POLITICAL SCIENCE

www.bsu.edu/poli-sci

North Quadrangle 240, 765-285-8780

PROGRAMS

Master of arts (MA) in political science, master of public administration (MPA), and master of public administration (MPA) with a criminal justice and criminology concentration

Admission requirements

Applicants for the master of arts (MA) and master of public administration (MPA) programs must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School, submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and be accepted by the Department of Political Science. Students seeking admission to the MPA program with a concentration in criminal justice and criminology must also be accepted by the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. Applicants whose undergraduate majors are not political science or closely related subjects may be required to complete undergraduate courses to acquire background knowledge. Credit for these courses does not apply to degree requirements.

MASTER OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

This degree gives students opportunities to broaden and strengthen their understanding of political science. The master of arts in political science prepares students for a variety of goals. Some students may wish to pursue doctoral work at another university after earning the MA degree at Ball State University. Some may wish to enter law school; others may seek governmental employment; still others will go into business or professional organizations that require a knowledge of governmental processes. The MA degree program is flexible enough to prepare students for such a range of possibilities.

Degree requirements

Requires a minimum of 30 hours, at least 15 of which must be earned in political science courses at the 600 level. The 600 level courses must include POLS 625 Research Methods in Political Science and at least three additional 600-level courses in at least two subfields of the discipline chosen by the student in conjunction with her/his advisor. Subfields include American politics, comparative politics/international relations, and public policy/administration. The university research and writing requirement can be met in one of four ways: a thesis for 6 hours of credit, a research paper for 3 hours of credit, a creative project for either 3 or 6 hours of credit, or satisfactory completion of POLS 626 Research Seminar. Before graduation, students must pass a departmental comprehensive exam in two subfields of political science.

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (MPA)

This degree provides graduate professional education to students who wish to prepare for administrative or research careers in public management at the federal, state, or local government level with nonprofit organizations or private sector corporations extensively involved with government.

The flexibility of the program allows students to tailor an interdisciplinary curriculum to their needs, objectives, and goals. A full-time student can complete the MPA program (including internship) in four semesters or two academic years. An in-service student with a strong background may be able to complete the program with a minimum of one calendar year of course work. The requirements of the program ensure that each student will have a theoretical understanding and practical awareness of public policy and of the principles of management and administration in the public sector. The program blends the study of politics and administration with the techniques of modern management.

To accommodate practitioners and others who have daytime commitments, evening and Saturday morning classes are offered as well as weekday classes. Many opportunities exist for student participation in workshops and experiential learning settings where students and public administrators can interact.

Degree requirements

PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE CR HRS

MPA with administrative concentration

Core area of study

POLS 625 Research Mth 3

15 hours from

POLS 642 Publc Policy (3)

648 Polcy Analys (3)

650 Pub Administ (3)

651 Adm Org Mgt (3)

652 Personnl Adm (3)

653 Pub Fin Adm (3) 15

Electives in public administration

related courses 9-12

Research requirements

POLS 626 Rsrch Semnar (3-6)

RES 697 Research Ppr (1-3)

THES 698 Thesis (1-6) 3-6

Minor area of study and/or

Electivesin related

complementary area 6-9

———

36-45 hrs

Before graduation, students must pass
a departmental comprehensive exam
in public administration and public
policy.

MPA with criminal justice and
criminology (CJC) concentration

Core area of study

POLS 625 Research Mth 3

15 hours from

POLS 633 Amer Jud Sys (3)

642 Publc Policy (3)

648 Polcy Analys (3)

650 Pub Administ (3)

651 Adm Org Mgt (3)

652 Personnl Adm (3)

653 Pub Fin Adm (3) 15

CJC concentration

CJC 650 Crim Jus Adm 3

651 Intp Rel CJC 3

652 Phil Asp CJC 3

690 Indpen Study (1-3) 3

Electives in related area 3-6

Research requirements

POLS 626 Rsrch Semnar (3-6)

RES 697 Research Ppr (1-3)

THES 698 Thesis (1-6) 3-6

———

36-42 hrs

Before graduation, students must pass a departmental comprehensive exam in public administration and criminal justice.

In addition, for both the MPA and the MPA with CJC concentrations, each student is required to have a basic understanding of and ability to deal with introductory accounting. This may be fulfilled by a previous undergraduate accounting course or completion of ACC 501 or the equivalent. The student's plan of study, including electives, will be selected in consultation with the program advisor.

