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Department of Political Science

Mission Statement	Special Admission Requirements
Goals Career Opportunities	Majors in the Department of Political Science
Co-curricular Activities	Minor Requirements
	The Washington Semester Program

Dr. Kay Knickrehm, Head

Phone: (540) 568-6149
E-mail: knickrkm@jmu.edu
Web site: www.jmu.edu/polisci/

Professors
C. Blake, S. Bowers, A. Eksterowicz, K. Knickrehm, R. Roberts, D. Skelley, R. Teske

Associate Professors
J. Adolino, S. Hammond, D. Jones, V. Sulfaro

Assistant Professors
M. Adams, M. Fitzgerald, V. Jordan, H. Lubert, M. Williams

Mission Statement

The Department of Political Science offers strong major and minor programs sharing a focus on public concerns. We are committed to providing our students with the tools and competence to succeed in their lives, their graduate education and their careers by instilling academic rigor, information access and research skills, dedication to life-long learning and respect for diversity in cultures, nations and institutions of democracy.

Goals

To carry out the above mission, the Department of Political Science seeks to:

• Offer strong major programs: the B.A. in Political Science; the B.S. in Public Administration and the B.A. in International Affairs (interdisciplinary). (See “Interdisciplinary Programs” beginning on Page 75.)
• Offer strong minor programs: political science, public administration, political communication (interdisciplinary) and criminal justice (interdisciplinary).
• Enhance critical-thinking, communication and information gathering skills.
• Foster active learning through research, simulations and internships.

Career Opportunities

The political science department offers programs that lead students to careers in the following fields:

• Administration and management
• Criminal justice
• Federal, state and local government
• International organizations
• Law
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Politics
• Private sector

To enhance the marketability of its students, the Political Science Department supports career-related internships. For information contact the political science office, Maury Hall 118, (540) 568-6149 or contact knickrkm@jmu.edu.

Co-curricular Activities and Organizations

• Lambda Alpha Epsilon: criminal justice professional fraternity
• Pi Alpha Alpha: public administration honor society
• Pi Sigma Alpha: political science honor society
• Pre-Law Society
• Sigma Iota Rho: international affairs honor society

Special Admission Requirements

Admission to JMU does not guarantee admission to the Department of Political Science. Students may enter JMU as "pre majors" in Political Science or Public Administration and then apply to become majors later. A limited number of spaces will be available in each major. The exact number will be determined each year and is based on the ability of the department to provide a quality educational experience for its majors. It will reflect factors such as the number of students who are graduating and the size of the faculty. As part of this enrollment management program, the minors in political science and pubic administration are suspended. Required pre major courses and the procedures for becoming a major are available on the department Web site at http://www.jmu.edu/polisci/Admissions/.

Majors in the Department of Political Science

The Department of Political Science offers the B. A. degree with a major in political science, the B.S. degree with a major in public administration and the B.A. degree with a major in international affairs.

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

For a major in political science, the student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 32 credit hours, including

• A 14-hour core introducing students to career opportunities, the conduct of political inquiry in the major areas of the discipline, an awareness of global issues and cultural diversity and the techniques of original research.
• A 15-hour depth requirement in which students take at least one course from three of the major areas of political inquiry and acquire additional experience in the application of research techniques.
• A four-hour capstone experience designed to bring together knowledge gained in different courses into a coherent whole, to foster a capacity for lifelong learning, to connect the major to experiences outside the university, and to provide the opportunity to work individually with a faculty member.

Please direct questions about the political science major to Dr. Scott Hammond, Maury Hall 219, (540) 568-6313, hammonsj@jmu.edu.

Degree Requirements

Core Requirements	Credit Hours
General Education1	41
Foreign Language classes (Intermediate level required)2	0-14
Philosophy course (In addition to General Education courses)	3
University electives	28-39
Major requirements (listed below)	32
	120

1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232), or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Language’s placement test.

Major Requirements

Core Requirements	Credit Hours
GPOSC 225. U.S. Government	4
POSC 201. Introduction to Western Political Theory	3
POSC 295. Political Research Methods1	4
Choose one of the following:	3
GPOSC 200. Global Politics POSC 230. International Relations POSC 240. Comparative Politics
	14

1MATH 220 is a prerequisite for POSC 295.

Electives

In addition to the core requirements, political science majors must elect 15 hours of approved courses from the 300 level or above and at least one from three major areas of political inquiry. Students are encouraged to complete the core requirements before taking any course above the level of POSC 301.

