Academic Programs
Department of Political Science
Dr. Charles H. Blake, Head
Location: Miller Hall, Room 2121
Phone: (540) 568-6149
E-mail: blakech@jmu.edu
Web site: http://www.jmu.edu/polisci/
Professors
J. Adolino, C. Blake, A. Eksterowicz, S. Hammond, B. Kaussler, K. Knickrehm, R. Roberts, D. Skelley, R. Teske
Associate Professors
D. Jones, H. Lubert, V. Sulfaro
Assistant Professors
M. Adams, A. Broscheid, J. Byrne, M. Cohen, K. Ferraiolo, M. Jamal, J. Keller, G. Kirk, N. Kistner, C. Koski, H. Lee, K. Moore, L. Peaslee, J. Scherpereel, N. Swartz, Y. Yang
Mission Statement
Career Opportunities
Co-curricular Activities and Organizations
Majors in the Department of Political Science
Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
Political Communication Minor
Political Science Minor
Public Policy and Administration Minor
The Washington Semester Program
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 policy and administration and the B.A. in international affairs (cross disciplinary). (See "Cross Disciplinary Programs.")
- offer strong minor programs: political science, public policy and administration and political communication (cross disciplinary).
- 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
- 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, Miller Hall, Room 2120, (540) 568-6149 or contact the internship coordinator, Dr. Skelley at skellebd@jmu.edu.
Co-curricular Activities and Organizations
- Pi Alpha Alpha: public administration honor society
- Pi Sigma Alpha: political science honor society
- Pre-Law Society
- Sigma Iota Rho: international affairs honor society
- Madison PAC: political science and public affairs club
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 policy and 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 33 credit hours, including
- A 14-hour core introducing students to 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, Miller Hall 2141, (540) 568-6313, hammonsj@jmu.edu.
Degree Requirements
| Required Courses | 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) | 33 |
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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 |
1 MATH 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.
| Choose one course from three of the following areas: | 9 |
| Comparative Politics | |
| POSC 337. Politics of Russia and the Former Soviet Union | |
| POSC 340. Political Development in the Third World | |
| POSC 344. Politics of European Union | |
| POSC 345. Politics of Western Europe | |
| POSC 346. Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | |
| POSC 347. Comparative Public Policy | |
| POSC 348. The Politics of Cultural Pluralism | |
| POSC 349. Comparative Political Behavior | |
| POSC 350. Latin American Politics | |
| POSC 353. African Politics | |
| POSC 354. Politics of the Middle East | |
| POSC 355. East Asian Politics | |
| POSC 371. Topics in Comparative Politics | |
| International Relations | |
| POSC 361. Topics in International Relations | |
| POSC 370. U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| POSC/JUST 372. Ethics and International Policies | |
| POSC/JUST 392. Peace Studies | |
| POSC 395. International Law | |
| POSC 396. International Organizations | |
| POSC 397. Politics of International Economic Relations | |
| POSC 430. International Security in the Post-Cold War World | |
| POSC 435. Seminar in International Terrorism | |
| POSC 458. International Political Analysis | |
| Political Theory | |
| 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 Policymaking | |
| 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 384. Minority Group Politics | |
| POSC 385. The U.S. Congress | |
| POSC 386. The U.S. Judiciary | |
| POSC 391. *Topics in Public Policy (*When topic is appropriate) | |
| POSC 472. Media and Politics | |
| Two additional electives chosen from the 300 or 400 level | 6 |
| For three of these credit hours, students may substitute the following 200 level courses: | |
| PPA 265. Public Administration | |
| Senior Capstone1 | |
| POSC 492. Senior Seminar in Political Science2 | 4 |
33 |
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1 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 academic unit head or appropriate academic unit coordinator for clarification.
2 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.
Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Administration
Dr. Gary L. Kirk, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-3768
E-mail: kirkgr@jmu.edu
The major in public policy and administration provides students with a general foundation in the nature of public policy, the public workplace and its political, legal, and managerial environments. This major prepares students for professional employment and leadership in government and nonprofit organizations. The program consists of a core of courses offering general knowledge essential for understanding and working in the public arena. This core provides students with an appreciation of the political culture and economic environment of public work, measurement techniques and a basic understanding of the policy process.
Students are offered a choice between two concentration options: public policy or public management. In the public policy concentration students acquire knowledge of the nature, dynamics, implementation and substance of public policy and its analysis. Courses address:
- Policy processes
- Techniques for analyzing policy options
- The dynamics and substance of particular policy issues
The public management concentration emphasizes management and management-related skills. Courses address:
- The legal environment of public work
- Organization theories
- Management theories and applications
- Management best practices
In addition, courses in both concentrations heighten students' critical, analytical and communication skills through case studies, exercises and the intensive writing requirement. The public policy concentration requires a senior seminar experience which seeks to bring policy theory and analytical skills to bear on a practical issue of public policy. Public management students must complete the dual capstone requirements of a public management seminar and an internship, requiring an integration of knowledge from both general studies and major studies by focusing students on specific cases and workplace applications.