Each student’s background will be evaluated individually, and recommendations on program content will be made according to the student’s educational and job experiences and career plans. Students without appropriate professional experience will be required to complete for credit (6 hours) a full-time internship.

Interdisciplinary Emphasis

Courses in a number of other departments may be taken as electives to broaden and strengthen the student’s training. Selection of such courses must be made in consultation with the major advisor. Students may complete part of their MPA elective courses in such departments as accounting, criminal justice and criminology, economics, journalism, educational leadership, management science, marketing, natural resources and environmental management, physiology and health science, and sociology.

POLITICAL SCIENCE (POLS)

503 Issues in Political Science. (3) Survey and investigation of a particular topic, problem, or issue in political science with emphasis on subfields, specialties, and materials not covered in other courses. Exact content will be announced before each offering.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 403.

505 Reading and Special Study. (3-6) For students whose special aptitudes and interests qualify them to study semi-independently. Topics to be chosen and investigated in consultation with the department chairperson and a professor possessing special competence in the topic involved.

Prerequisite: basic courses in the topic selected for special study.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

507 Workshop in Political Science. (2-6) Intensive study of selected problems in political science.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

511 American Political Thought. (3) American political thought from the colonial period to the present. Puritanism, nature of rights, constitutionalism and federalism, nature of the Union, democracy, liberalism, conservatism, individualism and collectivism, welfare state, isolationism and internationalism, and national security and freedom.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 411.

512 Early Western Political Thought. (3) Analysis of political thought of the early Mediterranean and medieval worlds that became the foundation of modern political theories and systems of the West. Emphasizes writings by Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Machiavelli.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 312.

513 Modern Western Political Thought. (3) Analysis of selected writings of leading political theorists from the Age of Reformation to the present.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 313.

527 Voter Polling Techniques. (3) Methods by which information is acquired on the voting behavior and attitudes of the electorate. Emphasizes producing a working knowledge of polling techniques. Sampling, interviewing, and questionnaire construction.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 373.

531 Legislation. (3) Legislative bodies and law-making: organization of legislative bodies, operation of the committee system, relations with interest groups, executive branches, bill drafting, legislative aids, controls over legislation, and movement for reform.

Prerequisite: POLS 130 or the equivalent.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 431.

534 State Legislatures. (3) Legislative systems in American state government. External influences (constituencies, political parties, interest groups), internal influences (organizational structure, staff, norms, decision making), issues confronting state legislatures, and reform proposals.

Prerequisite: POLS 130, 237.

535 Intergovernmental Relations. (3) Analysis of relationships among national, state, and local governments. Consideration of constitutional and legal bases, and the nature of such phenomena as grants-in-aid, tax immunity, education, and interstate compacts.

Prerequisite: POLS 130, 237.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 435.

537 Government and Politics in Indiana. (3) Survey of Indiana’s political culture and tradition as compared to other states. Critical examination of Indiana’s contemporary political processes and governmental policies.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 437.

538 Metropolitan Problems. (3) Cities and metropolitan communities; the nature, characteristics, functions, governmental structure, intergovernmental relations, social makeup and problems, economic base, decision-making structure, and other related topics; the present and future roles of planning and citizen participation in the entire community.

Prerequisite: POLS 238.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 438.

540 Introduction to Law and Enforcement. (3) The development of law and contemporary law enforcement in the United States with special attention to various components of law enforcement systems, their interrelationships, purposes, and needs.

Prerequisite: POLS 130, 237.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 340.

543 American Constitutional Law. (3) The Constitution of the United States, its development and interpretations through principal statutes and judicial decisions. Congressional policies embodied in socioeconomic legislation and doctrines developed by the Supreme Court.

Prerequisite: POLS 130.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 443.

544 Constitutional Liberties. (3) Relations between the individual and government as revealed through cases in constitutional law. Cases involving the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment.

Prerequisite: POLS 130.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 444.

545 National Defense Policy. (3) An international survey of military capacity and function as background for analysis of the national defense policy of the United States. Emphasizes American strategic interests and problems of weapons, technology, nuclear control, and disarmament.

Prerequisite: POLS 130.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 345.

547 Environmental Law and Policy. (3) The legal system’s response to conflicting demands upon environmental resources. Composition of environmental problems, control issues, policy formulation, and legal remedies.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 347.

