POSC 325: American Constitutional Law
POSC 327: Civil Liberties in America
POSC 328: Topics in Civil Liberties
Policy-making and policy results
POSC 365: Science, Technology and Government
POSC 370F: Financial Politics in the United States and the World
POSC 370G: U.S. Intelligence and National Security
POSC 376: United States Foreign Policy
POSC 382A: Child Policy
POSC 383: Health Policy and Politics in the United States
POSC 386: Making Public Policy
Other Courses related to U.S. politics
POSC 346: Women and Politics
POSC 352: American Political Thought
POSC 358: Political Strategy
POSC 370C: The United States and Asia
POSC 381: City as Classroom
POSC 389: Special Topics in American Politics and Policy
Comparative Politics:
This field includes both overarching themes, and studies of particular areas. It makes sense to use the area studies as case studies for applying what students learn about themes.
Thematic Topics
POSC 322: Political Movements and Political Participation
POSC 326: Constitutions in Practical Politics
POSC 334: Violence and the Political System
POSC 346: Women and Politics
POSC 356: Transitions to Democracy and Dictatorship
POSC 360: Revolts and Revolutions in Global Perspective.
POSC 361: State-Building and State Collapse
POSC 363: Comparative Analysis of Elections and Electoral Systems
POSC 370K: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Religion in World Politics
POSC 374: Politics of Development in the Global South
POSC 375: The International Politics of Technology
POSC 391: Special Topics in Comparative Politics
Area Studies
POSC 353: Political Thought and Political Change in China
POSC 362: Politics of Central Asia
POSC 364: Dictatorship and Democracy in Latin America
POSC 366: Government and Politics of Africa
POSC 367: Western European Political Systems
POSC 369: Ethnicity, Gender and Religion in Latin American Politics and Society
POSC 370D: The Politics of China
POSC 370H: China’s Foreign Policy
POSC 373: Politics of the European Union
POSC 377: Politics of Russia
POSC 379: Introduction to Middle East Politics
POSC 380: State and War in Africa and the Middle East
International Relations:
This field includes, at a minimum, subfields focusing on economics (international political economy), on conflict among nations, and forms of governance separate from or at last skew to the system of nation-states. The importance of nation-states and of international organizations are core issues, so a student might well want to look at all three kinds of courses.
Political Economy
POSC 370A: Political Economy
POSC 370F: Financial Politics in the United States and the World
POSC 370M: Theories of Political Economy
POSC371: Natural Resources and World Politics
POSC 374: Politics of Development in the Global South
POSC 375: International Politics of Technology
Conflict and Cooperation among states
POSC 334: Violence and the Political System
POSC 370C: The United States and Asia
POSC 370G: U.S. Politics and National Security
POSC 370H: China’s Foreign Policy
POSC 370J: International Law and Organizations
POSC 370K: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Religion in World Politics
POSC 371: Natural Resources and World Politics
POSC 373: Politics of the European Union
POSC 378: International Relations Theory
Non-state processes and theoretical perspectives
POSC 370J: International Law and Organizations
POSC 372: Activism Beyond Borders: NGOs and International Advocacy
POSC 373: Politics of the European Union
POSC 378: International Relations Theory
POSC 388: Global Environmental Politics
POSC 390: Special Topics in International Relations
Public Policy:
These courses focus especially either on perspectives about how policy is made, which is an alternative way to think about political processes, or information about particular fields of policy.
POSC 306: Interest Groups in the Policy Process
POSC 342: Water
POSC 370F: Financial Politics in the United States and the World
POSC 370G: U.S. Intelligence and National Security
POSC 375: The International Politics of Technology
POSC 376: U.S. Foreign Policy
POSC 382A: Child Policy
POSC 383: Health Policy and Politics in the United States
POSC 384: Ethics and Public Policy
POSC 386: Making Public Policy
POSC 388: Politics, Policy, and the Global Environment
Political Thought, Methods, and Cross-cutting Topics:
A variety of courses include what is traditionally called “political thought” as well as what are sometimes called “scope and methods.” There are also a few courses that apply to all of politics, at least potentially.
POSC 319: Politics and Money
POSC 334: Violence and the Political System
POSC 348: History of Modern Political and Social Thought
POSC 349: Political Science Research Methods
POSC 351: Modern Political Thought
POSC 352: American Political Thought
POSC 353: Political Thought and Political Change in China
POSC 354: Political and Social Philosophy
POSC 355: Modern Political Ideologies
POSC 357: Democratic Politics: Theory and Practice
POSC 358: Political Strategy
POSC 370M: Theories of Political Economy
POSC 384: Ethics and Public Policy