Master of Arts (M.A.) Major in Political Science (Thesis Option)

PS 5100. Instructional Methods Practicum for Graduate Assistants.

This course introduces key concepts and practices in the teaching of college introductory political science courses. It provides regular in-service training and planned periodic evalutations of instructional responsibilities. This course does not earn graduate degree credit. It is repeatable 3 times with different emphases and with a maximum of 4 credit hours.

PS 5199B. Thesis.

This course represents a student's continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in a Thesis B course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

PS 5299B. Thesis.

This course represents a student's continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in a Thesis B course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

PS 5300. Foundation Studies in Political Science.

Students develop knowledge and skills required for success in graduate-level coursework in Political Science. Course content varies depending on academic preparation. This course does not earn graduate degree credit. The approval of the graduate program director is required. It is repeatable 3 times with different emphases and with a maximum of 12 credit hours.

PS 5301. Approaches to the Study of Political Science.

This course provides an intensive introduction to the advanced study of political science. It focuses on the key concepts, variables, and approaches used to describe, explain, and predict political phenomena. It also discusses key normative theories and the variety of methodologies used in political science.

PS 5302. Political Research and Methodology.

This course is a topical seminar for the exploration of problems in the scope and the methods of political science and public administration. The course emphasizes quantitative methods.

PS 5310. Studies in Ancient and Medieval Political Thought.

This course covers selected topics in Greek and Roman political theory, patristic understanding of politics, and the political theory of the Middle and High Middle Ages. This course includes study of the writings and thought of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Al-Farabi, John of Salisbury, Aquinas, and others.

PS 5311. Social Contract Theory.

This course is an examination of the social contract, consent, and popular sovereignty in early modern thought. Attention is given to the work of Thomas Hobbs, John Locke, Jean Jeaques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant (as well as others) and to their critics both then and now.

PS 5312. Roots of American Constitutionalism.

This course examines the origins and evolution of the ideas which inform the American constitutional system, includes an examination of classical, Christian, medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment thought that, combined with the British liberal tradition, laid the groundwork for the American experiment.

PS 5313. Justice and Liberty in American Thought.

This course examines the concepts of justice and liberty in American thought from the seventeenth century to the present. Attention is given both to the nature of liberty and justice and to their practical requirement as understood by various American thinkers, including statesmen, reformers, social scientists, and philosophers.

PS 5315. Contemporary Perspectives in Modern Liberalism.

This course is a bried review of the history and development of modern liberalism and the ensuing response and contemporary alternatives.

PS 5316. The Crisis of Liberalism and The Future of Democracy.

This course is an examination of the nature and intellectual foundations of the liberal tradition and the implications of the crisis besetting contemporary theory for the future of democractic government.

PS 5317. Theological Perspectives in Modern Democracy.

This course explores the influence of religion on the rise of modern democracy and the efforts of various religious thinkers to explore the nature and foundations of democratic government.

PS 5318. The Problem of Power and the Crisis of Modernity.

This course is an examination of the crisis of modernity and its implications for humanity's future.

PS 5330A. Nuclear Weapons in International Politics.

This course examines the effects of nuclear weapons on international politics. The course begins with a comparative historical account of the nuclear arms race and efforts to achieve nuclear arms control and disarmament. It then shifts to examine contemporary theories of nuclear proliferation and the case studies which illumine them. (MULT).

PS 5330B. Tocqueville and American Democracy.

This course considers Tocqueville's Democracy in America. Topics include the relationship between aristocracy and democracy; the instability of democracy; the antidotes to these instabilities; the significance of habit in Tocqueville's thought; the case for American Exceptionalism; and the importance of religion for democracy.

PS 5330C. Party Systems in Latin America.

The course examines some key insights in party and party system theory and practice. Latin America is the regional referent for examining these themes, and country examples are studied in considerable depth to illustrate the theory. (MULT).

PS 5330D. Problems in Political Science: International Humanitarian Affairs.

