178 courses with the subject PLSC, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
or PLSC 223N Ethnic and Racial Politics Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better Select 3-4 credits from the following: 3-4
This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. It is often said that politics is a dirty business, meaning that unethical behavior is prevalent in politics. But this is often said with a twinge of disappointment, sometimes with bitterness or anger. We wish that it were not so. One part of an effort to improve the ethical character of politics is to strive for a clear understanding of what ethical political action is. This course endeavors to arrive at that understanding by considering some of the most profound and influential ways of understanding ethical action. One example is that which is derived from Aristotle and supplemented by Martha Nussbaum. Another example is that which is derived from the writings of Immanuel Kant. We will use perspectives written at this level of generality in the analysis of detailed case studies of ethical choices made by citizens, government employees, and elected officials. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education: Humanities (GH) General Education: Social and Behavioral Scien (GS) General Education - Integrative: Interdomain GenEd Learning Objective: Effective Communication GenEd Learning Objective: Crit and Analytical Think GenEd Learning Objective: Integrative Thinking GenEd Learning Objective: Soc Resp and Ethic Reason
/Maximum of 3 The purposes of this course are to introduce students to the comparative study of political systems, some of their parts, and the functioning of those parts, and to develop a capacity for effective, ethical citizenship. Real-world attempts to convince various audiences will be analyzed with respect to their appeals to the emotions of their respective audiences, often through framing the candidacy or policy under consideration in ways intended to stimulate fear, hope, or anxiety in order to command the attention of audiences. The use of words, other symbols, and non- verbal stimuli with strong emotional and normative content will be highlighted. The class will also evaluate efforts to establish credibility with audiences through references to endorsements, demonstrations or claims of expertise, goodwill, and good sense. Lastly, the logical validity of inferences and deductions made in the attempts to convince will be considered so that flattery, manipulation, bargaining, deception, and intimidation can be distinguished from genuine persuasion. So that students might see how characterizations of attempts to convince might be placed into a provisional context, the study is comparative. It will look at attempts in the U.S. as well as some other country. In general, so that the attempts at winning over audiences might be as comparable and as comprehensible as possible, the issue should be as similar as possible and the other country should be Anglophone. Although systems of elections and governance and controversial issues inevitably vary within and between countries, it is possible to find elections and policy controversies with sufficient similarities to make cross-national comparisons of attempts at convincing their respective audiences a fruitful exercise. For example, one might build the course around the televised debates and campaign ads for the mayoral elections in Vancouver and Seattle and the efforts to generate support and opposition to oil pipelines in the two countries. By looking at the different strategies used in attempts to convince elites, the citizenry and parts of
Alexis de Tocqueville called association the ¿mother science¿ of politics and saw voluntary associations as a pillar of American democracy. These associations must compete in what might be called a moral economy of public policy that preserves the value of equality. This course brings together ideas from political philosophy, history, political science, communication, sociology and economics to address an important question: How have voluntary, nongovernmental associations come to shape and implement public policy? The class begins with the core concepts in political thought and traces them through to contemporary ideas about civil society that span the political spectrum. After critically assessing these ideas, we integrate them into a framework for understanding the process of making public policy. Recommended Preparations: Any humanities or social sciences course, prior or current registration Cross-listed with: PUBPL 120N, SOC 180N Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education: Humanities (GH) General Education: Social and Behavioral Scien (GS) General Education - Integrative: Interdomain GenEd Learning Objective: Crit and Analytical Think GenEd Learning Objective: Integrative Thinking GenEd Learning Objective: Soc Resp and Ethic Reason
Supporting Courses and Related Areas Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better Select 6-9 credits (at least 6 at the 400 level) in consultation with the Pennsylvania Studies adviser from among courses that focus substantially on Pennsylvania, including the following:
Introductory course emphasizing psychological, historical, and political aspects of global intolerance towards minorities. PLSC 132 The Politics of International Intolerance (3) (GS;IL)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. PLSC 132 is an introductory survey concerning the social phenomenon of "intolerance" i. e., attitudes or behaviors that seek to exclude or eliminate groups perceived to be different. Here "differences" encompasses such features as nationality, belief, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Often these aspects of the human condition are the targets of majority discrimination or collective violence.The course presumes the following assumptions: (1) Intolerant attitudes are not just "another point of view" but also an utterly destructive form of behavior inimical to civilized values. (2) Few, if any, societies have existed without some forms of intolerance. (3) The causes of intolerance are usually multi-causal (economic, political, and psychological) and are understood through social science. (4) "Politics" implies both the ideology and organization of intolerant movements and the relation of such movements to public authorities.Students should expect fairly extensive readings involving primary source material, analyses of intolerant behavior drawn from different disciplines, and comparison of intolerance phenomena from a global perspective. Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
An overview of contemporary topics in international relations. PLSC 140 Contemporary Controversies in International Relations (3) (GS) PLSC 140 investigates changes in the international system by focusing on critical ongoing situations. After a brief introduction to key theories international relations, including the concept of one state as a dominant or hegemonic power, we will cover a range of related topics such as drug trafficking, international terrorism, international trade, nuclear weapons proliferation and the role of international organizations such as the United Nations and MF and World Bank. General Education: Social and Behavioral Scien (GS) GenEd Learning Objective: Crit and Analytical Think GenEd Learning Objective: Global Learning GenEd Learning Objective: Integrative Thinking
Exploration of the rationales, methods, and consequences of highly repressive political regimes through novels, films, and memoirs. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
The course centers on a Spring Break trip to Washington DC, with students meeting on campus before and after the trip. PLSC 177N Politics and Government in Washington DC (1-3) This course centers on a Spring Break trip to Washington DC, where students will meet with their members of Congress, get briefings at foreign embassies and international organizations, meet with leaders of federal government
This course will address laws, politics, and policies related to organized crime issues. PL SC 178 Organized Crime, Law, and Politics (3) This course addresses the role and impact of organized crime in US laws, politics, and policies over the past century, with particular attention to modern organized crime groups. The course will look at how organized crime syndicates influenced and often cooperated with some political leaders and law enforcement agencies in the twentieth century, while other political leaders became famous for prosecutions of organized crime figures. Modern legal tools in the fight against organized crime will be discussed, such as RICO and witness protection programs. And the course will look at many examples of modern organized crime groups that originated in Europe, Asia, or Latin America, but which now have an impact on US society, and the policies that attempt to limit the influence of modern organized crime. Included in the examination of modern organized crime will be the connection to modern terrorist activities.