	Credit Hours
Choose one course from three of the following areas:	9
Comparative Politics
POSC 337. Russian Political System POSC 339. Politics of Communist and Post-Communist Societies POSC 340. Political Development in the Third World POSC 345. European Governments POSC 347. Comparative Public Policy POSC 350. Latin American Politics POSC 353. African Politics POSC 355. East Asian Politics POSC 361. Contemporary Problems in International Affairs POSC 371. Topics in Comparative Politics
International Relations
POSC 338. Russian Foreign Policy POSC 361. Topics in International Relations POSC 370. U.S. Foreign Policy POSC/JUST 392. Peace Studies POSC 395. International Law POSC 396. International Organizations POSC 397. Politics of International Economic Relations POSC 435. Seminar in International Terrorism Theory
Political Theory
POSC 300. Political Analysis POSC 310. Political Theory: Ancient to Early Modern POSC 315. Political Theory: Early Modern to the 19th Century POSC 316. Contemporary Political Theory POSC 321. Political Theory and Ideology POSC 330. American Political Thought POSC 381. Topics in Political Theory
American Government
POSC 302. State and Local Government POSC 325. Constitutional Law POSC 326. Civil Rights POSC 351. Topics in American Politics POSC 358. Public Policy POSC 360. Urban Politics POSC 362. Political Behavior POSC 365. American Political Campaigning POSC 368. Interest Groups and Public Policy POSC 369. Political Parties and Elections POSC 380. The U.S. Presidency POSC 383. Women and Politics POSC 385. The U.S. Congress POSC 472. Media and Politics
Two additional electives chosen from the 300 or 400 level including:	6
POSC 490. Senior Tutorial in Political Science POSC 493. Simulations in Political Science POSC 495. Internship in Political Science POSC 495W. Washington Semester Internship in Political Science1
For three of these credit hours, students may substitute one of the following 200-level courses:
POSC 210. Introduction to Law and Jurisprudence PUAD 215. Introduction to Criminal Justice PUAD 265. Public Administration
Senior Capstone:2
POSC 492. Senior Seminar in Political Science3	4
	32

1 Although POSC 495W is a 6-credit course, only 4 credits apply to the electives requirement; the remaining 2 hours are applied toward the student's overall degree requirements.
2 Student should fulfill the senior capstone requirement for each major and minor separately. This means that senior experiences completed for one major or minor cannot normally be counted for another. Students who have questions about a particular situation should see the department head or appropriate department coordinator for clarification.
3 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.

Bachelor of Science in Public Administration

Each student, in consultation with their faculty adviser, will choose one of the following program concentrations:

Dr. Ben D. Skelley, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-6832
E-mail: skellebd@jmu.edu

The major in public administration provides students with a general foundation in the nature of the public workplace and its political and legal environments. This major prepares students for professional employment and leadership in government and nonprofit organizations. The program provides specialized training in management and management-related skills.
The program's courses provide students will knowledge of:

• The political culture of public wor
• The economic environment of public work
• The legal environment of public work
• Organization theories
• Management theories
• Management best practices
• Policy processes

In addition, the public administration major heightens students' critical, analytical, and communication skills through case studies and exercises. The dual capstone requirement of a public management seminar and an internship demands integration of knowledge from both general studies and major studies by focusing students on specific cases and work place applications. Because the public administration major is a broad application, students are encouraged to choose a complementary minor with a narrower, applied focus. The minors recommended for students consideration include criminal justice, environmental information systems, environmental management, environmental studies, family studies, gerontology, health information systems, nonprofit studies, political communication, substance abuse intervention, telecommunications, urban and regional studies, communication studies, conflict analysis and intervention, sociology, technical and scientific communication, economics, human resource development, computer science, public health, and integrated science and technology. Interested students may apply to participate in the Fifth-Year Master of Public Administration degree program, which allows qualified students to earn an M.P.A. degree with one additional year of study. Students should apply for this program in their sophomore year. See the JMU Graduate Catalog for more information.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses	Credit Hours
General Education1	41
Quantitative requirement2,3	3
Scientific Literacy requirement2	3-4
University electives	38
Major requirements (listed below)	36-37
	120

1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 In addition to course work taken to fulfill General Education requirements.
3 For this requirement, public administration majors should take MATH 220, the prerequisite for POSC 295, a required core course in the major.220, the prerequisite for POSC 295, a required core course in the major.

Major Requirements

Core Requirements	Credit Hours
GPOSC 225. U.S. Government	4
GECON 200. Introduction to Macroeconomics	3
PUAD 265. Public Administration	3
POSC 295. Political Research Methods11	4
PUAD 381. Budgetary Process	3
MGT 365. Human Resource Management	3
PUAD 415. Legal Environment of Public Administration	3
Electives
Choose two courses from the categories below.	6-7
(The two courses must each come from different categories.)
Institutional Courses
PUAD 325. Regional Planning and Organization PUAD 412. Seminar in Intergovernmental Relations PUAD 483. Emerging Issues in Public Administration POSC 302. State and Local Government POSC 380. U.S. Presidency POSC 385. U.S. Congress POSC 396. International Organizations
Policy Courses
POSC 347. Comparative Public Policy POSC 351. Topics in American Policy2 POSC 358. Public Policy POSC 360. Urban Politics POSC 368. Interest Groups and Public Policy POSC 397. The Politics of International Economic Relations Approved ISAT Course3
Processes and Applications
COB 241. Financial Accounting GEOG 366. Geographic Information Science SCOM 350. Organizational Communication Approved TSC Course 3
Required Capstone Courses
PUAD 420. Public Management PUAD 496. Internship in Public Management	3 4
	36-37

1 MATH 220 is a prerequisite for POSC 295.
2 POSC 351 may be taken when the course topic addresses a public policy issue.
3 Consult the Public Administration Coordinator.

Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs

The major in international affairs provides an interdisciplinary understanding of foreign cultures and societies, the dynamics of world politics and how other nations perceive the world and why they act the way they do. For a full description of this interdisciplinary major, see “Interdisciplinary Programs” on Page 76.

Interdisciplinary Social Science

The major in interdisciplinary social science is designed for students who desire a broad, yet integrated, education in the social sciences as a preparation for careers in government, business, law, teaching or pre-professional training in one of the social sciences. This major is housed in the Department of Political Science and is coordinated by Dr. Sue E. Spivey. For a full description of this program, refer to “Interdisciplinary Social Science,” Page 77.

Minor Requirements

Criminal Justice Minor

The interdisciplinary minor in criminal justice is designed for students interested in careers in law enforcement, corrections or judicial administration. Limited enrollment is available for this minor. Contact Dr. Peggy Plass at plassms@jmu.edu. For a full description of this minor, refer to "Interdisciplinary Programs" on Page 82.

Political Communication Minor

The interdisciplinary minor in political communication is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in political management. For a full description of this minor, refer to "Interdisciplinary Programs" on Page 87.

Political Science Minor

A student may minor in political science by completing 19 credit hours of approved courses from the following list. Check with the department office for department availability of the minor.

Courses	Credit Hours
GPOSC 225. U.S. Government	4
POSC 201. Introduction to Western Political Theory	3
Choose one upper-level American government course from the following:	3
POSC 302. State and Local Government POSC 325. Constitutional Law POSC 326. Civil Rights POSC 351. Topics in American Politics POSC 358. Public Policy POSC 360. Urban Politics POSC 362. Political Behavior POSC 365. American Political Campaigning POSC 368. Interest Groups and Public Policy POSC 369. Political Parties and Elections POSC 380. The U.S. Presidency POSC 383. Women and Politics POSC 385. The U.S. Congress PUAD 358. Public Policy
Elective chosen from 300-level courses listed above or from the following:	3
PUAD 265. Public Administration POSC 310. Political Theory: Ancient to Early Modern POSC 415. Political Theory: Early Modern to the 19th Century POSC 316. Contemporary Political Theory POSC 321. Political Theory and Ideology POSC 330. American Political Thought POSC 381. Topics in Political Theory
Choose Option One or Option Two	6
Option One:
POSC 230. International Relations Choose one of the following:
POSC 361. Topics in International Relations POSC 370. U.S. Foreign Policy POSC/JUST 392. Peace Studies POSC 395. International Law POSC 396. International Organizations POSC 397. Politics of International Economic Relations POSC 435. Seminar in International Terrorism
Option Two:
GPOSC 200. Global Politics or POSC 240. Comparative Politics
Choose one of the following:
POSC 337. Russian Political System POSC 339. Politics of Communist and Post-Communist Systems POSC 340. Political Development in the Third World POSC 345. European Governments POSC 347. Comparative Public Policy POSC 350. Latin American Politics POSC 353. African Politics POSC 355. East Asian Politics POSC 371. Topics in Comparative Politics
	19

Public Administration Minor

The requirement for a minor in public administration is 19 credit hours of courses from the following list. Check with the department office for availability of the minor.

Courses	Credit Hours
GPOSC 225. U.S. Government	4
MGT 365. Human Resource Management	3
PUAD 265. Public Administration	3
PUAD 415. Legal Environment of Public Administration	3
PUAD 381. Budgetary Process	3
PUAD 420. Public Management	3
	19

In addition to the core courses, the department encourages students to take PUAD 496, Internship in Public Administration.

The Washington Semester Program

The political science department offers a Washington Semester Program. In the fall semester the focus is on American politics. In the spring the focus is on global and international politics. In both semesters students have the opportunity to do a Washington-based internship and take a course from specialists in the field. Housing is arranged by JMU and JMU tuition is paid. The American politics program is especially designed for students who are majoring or minoring in programs associated with the political science department. The global semester encourages students from all majors that have an international or global focus to enroll.

Publisher:
JMU Academic Affairs
MSC 8002, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

For more information contact:
JMU Catalog Office at
ug-catalog@jmu.edu

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