This course inquires into the intellectual legacy of international humanitarian issues, including forced migration, refugee problems, moral issues related to humanitarian intervention and emergency aid issues. (MULT).

PS 5330E. Religion and American Political Culture.

An examination of the ways in which religious beliefs and institutions have shaped American political culture; the ways in which American culture has influenced these beliefs and institutions; and the ongoing debates regarding the proper role of religion in American public life.

PS 5330F. Topics in Comparative Politics of European and Developing Countries.

This course explores the recent political history, institutions, party systems, and economic policies of some of the major countries in the globe. The course is devoted to the study of individual advanced European democracies as well as important developing nations, including China, Iran, Russia, Mexico, India and South Africa.

PS 5330H. Topics in Political Science: Seminar on Freedom of Speech and Thought.

This course considers freedom of speech and thought as foundational conditions in liberal conceptions of human flourishing. The course will combine a close reading of modern and contemporary authors with an analysis of recent controversies implicating these freedoms, such as debates about hate speech and political correctness.

PS 5330J. Authoritarian Regimes.

While democracy became the most common political regime type around the world in the 1990s, many authoritarian regimes continue to persist or have emerged in countries such as China, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Venezuela. How do these regimes emerge and function in the presence of popular demands for democratization and leadership challenges from authoritarian regime elites? How do authoritarian regimes collapse and what are the prospects for democracy in current authoritarian regimes? How do authoritarian regimes act in international relations? This course surveys the existing literature on these questions.

PS 5332. Problems in American Foreign Relations.

This course is a seminar based on selected topics in American foreign policy and United States involvement in international relations. (MULT).

PS 5334. Texas Politics.

This course examines some of the traditional debates over federalism, intergovernmental relations, and different ways people compare the states. It introduces Texas political institutions and its political history as well as examines some of the current Texas public policy questions such as education, criminal justice, and economic development.

PS 5335. The Role of Interests in America.

This course examines the role of interest groups and other organizations in the United States. Students learn about the range of social and economic interests presently active in our country and what observers from a variety of perspectives believe this activity implies for the health of our political system.

PS 5336. Property, Liberty, and Popular Sovereignty.

This course examines the role, status, and power of property in demographic societies. It takes a modified historical approach to the subject, tracing attitudes regarding property from before the American Revolution until today. Although the emphasis is on the United States, the course reviews property in other societies where appropriate.

PS 5337. American Political Culture.

This course explores selected problems related to American political culture with particular emphasis on the question of the cultural preconditions of free government. Beginning with Alexis de Tocqueville's classic study of American political culture, the course explores different Tocquevillian themes in a contemporary American context.

PS 5338. American Political Discourse.

This class identifies the way political discourse and social and political cultures connect within Americans' minds. Diverse theoretical perspectives will be used to explore the phenomena involved in social and political issues regarding values, meanings, norms, and prejudices and methods of improving political discourse within American political culture.

PS 5339. The American Presidency.

The course entails an historical analysis of presidential elections from 1789 to the present day. In addition, students examine and engage in reasonable speculations about the upcoming elections.

PS 5340. Congress and the Legislative Process.

This course examines the American legislative process with a focus on Congress. The framework for the course is based on three themes: 1) the "dual Congress," i.e., the notions of deliberation versus representation; 2) the distribution of power in Congress and its consequences; and 3) the bicameral nature of Congress.

PS 5341. Seminar in Constitutional Law and Theory.

This course examines selected issues in constitutional theory, including the theory of judicial review, and constitutional interpretation. It examines the debate on constitutional interpretation in light of cases dealing with the First Amendment freedom of speech, press, and religion, and with substantive due process and the equal protection clause.

PS 5356. The British Political Order Since 1900.

This course examines British policy from 1901 to the present and the major events that affected British history and politics. (MULT).

PS 5357. Russian Politics and Josef Stalin.

This course examines Josef Stalin's personal and public life, analyzes his accomplishments and failures, and generates a summative assessment of his impact on Russian and global politics. (MULT).