The course will focus on the history and politics of the Cold War and its depiction in literature and film, especially in British and American literature, but also in that of other countries. Students will read political science and history texts, novels, short stories, and poetry, and view films. Students will analyze the reasons that the Cold War has been and continues to be a major inspiration for literary production and a transformative influence on literary style. Students will be encouraged to explore alternative methodologies for research on cold war topics including the use of primary sources, for ex. documents from the intelligence community archives that have since been declassified. In addition to a class field trip, students will be encouraged to make additional site visits to appropriate institutions in U.S. intelligence histor They'll be making a series of visits to relevant sites. Cross-listed with: AMST 183N, ENGL 183N Bachelor of Arts: Humanities Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject that may be topical or of special interest. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 12 Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course introduces students to the politics and governing institutions of European countries through an historical and comparative perspective. It examines the development of the political systems in Europe during the 20th Century by applying the tools of political science to significant historical events, such as the rise of Nazism, transitions to democracy in Southern Europe, and the collapse of state socialism in Eastern Europe. Students will learn the structure, rules and key actors in different contemporary systems across Europe and in the European Union. They will explore how the design of democratic institutions impacts political representation and a government's accountability to citizens. They will discuss theories of voting, the development of the party system, and non-electoral politics such as protest and social movements. Cross national comparisons enable students to understand differences in voting patterns, types and consequences of collective action, social and economic policy, orientation toward Europe, and business and legal environments among European countries as well as to see the political issues that are relevant to Europe as a whole. The course is a good choice for any student preparing to live and work in a globally interconnected world. It will be particularly appealing to students interested in the organization, development and breakdown of democratic systems and politics -- including US politics as a fruitful point of comparison. For majors, the specific focus on the European context is an effective follow up to PLSC 3, PLSC 14 or PLSC 7. Bachelor of Arts: Humanities Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Exposes students to the relationship between religion and politics around the world and examines trends in the influence of religion and religious parties on governments and public policy. The relationship and trends will be informed by multiple perspectives from political science, sociology, philosophy, and religion. Students will familiarize themselves with the basic tenets, historical backgrounds, and comparative differences of the main religions that are involved in the political conflicts that will be examined in the course. Students will first examine the principles and values of Christianity (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox); Islam; Judaism; Hinduism; and Buddhism. The different religions will be discussed in terms of their beliefs as well as their function in national identities. Discussion of religion will also examine secular critique of religion, from the Enlightenment and the French Revolution to the present. This will include a comparative look at the ways in which science and rational thought have challenged religions' place in different societies and how religions have sought to counter this challenge. Students will then examine political parties, movements, and actors and their role in affecting public policies in different countries in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Students will analyze instances where religious disagreements led to internal policy clashes between members of the same religion as well as conflicts between adherents of different religions within the same country. The power of religious parties' and their secular political rivals will be a central part of this discussion. Students will explore instances in a variety of countries, including but not limited to Turkey, Israel, India, Myanmar, Latin America, France, Eastern Europe, and the United States. These examples will serve to elucidate clashes between religious and secular powers within different countries and between majority and minority religions. The discussion will also include the topic of how religion affects policies concerned with gender equality. Recommended Preparation: PLSC 3 Bachelor of Arts: Humanities Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course will examine how policy decisions are made in American politics, including factors that affect policy choices, the policymaking process, and evaluation of existing policies. Instructors will choose several different policy areas for more in depth discussion and analysis of current policies and policy choices. Possible areas of focus include economic and budgetary policies; social welfare policies; environmental and energy policies; civil liberties and civil rights policies; criminal justi policies; education policies; food, drug, and agriculture policies; labor policies; medical and technological policies; regulatory policies; health care policies; security policies; and trade policies. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences United States Cultures (US) General Education: Social and Behavioral Scien (GS) GenEd Learning Objective: Effective Communication GenEd Learning Objective: Crit and Analytical Think GenEd Learning Objective: Integrative Thinking
This course introduces students to a range of careers available to them with a major or minor in political science or international politics and cultivates professional skills for seeking employment and building a career. Students will learn about careers in government, law, lobbying, consulting, NGOs and nonprofits, journalism, data analysis, and business. They will develop and refine the key documents necessary for the job search, including resumés, cover letters, and writing samples. The course will feature guest speakers throughout the semester to provide students with direct accounts of work experiences, hiring processes, and what is expected from interns and job candidates. By the end of the course students will have assembled a portfolio comprised of their goals for their future career, strategies to pursue those goals, and deliverables to present their knowledge, skills, and potential to future employers. Grades for the course will be based on in-class activities, one exam, and short writing and skills-based assignments that culminate in a final project.