549 Land-Use Regulation. (3) The legislative and constitutional components of the regulation of land use at various levels of government, including zoning, subdivision regulations, urban renewal, codes, enforcement, eminent domain, conservation, reclamation, interstate compacts, and metropolitan and regional agencies.

554 Politics and Administration of Local Government Budgets. (3) Local government budgeting with emphasis on political and administrative issues in budget preparation and accountability. Revenue development from tax and nontax sources, capital expenditure programming, financing pensions, contracting for services, cost/ benefit analysis, and federal and state grant mechanisms.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 454.

555 Administrative Law. (3) Legal and political study of independent regulatory agencies; their powers, functions, and roles as determined by an analysis of relevant cases in which basic principles are identified and synthesized with other elements of public law.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 455.

561 Community Planning and Its Administration. (3) Planning and development of improved land use and service activities of cities and predominantly urban communities. Consideration of scope, legal basis, implementation, and problems of planning for streets, utilities, education, recreation, transportation, zoning, and related community services.

Prerequisite: POLS 237, 350.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 461.

565 Labor-Management Relations in Government. (3) Public employee unionization, legal provisions for collective bargaining, determination and recognition of bargaining units, bilateral negotiation, and third-party involvement procedures, administration of agreements, and the processes and strategies in collective bargaining negotiations in public organizations.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 465.

566 Administrative Problems in State Government. (3) Administrative procedures and organizational behavior at the state level. Emphasizes the provision of government services and functions in budgeting and taxation, education, environmental protection, public health, and public works.

Prerequisite recommended: POLS 237 or 350.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 466.

570 Public Opinion and Political Behavior. (3) The nature of public opinion, instruments, techniques, and institutions involved in the formation of public opinion; the political uses and implications at home and abroad of public opinion and propaganda.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 370.

571 Public Interest Groups and Government. (3) The internal government and external political strategy of private associations—trade associations, unions, and professional, church, and patriotic organizations. The implications of pressure group activities for constitutionalism, majoritarianism, and constituency, and the effects of pressure groups upon political parties and the political process.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 371.

572 Political Campaigns. (3) Political campaigns considered as the linkage between citizens and the government in a representative democracy, from theoretical and practical perspectives. The course will answer questions on the why (theory), what (strategies), and how (techniques) of political campaigns.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 372.

573 American Political Parties. (3) Organization and functions of political parties in the United States and their role in a representative democracy.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 473.

574 Women and Politics. (3) National survey of women and the political process, with an emphasis on women and contemporary public policy issues.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 474.

575 Minority Group Politics. (3) The political effects of ethnic groups on American politics. Emphasizes both legal and extralegal means by which ethnic groups become involved in and influence public policy.

Prerequisite recommended: POLS 130.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 475.

582 Governments and Politics of Western Europe. (3) Europe as a political and cultural area: the government and political structures of the three major powers in Western Europe—Great Britain, France, and Germany; the current state of the Western European integration movement.

Prerequisite: POLS 130.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 382.

584 British Government and Politics. (3) The political system of the United Kingdom, including a discussion of the Commonwealth and Britain’s place in an expanding European community. Emphasizes Anglo-American relations and British contributions to American political arrangements.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 384.

585 Politics of the European Union. (3) Study of the development of the European Union as an evolving political entity—its politics, institutions, and policies—and the prospects for European unification.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 385.

586 Politics of Russia and the Successor States. (3) Evaluates political, economic, and social change and performance in Russia and the other successor states of the former Soviet Union. Also assesses the historical and cultural context of modern Russia from the Bolshevik Revolution through the post-communist era.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 386.

588 Government and Politics of China. (3) A comprehensive survey of the government and politics of modern China, both of the Republic of China and Communist China.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 488.

590 International Law. (3) A survey of the Law of Nations by analyzing prominent decisions of international tribunals, examining representative legal principles, briefing appropriate cases, and conducting mock court trials.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 490.

592 The United Nations and International Organizations. (3) International organizations; the structure, functions, and current issues facing the United Nations. Students participate in a mock security council at Ball State and may have an opportunity to participate in the National Model United Nations Conference.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 392.

593 World Politics. (3) Theories of contemporary interactions among states, especially the major powers, with particular attention to conflict resolution.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 493.

594 International Relations in Asia. (3) Contemporary international relations in Asia with emphasis on the roles of China, Japan, the United States of America, and the former Soviet Union.

Not open to students who have credit in POLS 394.

