Undergraduate Programs – Political Science Course Offerings
Regular Courses
The following courses may be taken to satisfy the distribution requirement under which they are listed. In addition, any of them may be taken to satisfy department elective requirements. None of these courses, however, may be used to satisfy more than one requirement. Courses marked with an asterisk are given irregularly. Others are normally given at least once every four semesters.
American Politics
201—American Politics Through Film
203—American Political Thought
208—Political Parties & Elections
214—Urban Gov't. & Politics
219—State & Local Government
220—Public Administration
280—Public Policy
302—American Presidency
305—Congress & the Legislative Process
307—Black Politics
308—Public Opinion in Politics*
317—Massachusetts Politics
321—Public Human Resources Mgmt.
360—Constitutional Law
361—Civil Liberties
362—Politics, Law & Judicial Behavior
363—The Politics of Law
365—Bill of Rights & Equal Protection
366—The First Amendment
367—The Supreme Court
380—Social Welfare Policy
381—Health, Education & Arts Policy
382—Environmental Policy
383—Land & Resource Policy
387—Criminal Justice Policy
Comparative Politics
236—Russian Politics
239—Gov't. & Politics of West Europe
245—Gov't & Politics of English-Speaking Caribbean
249—Canadian Politics
331—Political Development & Modernization
332—Gov't. & Politics of Scandinavia
333—Gov't & Politics of the Middle East
335—Gov'ts of East Central Europe
338—Nationalism, Ethnicity & Identity in Politics
340—Gov't. & Politics of Latin America
341—Gov't. & Politics of Central Am. & Hispanic Caribbean
343—Gov't. & Politics of East Africa
344—Political Systems of Spain & Portugal
345—Revolutionary Nationalism & Imperialism in the Caribbean
346—Gov't. & Politics of West Africa
385—Comparative Public Policy
International Relations
250—Russian Foreign Policy
252—Globalization, Governance & World Order
253—International Environmental Politics & Policy
255—American Foreign Policy
258—International Relations of Asia
259—European Foreign Policies*
351—International Security Policy
352—Inter-American Relations
353—Representations of War & Peace
354—International Relations
355—North/South International Relations
356—International Law
357—International Organizations
359—International Political Economy
Political Theory
The distribution requirement in Political Theory may be satisfied only by taking a course in the 270–375 range. Other theory courses may be counted toward meeting the elective requirements, but they do not fulfill the distribution requirement in Political Theory.
270—Ancient & Medieval Thought
271—Modern Political Thought
373—Contemporary Political Theory
374—Issues in Political Theory
375—Feminist Theory & Politics
Special Courses
The following are special offerings and may be used to satisfy the department elective requirement, provided a grade is given. Except for Special Seminars or Special Topics courses (see below), none may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement, unless stated otherwise in the official pre-registration guide or revised schedule of courses.
291–295, 391–395, 491–495: Special Seminars (topics for each semester are listed in the schedule of courses). Where indicated in the course schedule, these courses may be counted toward the distribution requirements of the major.
397: Special Topics (see the pre-registration guide or schedule of courses) Where indicated in the Course Schedule, these courses may be counted toward the distribution requirements of the major.
296, 396, 496: Independent Study (variable credit, but satisfies NO department requirement unless taken for at least three credits). Only one graded independent study course or one graded internship course (but not both) may be used to satisfy the department elective requirement.
483: Political Science Internship (graded internship credits; if taken for 3 credits, POLSCI 483, or one 3-credit graded independent study course, may be used to satisfy the department upper-level elective requirement).
499P, 499Y, 499T: Senior Honors Research, Honors Project, or Honors Thesis (enrollment by permission of the department Honors Director only). Does not substitute for any major requirement, including the elective requirement.
Junior Year Writing Requirement
All Political Science majors, except those double majors who complete the requirement in another department, must satisfy the Junior Year Writing Requirement by completing POLSCI 399, a 1-credit course of writing tutorials, concurrent with completion of a 3 credit departmental course. The Political Science Department offers several sections every year. Double majors may elect to complete the requirement in either major department.
Special Courses and Programs
The Department offers various opportunities for individualized studies. Special courses and programs are listed below.
Undergraduate Seminars and Special Topics Courses
Each year the department offers special seminars and courses in the study of politics. Some are offered as part of the departmental Honors Program. Enrollment is limited, as a rule, to 15 students, and such courses are normally open to juniors and seniors. Students in the departmental and/or UMass Amherst Honors programs will be given preference if pre-registration exceeds the enrollment limit. Students should speak with the instructor before registering. Seminars and Special Topics courses may be used to satisfy the department's elective requirement, and, if so stated in the official pre-registration guide or schedule of courses, they may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement. Seminars for a particular semester are listed in UMass Amherst's Schedule of Courses under the numbers POLSCI 291–295, 391–395, and 491–495. Special Topics courses are listed under POLSCI 397.
Independent Study
Political Science credit may be obtained through independent study on topics of mutual interest to students and faculty. Responsibility for such arrangements lies with the student, who should (a) identify a subject to pursue either through directed readings or research and (b) locate a member of the department faculty agreeable to supervise that work. The Independent Study numbers (POLSCI 296, 396, 496) should be used for this purpose. Ordinarily a student will receive no more than three semester hours credit for any such undertaking, although it is possible to receive up to six hours credit in a single semester. Credit earned through independent study may be used to satisfy one elective requirement in the department, provided that at least three credits are earned and a grade is given. No independent study course, however, may be used to satisfy an introductory or distribution requirement.
International Relations Club
The IR Club was formed in 2000 by a group of students interested in participating in on and off-campus activities. In its first year IR Club students participated in conferences at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Model United Nations at McGill University in Montreal, and the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference at Annapolis. There were additional lectures and social events on campus. The IR Club, based in the Political Science Department, is open to any UMass Amherst undergraduate. Additional information is available at the IR Club website.