Penn State has a special opportunity to create new leaders who learn deliberative approaches to politics and public life. This one-credit course provides a background for this approach to democratic leadership, and it also prepares students for the Nevins Fellows paid internship program. Those who complete this course will have first priority when awarding these internships each year. The centerpiece of this course are day-long workshops that introduce students to effective civic leaders in government or the non-profit sector. Bracketing these workshops are a handful of seminars, which introduce ideas, discuss reading assignments, and reflect on the workshops. In addition to short reaction papers, students will produce a narrative essay at the end of the course that describes how they could see themselves advancing democracy in the United States (or elsewhere) and what kind of internship experience will help them prepare for such a career. For those who opt to seek an internship, this essay will supplement their formal application. Credit for the course requires attendance at every class meeting and workshop, or equivalent makeup assignments, if permitted. Cross-listed with: CAS 209
This course is an introduction to the emergence and enforcement of rights in the United States. The course provides an overview of how ce rights have been codified into law and interpreted by the courts. The primary focus is how and why the conception of rights has changed over time. Emphasis is placed on the rights of groups that were denied equal citizenship when the Constitution was ratified. We will examine how these marginalized groups have engaged in a continual struggle
Supporting Courses and Related Areas Select 3 credits of HIST from approved list (GH) 3 Select 6 credits in PLSC comparative politics or international 6 relations courses from an approved list Politics and Government Option (18 Credits) ts Code Title Credits Supporting Courses and Related Areas Select 12 credits of PLSC courses 12 Select 6 credits of courses in related areas from a major-approved list 6 3 Public Policy Option (18-19 Credits) Code Title Credits 3 Prescribed Courses
The purpose of this course is to explore gender differences in sport and politics that emerge from physiology, culture, history, politics, and policy. The engagement of women in sport has unique physiological considerations and ethical dilemmas as well as a rich history of defining moments and important ties to feminism and politics. In this course, students will learn how physiology differences affect female athletic performance and the effects of exercise on the female body, as well as how cultural, historical, and political forces shaped women's participation in sport. Students will also see how similar historical, cultural, and political forces affect women's involvement in politics. Combined, students will understand how similar forces shape gender norms and participation two different, yet related, aspects of society. Additionally, students will learn about the push for evidence-based policymaking and apply that knowledge to topics including doping, pregnancy, and gender verification. Students will integrate physiology and policy in a final assignment advocating for evidence-based sport policy. They will also educate their peers through a public education project. Cross-listed with: KINES 222N, PUBPL 222N General Education: Health and Wellness (GHW) General Education: Social and Behavioral Scien (GS) General Education - Integrative: Interdomain GenEd Learning Objective: Effective Communication GenEd Learning Objective: Crit and Analytical Think GenEd Learning Objective: Integrative Thinking GenEd Learning Objective: Soc Resp and Ethic Reason
This course explores the roles race and ethnicity play in politics and government. Students will learn how social groups organize to achieve political goals, how and why opposition to those goals arises in plural societies, and what policies governments can pursue to defuse tensions between groups. Students will be introduced to research explaining the historical and cultural basis of ethnic identities. Additionally, students will examine and compare case studies of political disputes that arise when groups differentiate themselves from one another. Ethnic and racial politics in the United States will be compared to ethnic and racial politics in other countries, such as Canada, Indonesia, Bosnia, Switzerland, Rwanda, and South Africa, with attention to political movements and government policies. The course will also explore the complex relationship between government and social groups by looking at immigration policy, the role of ethnic groups in shaping foreign policy, and the legacy of settlement and conquest. Through individual cases and cross national comparison, students will critically assess the sources of inter-group conflict, coexistence, and integration to identify best practices in order to achieve peaceful and inclusive plural societies. The course draws upon resources from a variety of disciplines, including political
Campaigns and elections are the mechanisms used to place people into office in American government. Electoral outcomes are the product of rules that govern who can run and participate in voting, the choices made by candidates and their campaigns, and the individual decisions rendered by voters at the ballot box. This course explores each of these items to provide a comprehensive understanding of how campaigns and elections operate in the United States. The topics covered include how candidates are selected and elected, ballot propositions, election laws and administration, how voters choose among candidates, campaign strategies and advertising, campaign fundraising and spending, and proposed reforms to the American election process. Students are introduced to different types of election systems in the United States and in democratic countries around the world. They will discuss alternatives to the election systems currently used in Pennsylvania and in most places in the United States. The electoral college method of selecting a president will be examined in depth. Various laws that either make it easier or more difficult to vote will be addressed. Students will examine some recent examples of the ballot initiative process and discuss its role in democratic governance. A substantial portion of the course will address which political parties various voter groups tend to prefer and why, how party bases have changed in American history, and why parties other than Democrats and Republicans have had limited success in the past century. Key components of campaign strategies and how candidates raise money, as well as famous political advertisements, will be presented. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences United States Cultures (US) General Education: Social and Behavioral Scien (GS) GenEd Learning Objective: Effective Communication GenEd Learning Objective: Crit and Analytical Think
This course explores the political implications of climate change and the increasing scarcity of many of the world's resources. It provides students with an understanding of the actors and issues driving debates over decision-making and the use of natural and economic resources, with a focus on the American political process. The first part of the course presents the frameworks, actions and interests of various policy actors who affect environmental decision-making and the formation and implementation of environmental policies. The second part develops specific environmental issues, including climate change, resource scarcity and waste management. Much of the reading assumes that our civilization faces the twin problems of increasingly serious shortages of resources and a growing ecological crisis that threatens the basis of life. Further, it argues that these twin crises feed upon each other, and that together they pose serious short and long run challenges to survival. Some readings attribute these problems to the dominant values that characterize modern Western society. The course does consider some dissents from this perspective, arguments that things will be just fine. However, it concentrates on problems and predictions of trouble. It recognizes that most of what we learn, read, and see supports the status quo and assumes our civilization and energy-dependent way of life will continue. Consequently, it emphasizes the less frequently argued position that we may be headed for disaster. The class aspires to appeal to students regardless of major or college -- to scientists, engineers, students of the humanities, and even economists and political scientists. It fulfills the University-wide general education requirement in Social Science. Although it discusses the role of politics in general and the role of the American political system in particular in discussing the "twin crises," it mostly grapples with fundamental questions of value that underlie and guide the play of power in our political system and with how the massive changes now taking place globally both affect and are affected by politics. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education: Social and Behavioral Scien (GS) GenEd Learning Objective: Crit and Analytical Think GenEd Learning Objective: Integrative Thinking GenEd Learning Objective: Soc Resp and Ethic Reason