595 Communist China’s Foreign Policy. (3) Communist China’s role in international politics, with special emphasis on the effect of Communist China’s foreign policy and the response to it.

610 Issues in International Relations. (3) Examines important theoretical questions confronting students of international relations as a basis for examining current issues that are changing the nature of global and regional relationships.

611 International Political Economy. (3) Explores the theoretical frameworks through which scholars understand the international political economy in order to understand the structures, institutions, and processes that are changing the nature of global and regional relationships.

Open only to graduate students.

615 Western Political Theory. (3) In-depth examination of classic works in the Western political tradition including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Locke, Rousseau, and Marx. Special emphasis on the contributions of each thinker to the evolution of western concepts of justice, liberty, power, and the good society.

625 Research Methods in Political Science. (3) A critical examination of methodological problems and practices in the formulation, execution, evaluation, and reporting of political science research, including a comparison of data-gathering techniques, their respective limitations, and appropriate application.

626 Research Seminar. (3-6) Advanced techniques and applications of political and governmental research. According to need, the seminar will focus on one of the following: traditional political research, behavioral political research, and applied research in policy and administration.

Prerequisite: POLS 625 or permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

632 The American Presidency. (3) This course will explore the theoretical, historical, and contemporary forces that combine to shape the modern presidency.

Open only to graduate students.

633 The American Judicial System. (3) Examines the workings of the American judicial system, composed of courts, judge, jurors, lawyers, spectators, and rules. Topics covered include legal theory, roles of lawyers and judges, judge selection, trial and appellate courts, judicial policy, and the future of law.

636 Seminar in Comparative Politics. (3) Study of the theories, methods, and approaches in comparative politics. Covers themes that can be applied to analyze different countries and regions of the world.

Prerequisite: POLS 210, 280, 625 or equivalents are recommended.

642 Problems in Public Policy. (3) Current political, economic, and social problems in the United States. Examines different approaches to the study of public policy and problems inherent in carrying out the basic stages of the policy process including issue definition, choices among alternatives, agenda setting, decision making, implementation, and evaluation.

Prerequisite recommended: POLS 130.

648 Policy Analysis. (3) Equips students with the tools of the policy analyst through systematic analysis of programs and projects. Emphasizes problem definition, goal determination, systematic evaluation of alternatives, socioeconomic and political indicators, performance measures, and impact evaluation.

Prerequisite recommended: POLS 342 or 642.

650 Public Administration. (3) Organization, personnel, and functions of the various agencies of administration—national, state, and local.

Prerequisite: POLS 130.

651 Administrative Organization and Management. (3) Governmental administrative organizations as companies composed of people taking action under conditions of conflict and cooperation: the nature and role of administrative organization and management, growth and effect on the government of the scientific management movement, formal and informal organization of administrative authority, operational problems and processes, and criteria for evaluation of administration.

Prerequisite recommended: POLS 350.

652 Personnel Administration in Government. (3) The organization and operation of personnel administration in the public service. Scope and character of public employment in the United States, development of federal, state, and local civil service systems, organization of public personnel agencies, and methods and techniques of personnel administration in government.

Prerequisite recommended: POLS 350.

653 Public Financial Administration. (3) Survey of the principles and practices of administration of national, state, and local finances: administrative financial organization, budgetary procedure, accounting of revenues, expenditures, pre-audit and post-audit, assessment and collection of taxes, purchasing, letting of contracts, management of publicly owned undertakings, public debt, and grants-in-aid.

Prerequisite recommended: POLS 350.

669 Paid Internship in American Government. (3-6) Students are paid for part-time or full-time work for one semester in the office of a public official in national, state, or local government, or of a candidate for public office, or of a political party. Assignments depend upon the interests of students and the convenience of sponsors.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

679 Practical Experience in Government.

(3-6) Unpaid full or part-time assignment in a public office with a candidate for public office, a political party, or private organization. Assignments depend upon the student's interest and the convenience of the sponsor.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

689 Comparative Politics and Government. (3) Analysis of politics and government in selected major countries of the world. Considers political processes, governmental institutions, and/or public policies from a cross-national perspective.

Open only to graduate students.

694 Terrorism and Homeland Security. (3) Introduction to political terrorism ranging from low-level acts of threats and violence to large-scale acts of violence using weapons of mass destruction. The nature of terrorism, policies and programs to reduce the risk and to manage terrorist events and the policies and programs to manage the consequences of terrorist violence will be discussed.