Dec 04, 2024

2017-18 Catalog

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2017-18 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Political Science, BA or BS

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Requirements for the Major

Students pursuing a major in political science must meet the following requirements:

1.

Fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements.

2.

Maintain a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA in all courses required for the major.

3.

Complete the following core courses (12 credits):

A. All Students:

All students must complete an approved college level statistics course such as MTH 243 or other statistics course offered by another program (e.g., Sociology, Economics, etc.). Students opting for the Political Philosophy concentration will complete PHL 203 (Introduction to Logic) as an alternative to a statistics course.

B. and both:

PS 311 - Public Opinion and Survey Research 4 credits
PS 498 - Senior Seminar 4 credits (or appropriate Practicum or Reading and Conference with prior approval by student’s advisor)

4.

Select Political Institutions Concentration, Global and Strategic Studies Concentration, Civic Engagement Concentration, or Political Philosophy Concentration.

Political Institutions Concentration

Introductory Courses (8 credits)

PS 201 - Power and Politics 4 credits
PS 202 - Law, Politics, and the Constitution 4 credits

American Politics and Processes (8 credits)

Select two courses:

PS 310 - The Politics of Mass Media 4 credits
PS 313 - American Politics 4 credits
PS 317 - Collective Action 4 credits
PS 324 - Political Campaigns 4 credits
PS 325 - Elections, Money, and Democracy in America 4 credits
PS 436 - Health Care Policy: “Obamacare and Beyond” 4 credits

Topic-related courses:

PS 399 - Special Studies 1 to 18 credits
PS 401 - Research 1 to 18 credits
PS 407 - Seminar 1 to 4 credits
PS 409 - Practicum 1 to 16 credits

Public Law (8 credits)

Select two courses:

PS 320 - International Law 4 credits
PS 325 - Elections, Money, and Democracy in America 4 credits
PS 340 - Law, Science, and the Environment 4 credits
PS 341 - The Constitution and the Supreme Court 4 credits
PS 342 - Environmental Law and Policy 4 credits
PS 343 - The Constitution and the Presidency 4 credits
PS 436 - Health Care Policy: “Obamacare and Beyond” 4 credits

Topic-related courses:

PS 399 - Special Studies 1 to 18 credits
PS 401 - Research 1 to 18 credits
PS 407 - Seminar 1 to 4 credits
PS 409 - Practicum 1 to 16 credits

Transnational and Comparative Politics (8 credits)

Select two courses:

PS 320 - International Law 4 credits
PS 350 - World Politics 4 credits
PS 355 - Comparative Politics 4 credits
PS 358 - Terrorism 4 credits
PS 453 / HST 453 - United States Foreign Relations since 1945 4 credits
PS 454 / HST 454 - U.S.-Latin American Relations 4 credits
PS 460 / HST 460 - Grand Strategy 4 credits

Topic-related courses

PS 399 - Special Studies 1 to 18 credits
PS 401 - Research 1 to 18 credits
PS 407 - Seminar 1 to 4 credits
PS 409 - Practicum 1 to 16 credits

Topics in Political Philosophy (4 credits)

PS 371 - Topics in Political Philosophy 4 credits

Two additional upper-division political science courses (8 credits)

Global and Strategic Studies Concentration

Introductory Courses (8 credits)

Core Upper Division Courses (24 credits)

PS 320 - International Law 4 credits
PS 350 - World Politics 4 credits
PS 355 - Comparative Politics 4 credits
PS 358 - Terrorism 4 credits
PS 453 / HST 453 - United States Foreign Relations since 1945 4 credits
PS 460 / HST 460 - Grand Strategy 4 credits

Elective Coursework (12 credits)

Students will take three courses:

PS 310 - The Politics of Mass Media 4 credits
PS 317 - Collective Action 4 credits
PS 371 - Topics in Political Philosophy 4 credits
PS 372 / HST 372 - Twentieth-Century Revolutions 4 credits
PS 382 / HST 382 - Vietnam War and Film 4 credits
PS 393 / HST 393 - Oil, Politics, and the Environment 4 credits
PS 452 / HST 452 - United States Foreign Relations through 1945 4 credits
PS 454 / HST 454 - U.S.-Latin American Relations 4 credits
HST 348 - Marx and Jesus in Latin America 4 credits
HST 363 - History of Africa 4 credits
HST 380 - War in the Modern World 4 credits

Civic Engagement Concentration

Mission
The Program in Civic Engagement at Southern Oregon University is an interdisciplinary collaboration of scholarship, teaching, and learning designed to prepare students for careers in journalism, civic organizing, diplomacy, and related professions. Combining the concepts, theories, and practical applications of Communication and Political Science with the breadth and depth of History, the program offers a challenging interdisciplinary curriculum which students will value both for its intellectual stimulation and its career-oriented preparation. Graduates of the program will acquire deeper insights into the complex processes of media literacy, information production and dissemination, civic activism, negotiation, and diplomacy. This program would prepare students to be responsive and thoughtful participants in civic life and advocates of responsible public discourse and debate, taking the best lessons from history and applying them to the modern challenges of civic life, both in the US and globally.