This course provides an introductory overview of the politics of the Middle East. It introduces students to the political development of Middle Eastern countries and the construction of the Middle Eastern state system through a historical examination of the period of Islamic Empires through Colonialism and Independence. It discusses the major political ideological factors that have influenced political development in the Middle East. It examines the political economy of Middle Eastern states as well as the political economy of development of the region. The course studies the politics of gender, ethnicity and other identities in the region. It also covers major political conflicts within the Middle East and between Middle Eastern countries and the outside world. Bachelor of Arts: Arts
3 PLSC 491 Peace and Conflict Studies Seminar 3
/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4735
/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 12 Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Introduction to research design, principles of social science research, and development on honors theses research proposal. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 3 This seminar supports the writing and editing of senior honors theses. PL SC 306H Senior Thesis Writing Workshop (1-3)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. This is a workshop for honors students in their senior year writing their thesis in political science. There are no assigned readings or written assignments outside of those necessary for the completion of your thesis. Participants are expected to make progress on their own thesis and to contribute to the collaborative enterprise of discussing thesis progress and problems while critiquing one another's work. Each participant is expected to make progress on their thesis, to collectively discuss and consider the research process during workshop sessions, and come prepared to offer useful feedback and criticism on other participants' research. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Introduction to conceptualization, research design, and measurement in political research. PL SC 308 Introduction to Political Research (3)This course introduces students to the research process in political science. The course can be taken by itself or as the first in a two course sequence with PL SC 309. It is intended to give political science majors the skills needed to conduct research in political science, or in related fields such as public policy. The course introduces students to the scientific approach to accumulating knowledge, it examines conceptual and theoretical thinking about politics (e.g. understanding what concepts, variables and hypotheses are), it covers different methods of collecting social science data (interviews, surveys, observation, experiments, analysis of documents, etc.) and it provides an introduction to the interpretation of that data. Ethical issues in research are discussed, and students are also introduced to basic statistical concepts. The course typically includes multiple take home and/or in-class assignments that
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better PLSC 10 Scientific Study of Politics 3
This course introduces students to research design and quantitative analysis techniques used in political science with an aim toward developing transferrable skills for future coursework in the political science major, especially the senior thesis process. Students will learn how to construct theories and design studies, how to quantify concepts, and how to test theories using a variety of statistical techniques, including descriptive analysis, correlation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. The course will include classroom lectures and computer lab time to enable students to work hands-on with datasets. This course is the first in a three-course sequence for students interested in writing an honors thesis in political science. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Africa's global cultural, political and economic importance should not be underestimated as it continues a period of unprecedented growth. Projections indicate that by the end of the century Africa will be home to a 1/3 of the world's population and 13 of the 20 world's largest cities. As Africa fuels global growth, external actors will have to increasingly deal with Africa on Africa's terms by showing an understanding and appreciation of African history and cultures. Often portrayed in Western media as a marginal and backward continent in need of external assistance, this course will examine how African governments and peoples are asserting their independence from foreign domination, defining their interests, and ensuring their voices are heard in the global arena. This international relations course provides an introductory overview of global politics from an African perspective. A major focus will be on the historical evolution of Africa as an important global region with its own institutions, norms and rules that guide intra-African international relations within the continent. On the global stage the focus is on efforts to coordinate diplomatic activities to push African agendas in global forums like the UN. The course examines the utility of different international relations theoretical perspectives for understanding Africa's place in global politics. Areas of substantive concern include: the historic marginalization of African interests and voices in international affairs; intra-African international relations including the role of the AU and regional international organizations in creating a more peaceful and secure continent; Africa's relations to global military and economic powers like the United States, China, Europe, and Russia; the International Political Economy of African development, and Africa's agency in global political, religious and cultural movements. Recommended Preparations: It is useful but not necessary to have taken one or more previous courses in International Relations and/or African Studies. Cross-listed with: AFR 345N Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 18 Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction including field experiences, practica, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject that may be topical or of special interest. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 12 Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
* 3 PLSC 400-Level * *
This course examines domestic political violence in the context of the United States from a social scientific perspective. Students will investigate various forms and manifestations of domestic political violence, including terrorism, hate crimes, riots and violent protests, and violence by the state. The history of political violence in the United States as well as the various ideologies that have motivated violent extremism will be considered, as will the factors that might drive support or tolerance for violent extremism within the American public, including economic grievances, media and social media, toxic ideologies, conspiracy theories and disinformation, institutional factors, social and demographic change, and politician hate speech. Students will also examine what can be done to address the problem of political violence in the United States. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences United States Cultures (US)
Analysis of the policy process within the legislative system; the effects of environmental factors on policy alternatives and legislative decision making. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course provides students with the tools to empirically evaluate policy proposals and outcomes in the American states. PL SC 404 Analyzing Public Policy in the American States (3) Developing public policies is the proximate goal of any government. In the United States national, state, and local lawmakers steeped in their own traditions, procedures, and political environments establish rules that determine their citizen's quality of life. In the states specifically, laws affect citizens's access to and their ability to afford an education; the quality of the roads they travel on; the wages they earn; whether and to what extent they qualify for subsidized health care; how they cast their ballot in elections; and myriad other aspects of their lives. This course focuses on policymaking in the American states and how those policies can be evaluated using social science methods. The course begins with a discussion of what makes states distinct from one another & their populations, governmental institutions, and political values. The focus then shifts to how statistical techniques can be used to describe variation in state policy; to develop causal arguments to explain variation; and to assess the efficacy and value of different approaches to the same social problems. Students learn how to measure and gather data relevant to public policy debates, to describe and categorize policy, to model policy outcomes, and to draw conclusions about alternative approaches to solving the policy problems being addressed. Students then apply this knowledge to major policy debates in state government. The course concludes by with an exploration of the ethical implications of using data to make policy decisions and with attention to how technical and statistical information can be effectively communicated to professional and nonprofessional audiences. Students are required to have an Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4737 understanding of introductory statistics (equivalent to the knowledge they would gain from PL SC 309 or STAT 200) prior to taking this course. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
An examination of the selection methods for, and powers of, the American presidency, as well as other chief executives. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
An examination of the selection methods for, and powers of, the American presidency, as well as other chief executives.