PS 5359. Comparative Democratization.

This course examines the inner workings of autocracies and democracies in the developing world, as well as processes of regime transitions.

PS 5360. Economic Development in Developing Nations.

This course examines some of the factors that account for economic development/underdevelopment in developing nations. The factors examined include political, economic and institutional variables. These underlying variables reveal the multi-causal nature of socio-economic development. (MULT).

PS 5361. Government and Politics of African States.

This course examines governments and politics of African states. It examines the nature of domestic and international politics, the precolonial politics and political culture, the impact of the colonial period on politics, several cases of post-colonial successes and failures, the critical nature of external involvement in the politics, and the settings of civil war. (MULT).

PS 5362. Problems of Democracy in Latin America.

This course examines the main structural and institutional obstacles that stand in the way of high quality democracy in Latin America. (MULT).

PS 5363. Party Systems in Latin America.

The course examines some key insights in party and party system theory and practice. Latin America is the regional referent for examining these themes, and country examples are studied in considerable depth to illustrate the theory. (MULT).

PS 5371. American Grand Strategy.

This course examines the making of American grand strategy and the scholarly debates surrounding the various strategic options to best advance the long-term national interest. The class examines theories of grand strategy, as well as historical and modern examples, and focuses on drawing parallels and lessons for the present and the future.

PS 5375. Seminar in International Relations Theory.

This course is designed to engage students in the major theoretical and conceptual traditions of international relations in order to assess the complex issues, developments and events constituting international politics. (MULT).

PS 5377. Problems in International Organizations.

This course analyzes the structure, functions, and role of the international organizations in the international system. The course addresses the role of international regions, regional organizations, functional agencies, and bilateral organizations. The procedures and processes on international argument and policy-making are studied through participation in a model security council. (MULT).

PS 5378. Problems in International Law.

This course examines the nature, functions, and scope, of international law. It addresses several major areas including legal sources, diplomatic practice, territorial jurisdiction, legal personality, the law of state responsibility, asylum law, human rights, and the law of war. The course is heavily research oriented and includes moot court arbitration. (MULT).

PS 5379. Problems in International Political Economy.

This course examines theories and issues in international political economy. The course emphasizes the political and economic conditions conducive to the development of cooperative international economic behavior among countries. (MULT).

PS 5380. International Conflict and Security.

This course deals with the field of security studies. Security studies focuses on what Clausewitz famously called "politics by other means": war. This course centers on three enduring topics: the causes of war, the use of force, and the future of warfare. (MULT).

PS 5389. Internship in Government.

This course offers students practical experience in the on-going work of a selected governmental unit. The student is evaluated on the basis of a research paper, work journal, and work performance. The approval of the graduate program director is required. It may be repeated once with different emphasis and with a maximum of 6 credit hours.

PS 5390. Political Science Curriculum Development.

This course is designed for graduate students with a social science teacher emphasis who are interested in teaching dual credit courses on federal or state government. The course focuses on practical teaching matters including, construction of syllabi, delivering effective lectures, teaching formats, test construction, and grading practices Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

PS 5391. Political Science Teaching Practicum.

This course is designed for graduate students with a social science teacher emphasis who are interested in teaching dual credit courses. Prerequisite: PS 5390 with a grade of “B” or better and instructor approval.

PS 5398. Directed Reading and Research.

This course is an advanced reading and/or research on various topics in political science under the direction of a graduate faculty member. It may be repeated once with different emphasis and professor for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

PS 5399A. Thesis.

This course represents a student's initial thesis enrollment. No thesis credit is awarded until a student has completed the thesis under a Political Science Thesis B course.

PS 5399B. Thesis.

This course represents a student's continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in a Thesis B course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

PS 5599B. Thesis.

This course represents a student's continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in a Thesis B course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

PS 5999B. Thesis.

This course represents a student's continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in a Thesis B course until the thesis is submitted for binding.