Lower Division: 20 credits

Communication Sequence

Choose any two of the following courses, 8 credits

COMM 200 - Communication Across Cultures 4 credits
COMM 203 - Media Literacy 4 credits
COMM 210 - Public Speaking 4 credits
COMM 225 - Small Group Communication 4 credits

Political Science Sequence

Choose any two of the following courses, 8 credits

PS 110 - Globalization 4 credits
PS 201 - Power and Politics 4 credits
PS 202 - Law, Politics, and the Constitution 4 credits

History Sequence

4 credits

HST 251 - American History and Life 4 credits

Upper Division: 28 credits

Elective Courses:

Communication Sequence

(Choose any two courses, 8 credits)

COMM 310 - Advanced Public Speaking 4 credits
COMM 330 - Interviewing and Listening 4 credits
COMM 332 - Discourse Analysis of Social Problems 4 credits
COMM 343 - Argumentation and Critical Thinking 4 credits
COMM 355 - Communication, Culture, and Conflict 4 credits
COMM 412 - Evaluation of Public Communication 4 credits
COMM 441 - International Communication 4 credits
COMM 460B - Communication and Third-World Development 4 credits
COMM 460C - Culture, Identity, and Communication 4 credits
COMM 363 - Documentary Film: Theory and Practice 4 credits

Political Science Sequence

(Choose any three courses, 12 credits)

PS 310 - The Politics of Mass Media 4 credits
PS 313 - American Politics 4 credits
PS 317 - Collective Action 4 credits
PS 320 - International Law 4 credits
PS 324 - Political Campaigns 4 credits
PS 325 - Elections, Money, and Democracy in America 4 credits
PS 342 - Environmental Law and Policy 4 credits
PS 358 - Terrorism 4 credits
PS 360 - Politics and Film 4 credits
PS 371 - Topics in Political Philosophy 4 credits
PS 430A - Nonprofit Grantwriting and Government Relations 4 credits
PS 430B - Nonprofit Volunteerism, Board Development, and Community Mobilization 4 credits
PS 436 - Health Care Policy: “Obamacare and Beyond” 4 credits

History Sequence

(Choose any two courses, 8 credits)

PS 332 / HST 332 - Money and Power in the United States since 1929 4 credits
HST 336 - Modern U.S. Society and Culture 4 credits
PS 372 / HST 372 - Twentieth-Century Revolutions 4 credits
HST 380 - War in the Modern World 4 credits

Political Philosophy Concentration

Lower Division Requirements

(12 credits)

PS 201 - Power and Politics 4 credits
PHL 201 - Introduction to Philosophy 4 credits
or
PHL 205 - Ethics: Moral Issues 4 credits
PHL 203 - Introduction to Logic 4 credits

Political Philosophy Courses

(two courses, 8 credits)

PHL 353 - Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction 4 credits
PS 371 - Topics in Political Philosophy 4 credits

Intellectual History

(Choose one course, 4 credits)

HST 339 - World Renaissance and Reformation 4 credits
HST 342 - Modern Europe 4 credits
HST 348 - Marx and Jesus in Latin America 4 credits

Upper Division Philosophy Electives

(Choose three courses,12 credits)

PHL 301 - History of Western Philosophy 4 credits each
PHL 302 - History of Western Philosophy 4 credits each
PHL 303 - History of Western Philosophy 4 credits each
or
Substitute one of the following for one course of the PHL 301-303 sequence:
PHL 323 - Moral Theory 4 credits
or
PHL 330 - Science, Democracy, and Citizenship 4 credits (or an appropriate PHL 399 or PHL 407 course)

Two Political Science Electives from the list below:

(8 credits)

PS 317 - Collective Action 4 credits
PS 320 - International Law 4 credits
PS 325 - Elections, Money, and Democracy in America 4 credits
PS 341 - The Constitution and the Supreme Court 4 credits
PS 358 - Terrorism 4 credits
PS 371 - Topics in Political Philosophy 4 credits

History and Political Science Honors Program

1. Requirements for Admission and Continuation in the History and Political Science Honors Program:

a. Newly admitted students must satisfy one of the following conditions:

A minimum high school GPA of 3.6
A minimum combined total of 1200 from the critical reading and mathematics SAT sections with a minimum score of 500 in each section
A minimum combined ACT score of 27 with a minimum score of 22 in both math and English
A minimum transfer GPA of 3.6 (based on at least 36 quarter credits)

b. Continuing students must satisfy each of the following conditions:

A minimum GPA of 3.3 in all classes taken at SOU
A minimum GPA in the major of 3.5
A member of the permanent faculty must agree to serve as advisor

c. To continue in the departmental honors program and graduate with departmental honors, students must maintain the levels of achievement outlined in requirement 1b.

2. Requirements to Complete the History and Political Science Honors Program:

a. Students pursuing honors in the History or Political Science major

Students pursuing honors in the History or Political Science major are required to produce an honors thesis based on original research. The honors thesis will constitute the student’s capstone project. Specific guidelines will be provided by the faculty advisor.

It is expected that the focused student research with faculty direction over the course of 3 to 6 terms will generate a superior final product which demonstrates independence of mind and judgment; capacity to design and execute a complex project; advanced research skills; and skills of analysis, synthesis, and clear written and oral communication.

b. To achieve departmental honors, students will:

Ask a permanent faculty member in History or Political Science to serve as their mentor. Once a permanent faculty member accepts, the student and faculty mentor will work together to develop a research and writing plan.
Complete additional work in an appropriate upper-division course taught by the faculty mentor designed to advance the research project. Examples of possible assignments include, but are not limited to, completion of an annotated bibliography; completion of a bibliographic or historiographic essay; and/or completion of an oral presentation.
Complete HST401H or PS 403 (Thesis) where most of the research will be completed for the Honors Thesis. The work completed in this course will be the basis for a thesis to be completed in either HST 415H or PS 498H.
Write the Honors thesis while enrolled in HST 415H (Capstone) or PS 498H (Senior Seminar), under the direction of the faculty advisor.

c. Presentation of honors thesis

Honors students are expected to present their honors theses at the annual Southern Oregon Arts and Research (SOAR) program in the spring and in a departmental venue (such as the capstone or senior seminar).