/Maximum of 3 This course examines advances in democratization around the globe, and compares the performance of democratic and authoritarian governments. This course examines the impacts of international democracy aid around the globe, and compares the performance of democratic and authoritarian governments in promoting citizens' well-being. Democracy assistance for activities such as conducting elections and strengthening civil society has become a key component of foreign aid provided by longstanding democracies. Its use is based on a widespread belief that democracies perform better than autocracies in a number of policy domains. The course focuses on how such aid affects recipient countries, and how performance of democratic and authoritarian regimes actually differs. It traces the expansion of international democracy aid, explores the different types of assistance that donor countries provide, and reviews empirical research on the impacts in recipient countries. It then turns to a comparison of the performance of democratic vs. authoritarian regime type in generating public goods such as economic prosperity, socioeconomic equality, and civic peace.
Explores the theory and practice of democratic deliberation in elections, town meetings, juries, legislatures, and other public institutions. CAS (PL SC) 409 Democratic Deliberation (3) Many modern democracies have made strides to become more deliberative in how they make decisions. This course looks closely at the most promising innovations in self- government while also reviewing the persistent anti-deliberative and undemocratic features of modern societies and governments. Topics covered in the course include deliberative democratic theory, political conversation, common forms of public meetings, mediated deliberation, campaigns and elections, the jury system, and deliberative democracy on larger social scales.
This course examines political behavior using social choice theory and game theory. PL SC 410 Strategy and Politics (3)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. Strategic behavior is central to politics. It is common for political outcomes to be determined by the interaction of individuals seeking goals in an environment in which goal attainment is complicated by the choices of other actors. This course introduces various methods for analyzing strategic behavior using social choice and game theories. We will employ these approaches to better understand a wide range of political phenomena in international politics, comparative politics, and American politics, such as war, terrorism, voting, electoral competition, government formation, and democratic transitions. By the end of the course, students will, among other things, have experience using games to analyze a range of political behaviors and institutions. The course assumes no prior knowledge of social choice theory or game theory. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
or PLSC 481 Global Political Economy
Background, organization, and operation of the Communist Party and the government of the Soviet Union. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 3 Dictators and Their Demise examines the political economy of authoritarian rule. PL SC 414 Dictators and Their Demise (3) Dictators and Their Demise provides a broad exploration about how non- democratic governments throughout the world rule. We examine: the conditions that give rise to authoritarianism; the variety of authoritarian regimes; the strategies authoritarian leaders use to stay in power; the consequences of different types of authoritarianism for outcomes such as economic growth and human development; and the domestic and international sources of authoritarian demise. The course covers cases of authoritarian rule in: Chile, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, and the former Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DRC). The course builds knowledge about the governments under which most people in the Global South lived during the 20th century. Even today, roughly half of the world's population lives under some form of non-democratic government. Yet almost all courses currently in the curriculum, particularly in the field of comparative politics, focus exclusively on democratic forms of government. This course therefore examines a new topic not currently offered in the curriculum. In additional to learning about different types of authoritarian rule, students form an understanding of how common foreign policy tools, such as economic sanctions, foreign aid, and human rights shaming, are likely to affect domestic politics in these countries. This knowledge helps students critically evaluate foreign policy relationships between democracies, such and the United States, and dictatorships. Course materials cover theoretical approaches to the study of authoritarian rule, in-depth case studies (including novels, biographies, and documentary), and empirical research. This course requires student presentations, weekly reading assignments, descriptive analysis of quantitative data in graphs, multiple written assignments, and a final take-home essay exam. Students develop analytic skills through the weekly written homework assignments in which they apply the broad theoretical concepts to analyze counter factual situations from specific cases of authoritarian rule. Oral presentations develop inter-personal skills and require students to research specific cases of authoritarian rule currently in the news. This helps students critically evaluate current events. Finally, the written assignments require students to develop skills working with real data. Students collect and graphically present basic descriptive data about economic and human development in non-democratic countries: economic data, infant mortality, literacy, and indicators of women's well- being. Using real world data to make international comparisons helps y students develop skills to form and articulate complex arguments, and teaches them the basics of research design. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
or PLSC 442 American Foreign Policy Select 3-6 credits (no more than 3 credits below the 300 level) of the 3-6 following: HIST 120
A survey of traditional and contemporary conceptual frameworks and theoretical approaches for the analysis of international relations. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences Writing Across the Curriculum
Overview of structural, technological, decision-making, behavioral, and political subsystems of bureaucracy; emphasis on bureaucratic dynamics within larger environmental, interorganizational contexts. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Students learn about how national states arise, expand the territory and population they control, and persist or fail.