Because the public policy and administration major develops techniques and skills applicable to varied career paths in public service, students are encouraged to choose a complementary minor with a narrower, substantive 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 |
| University electives | 34 |
| Major requirements (listed below) | 39 |
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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 policy and administration majors should take MATH 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 |
| PPA 200. Introduction to Public Policy | 3 |
| PPA 265. Public Administration | 3 |
| POSC 295. Political Research Methods1 | 4 |
| Public Policy Concentration Requirements | |
| POSC 358. Public Policymaking | 3 |
| PPA 359. Policy Analysis | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 |
| POSC 302. State and Local Government | |
| POSC 368. Interest Groups and Public Policy | |
| POSC 380. U.S. Presidency | |
| POSC 385. U.S. Congress | |
| POSC 386. The American Judiciary | |
| Choose three substantive policy electives from the following: | |
| POSC 347. Comparative Public Policy | |
| POSC 360. Urban Politics | |
| POSC 391. Topics in Public Policy | |
| POSC 397. The Politics of International Economic Relations | |
| PPA 483. Emerging Issues in Public Administration2 | |
| Approved ISAT course3 | |
| Senior Capstone | 4 |
| PPA 492. Public Policy Senior Seminar4,5 | |
39 |
|
| Public Management Concentration Requirements | |
| PPA 381. Budgetary Process | 3 |
| MGT 365. Human Resource Management | 3 |
| PPA 415. Legal Environment of Public Administration | 3 |
| Choose two courses, one from each list: | 6-7 |
| Institutional Courses | |
| PPA 325. Regional Planning and Organization | |
| PPA 412. Seminar in Intergovernmental Relations | |
| PPA 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 | |
| Process, Issue and Application Courses | |
| COB 241. Financial Accounting | |
| GEOG 310. Environmental Issues | |
| GEOG 344. Economic Geography and Development Issues | |
| GEOG 366. Geographic Information Science | |
| NPS 300. Introduction to Nonprofit Studies | |
| NPS 320. Nonprofit Management | |
| SCOM 350. Organizational Communication | |
| Approved WRTC course3 | |
| Required Capstone Courses | |
| PPA 420. Seminar in Public Management4,5 | 3 |
| PPA 496. Internship in Public Management5 | 4 |
39 |
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1 MATH 220 is a prerequisite for POSC 295.
2 PPA 483 may be taken when the course topic addresses a public policy issue.
3 Consult the public policy and administration coordinator.
4 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.
5 Students 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.
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 "Cross Disciplinary Programs."
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 "Cross Disciplinary Programs."
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 | 3 |
| the following: | |
| POSC 302. State and Local Government | |
| POSC 325. Constitutional Law | |
| POSC 326. Civil Rights | |
| POSC 351. Topics in American Politics | |
| POSC 358. Public Policymaking | |
| 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 384. Minority Group Politics | |
| POSC 385. The U.S. Congress | |
| Elective chosen from 300 level courses listed above or from the | 3 |
| following: | |
| PPA 265. Public Administration | |
| 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 | |
| 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 372. Ethics and International Policies | |
| POSC/JUST 392. Peace Studies | |
| POSC 395. International Law | |
| POSC 396. International Organizations | |
| POSC 397. Politics of International Economic Relations | |
| POSC 430. International Security in the Post-Cold War World | |
| POSC 435. Seminar in International Terrorism | |
| POSC 458. International Political Analysis | |
| Option Two: | |
| GPOSC 200. Global Politics or | |
| POSC 240. Comparative Politics | |
| Choose one of the following: | |
| POSC 337. Politics of Russia and the Former Soviet Union | |
| POSC 340. Political Development in the Third World | |
| POSC 344. Politics of the European Union | |
| POSC 345. Politics of Western Europe | |
| POSC 346. Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | |
| POSC 347. Comparative Public Policy | |
| POSC 348. The Politics of Cultural Pluralism | |
| POSC 349. Comparative Political Behavior | |
| POSC 350. Latin American Politics | |
| POSC 353. African Politics | |
| POSC 354. Politics of the Middle East | |
| POSC 355. East Asian Politics | |
| POSC 371. Topics in Comparative Politics | |
19 |
|
Public Policy and Administration Minor
The requirement for a minor in public policy and administration is 19 credit hours of courses from the following list.
| Courses | Credit Hours |
| GPOSC 225. U.S. Government | 4 |
| MGT 365. Human Resource Management | 3 |
| PPA 265. Public Administration | 3 |
| PPA 415. Legal Environment of Public Administration | 3 |
| PPA 381. Budgetary Process | 3 |
| PPA 420. Public Management | 3 |
19 |
|
In addition to the core courses, the department encourages students to take PPA 496, Internship in Public Management.
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.