Why and how do governments regulate cross-border flows of goods, capital, and people? What are the benefits and costs of globalization? What are the social tensions resulting from countries' integration into the world economy? This course examines the complex interplay between politics and the global economy using data and empirical analysis. It has two objectives. First, it will introduce students to topics on internationa trade, foreign investment and multinational corporations, international finance, economic development, etc. Second, it will teach students quantitative methods to analyze issues related to globalization. The goal of this course is to provide students with substantive knowledge and analytical skills that are necessary to understand the politics of globalization.
Aspects of political transition and institutions of the fifteen Soviet successor republics; emphasis on Russia and republican confederation. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Topics in the comparative analysis of representative contemporary Western and non-Western governmental institutions. Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4739 Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Comparative analysis of political processes; executive, legislative, and judicial decision making and behavior; examination of systems functioning; selected public policies. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
SOC 454 With the approval of the Pennsylvania Studies adviser, students may count up to 3 credits for internships in Pennsylvania. Students may enroll in the College of the Liberal Arts internship program or a departmental internship program.
Nature and development of mass attitudes and opinions; political socialization; voting behavior; relation between opinions and public policy. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Gender in politics in the United States and around the world; major areas of women and politics research. PL SC (WMNST) 428 Gender l and Politics (3) (US;IL)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. This course is designed as an overview to the field of women and politics. It examines the role that women play in politics in the United States and around the world. Students will begin by examining how women are socialized differently from men and how that socialization effects women's political attitudes and participation. Then students will focus on women in different political offices and how their behavior compares to that of their male counterparts. Students will then analyze the women's movement in the United States. Finally, students will turn to different theories of the ideal position of women and men in politics and use those theories to explore the issue of pornography. Students will be evaluated on a final exam, short essays ( 4 3-5 page essays), class participation, and a research paper (15 pages). This is an advanced course with 6 credits prerequisite in Women's Studies or Political Science. This course fulfills the American Politics and Comparative Politics distribution as well as the advanced course requirement for the Political Science major. It is an elective for a Women's Studies major. It also fulfills an International/Intercultural competency requirement. This course will be offered once a year with 35 seats per offering. Cross-listed with: WMNST 428 Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
The new politics, its technology, and the strategic perspectives that underlie it. PL SC 429 Analysis of Electoral Politics (3)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. This course engages students in the empirical study of electoral politics in the United States. Elections in the U.S. are about voters, candidates and the rules that determine what these actors do to structure the course of the election and that lead to the final outcome. In empirical political science, analysis involves the systematic examination and evaluation of relevant data to solve a problem or answer a question. In this course, then, students use data about voters to systematically analyze their actions and decisions in U.S. presidential elections, with an emphasis on understanding why they make the choices they do to produce the resulting election outcomes. Throughout the course, students will draw on a range of publicly available data and use statistical analyses to investigate the "cost" of voting; evaluate competing theories of voter choice; examine how candidate evaluations, candidates' issue stances and retrospective evaluations of candidates influence voter choice; assess how vote choice is shaped by an individual's partisan identification; and evaluate how social demographic trends shape election outcomes. At the conclusion of the course, students will have the substantive knowledge and analytic skills to evaluate the assertions and conclusions of politicians, pundits, and political scientists as they contemplate campaigns and election outcomes. Students are required to have an understanding of introductory statistics (equivalent to the knowledge they would gain from PL SC 309 or STAT 200) prior to taking this course. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Detailed examination and analysis of a selected major work, thinker, or tradition in the history of political theory. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Detailed examination and analysis of a selected major work, thinker, or tradition in the history of political theory. PL SC 430W Selected Works in the History of Political Theory (3)The course will examine the tradition of 'liberal' political philosophy, focusing principally on the social contrac tradition in Western political philosophy. We will examine the work of the 'classic' social contract theorists -Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant - and discuss some more recent variants. We will then consider broad contemporary critiques of this tradition. In particular, we will consider charges of exclusion, parochialism, and biased conceptions of the self allegedly manifested in liberal theories, especially as those charges that center on considerations of race and gender. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences Writing Across the Curriculum
Political theories of Plato and Aristotle; selected Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance theorists through Machiavelli. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Political theories of the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries, including Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, Mosca, Weber, and selected theorists. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
The course introduces students to the major political and philosophical movements that influenced the founders of the early American republic. PL SC 433 Political Foundations of the Early American Republic (3)The course introduces students to the major political and philosophical movements that influenced the founders of the early American republic. The first section of the course, set in the ancient world, will examine the earliest experiments in democratic government in both Greece and the Roman Republic. In addition to studying the structure and traditions of ancient governments, students will consider competing theories for why these early democratic experiments ultimately failed. The second section of the course traces the gradual evolution of representative democracy in Britain from the signing of Magna Carta to the quiet subjugation of the monarchy in the 19th Century. Recognizing that the theoretical structures of political power remain somewhat fixed in this period, students will consider how legal precedent can gradually transform seemingly static political institutions. The third section of the course examines American efforts to establish stable representative institutions in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. Looking back at both ancient and modern constitutional traditions, students will examine how prior democratic experiments heavily influenced the deliberations of the founders both at the Constitutional Convention and in the establishment of the new federal republic.
t This course will examine the relationship between war and development in sub-Saharan Africa in the post colonial era. PLSC 434 / AFR 434 War and Development in Africa (3) (IL) This course will examine the relationship between development and war in sub-Saharan Africa in the modern era. Specifically, it will analyze the extent to which the processes of state building, nation building, and international intervention have contributed to the incidence of both civil war and international conflict in Africa. We will begin with a review of several theoretical arguments on the causes of warfare in Africa and then turn to a discussion of theses on African political development. This course complements present offerings in international relations and comparative politics in the PLSC department and can serve as an advanced undergraduate offering in the
Political theories of colonial, revolutionary, and constitutional periods presented through works of selected thinkers and analysis of particular political problems. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course examines factors influencing the onset, duration, severity, termination, recurrence, and consequences of civil wars around the world. PL SC 436 Civil Wars (3) This course provides a broad exploration of the causes, characteristics, and consequences of civil wars. In particular, it investigates what makes civil wars more likely to occur, what influences how long they last, how severe they are, and how likely they are to recur, while also considering their consequences for the states that experience them. It considers the scholarly research on this topic over the past decade or more, and builds an awareness both for what are the known regularities as well as what are the continuing uncertainties about the place of civil war in the contemporary international system. It does this specifically within the context of scientific research about civil wars, and thus also advances student knowledge about how social scientists learn Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4741 what they know about how the world works. Building on this perspective, and after absorbing the lessons to be learned from the literature, students will gain even greater appreciation for the quality of knowledge about civil wars by conducting their own detailed analysis of a civil war (each student will study one civil war of their choosing) asking how well the civil war they study fits patterns identified by the literature. This course complements, without duplicating, existing political science courses about militarized political conflict, and qualifies as one course majors can take to satisfy their 400-level course hours requirement. In addition to political science majors, it should be of interest to international politics majors, students in other social science majors, and perhaps Masters students in the School of International Affairs as well.
Causes, resolution, and consequences of crises and wars; testing theories of conflict using both case and statistical studies. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
PLSC/CRIMJ 439 The Politics of Terrorism 3
Analysis of political terrorism as a violent alternative for peaceful change and traditional warfare in the nuclear age. Cross-listed with: CRIMJ 439 Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Supporting Courses and Related Areas Select 12 credit in specialization 12 Social and Environmental Responsibility Option (27 credits) Code Title Credits
PLSC/STS 460 Science, Technology, and Public Policy 3
This course explores the various causes and impacts of ethnic conflicts in the African context. Prerquisite: AFR 110N; PLSC 1; PLSC 3; PLSC 7N; PLSC 14; PLSC 17N; PLSC 20 Cross-listed with: AFR 443 Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Interactions of governmental and economic activity in American life. Survey of governmental (national, state, local) promotional, regulatory, and ownership policies. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
An examination of the interaction between business and government across different types of political systems. PL SC 446 Business and Government Relations (3) This course examines the interaction between business and government across different types of political systems. Intellectual approaches from various disciplines will be used to understand different dimensions of business and government interactions. Models of interaction to be covered in the course include pluralism, corporatism, business as capital, business as firm models, sectoral models, network models, and clientalism. Particular attention will be given to the interactions of business and government during the policy process, from formation to implementation. Case studies from developed and developing countries, and examples of specific policy proposals will be utilized to help students analyze business interactions with government, and political interactions with business. Specifically, students will analyze variation in the structure of business-government relations across countries' different political systems, economic systems, and development levels. Through this course, students will be able to construct an appropriate framework to evaluate the business and political implications of adopting different business-government models, and construct analytical frameworks to understand the policy implications of adopting different models for the same policy.
This course engages students in the empirical study of public opinion. PL
This course examines the fundamental attributes of terrorist psychology, including the motivations, strategies and behaviors of terrorists; the efforts to counter them; and the psychological impact of terrorism on the public. The course operates from a multidisciplinary perspective to consider a variety of topics, including: terrorist ideologies; how people come to join terrorist groups; the making and characteristics of a terrorist; recruitment methods; the leadership of terrorist groups; terrorism tactics, including the use of media and technology; the psychological consequences of terrorism on individuals, communities and global societies; psychological counterterrorism; blowback from counterterrorism; prevention tactics; and disengagement from terrorism. Prior course work in Psychology is not required. This course does not count toward the requirements of the Psychology major or minor.
This course focuses on the conceptualization and socio-political determinants of genocide and tyrannical regimes, with an emphasis on the Holocaust. Cross-listed with: JST 450H
This course examines the politics of human rights and repression, focusing on the causes and consequences of state sponsored violence and human rights violations. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Politics and society in the Communist Era, the revolutions of 1989, and problems of adjustment to democracy and market. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
SOC 207 is recommended for Political Science, Sociology and HHD- related double majors. If you wish to receive credit for courses other than the ones listed, you must seek permission from the AFAM undergraduate director.
Contemporary African politics, institutions, and ideologies; patterns of change, social forces, and nation building in selected African states. PLSC 454 / AFR 454 Government and Politics of Africa (3) (IL)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. In this course, we will discuss the current democratization trend in Africa by focusing on the experiences of African countries.The course is divided into three sections. Part One considers a range of factors that affect politics in Africa. We will discuss in depth the following factors: colonialism, nationalism, the relationship between state and society, ruler- ship, the military, political parties, and economic development. Then, we will consider the experiences of our four cases, to gain a historical background. In part two, we will focus on democratic transitions. We will discuss the factors that enable transitions to occur, as well as the process that transitions follow. Then, we will consider four transitions: two that resulted in the installation of a democratic government (Nigeria in 1979, Sudan in 1986) and two that ended in continued authoritarianism (Angola in 1992, Kenya in 1978). Part three considers the prospects of democracy. We will discuss the probability of a democratic transition occurring in the near future.The goals of this class are four fold. First, students will gain detailed knowledge about four African countries. Second, we will learn how to compare countries. Third, students will have a better understanding of the democratization process in general, and will be able to explain or predict democratization beyond the four cases discussed in this class. Finally, the experiences of these four countries offer a deeper understanding of what democracy is and provide students with greater flexibility to fulfill requirements in either the African and African American Studies major or the Political Science/International Politics major. PLSC 454 / AFR 454 will be offered once per year with 35-50 seats per offering. Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4743 Cross-listed with: AFR 454 Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Comparative analysis of political and governmental structures of major West European nations; main functions and processes of such structures. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
PORT 1 Elementary Portuguese I 4
/Maximum of 3 This course examines the political systems, institutions, and leadership of East Asian countries. This course examines the political systems, institutions, and leadership of East Asian countries. Students will learn about the nature and extent of political change that has occurred across East Asia, with particular attention to the history of the region, and the regime changes that have occurred in East Asian countries. Students also will compare the political development and experiences of different countries in the region, and consider how their development and experiences compare to countries beyond East Asia. Upon completion of the course, students will have knowledge of the government and politics of East Asian regimes, and the region's role in global politics. Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Role of culture in world politics. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
The all-pervasive importance of science and technology policy in modern societies and mechanisms and processes by which it is made. social and behavioral sciences Cross-listed with: STS 460
This course introduces students to the history, institutions and politics of the European Union. PL SC 461 Politics of the European Union (3) (IL) This course introduces students to the history, institutions and politics of the European Union. We will survey the central theories of political and economic integration, and compare them to how European integration has unfolded. We will analyze the EU's institutions and political processes, and review major EU policy areas.
Analysis of major problems and key works in the Marxist and Socialist tradition; dialectical materialism, alienation, class warfare, etc. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Socioeconomic and environmental impacts of extractive industries in Africa. SC014 or PL SC022 Cross-listed with: AFR 464
A course which identifies components of democracy, such as definitions, measures, datasets, and the democratization process. PL SC (ASIA) 465Y Democratization in Asia (3) (IL) This class is an upper-level seminar on democratization in Asia. How do countries move from having an authoritarian regime to a democratic government? Why are some democratic governments stable while others are not? In this class, we will focus on democratization theory and how it applies to countries in Asia. This course is organized into two parts. In the first part of the course, we will discuss democracy and democratization theory. We will cover such components as: definitions, measures, datasets, and the different stages of the democratization process. In the second part of the course, we will apply these concepts and measures to specific Asian countries. Course topics will be explored through readings from textbooks, articles, datasets, and media sources. By the end of the course, students will have a deep knowledge about a wide range of Asian countries. Students will develop the skills to compare countries, will understand the democratization process within Asia, and will be able to generalize from their knowledge to evaluate democratization events around the world. Finally, students will gain a deeper understanding of what is democracy and how easy or difficult it is to install and maintain. This course fulfills the distribution requirement for comparative politics, as well as the advanced and related course requirements for Political Science majors. In addition, the course fulfills the supporting course requirement for International Politics majors and the related areas requirement for Asian Studies majors. Finally, the course fulfills the requirements for writing across the curriculum and other cultures. Cross-listed with: ASIA 465Y
An interdisciplinary investigation of the major topics and debates characterizing the subfield of political psychology. PL SC 466 Political Psychology (3) This course offers an interdisciplinary investigation of the major topics and debates characterizing the subfield of political psychology. It draws on research being done in a variety of disciplines and disciplinary subfields including social, developmental and clinical psychology; the cognitive neurosciences; biological anthropology; genetics; evolution; and behavioral economics to examine political behavior. Specifically, the course will examine the thinking and actions of both political elites and the mass public, and consider the reasoning processes they employ in order to make sense of the political world. Topics to be covered include how emotions (e.g., fear, lust) shape human reasoning; how preferences develop; how differences in cognition, emotion and personality inform political judgment and shape political leadership; how prejudices develop and affect war and other conflicts; how political and social identities develop and how they affect individuals' political judgments and decisions; how neurobiological influences operate in conjunction with social and cultural factors to affect how individuals process information; and how genetics and hormones affect individuals political development and behavior. Through these and other topics covered in the course, students will develop an understanding of how political elites and ordinary citizens process information, develop preferences and make decisions, and why, as a consequence, they act as they do. This course fulfills the distribution requirement for American politics and comparative politics, as well as the advanced and related course requirements for Political Science majors. The course also fulfills the supporting course requirement for International Politics majors. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
CRIM/CRIMJ/ Law and Society 3 SOC 467 HLS/PADM 401 (offered by Harrisburg and World Campus only) 3 PLSC/CRIMJ 439 The Politics of Terrorism 3
An examination of how politics and public policy affect and are shaped by the news media, as a political institution, in America. 175 , CAS 201 , CAS 272 , COMM 100 or COMM 110 Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course offers an overview of the politics of modern South Asia with specific focus on Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. ASIA (PL SC) 469 Government and Politics of South Asia (3) (IL) This course provides an overview of the politics of modern South Asia with particular attention to the experiences of Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. It examines theories of political and economic development and ethnic politics, the impact of the British colonial experience on South Asia, the rise of nationalism, and the emergence of independent nation states in the region. Three important themes are explored throughout the course: (1) the state of economic development in the three countries; (2) the relationship between identity politics and violence; and (3 ) the international relations of these countries, with particular attention to terrorism and nuclear policy. Course topics will be explored through readings from textbooks and assigned articles, articles from current news sources and, documentary films from the three countries. By the end of the course, students will have knowledge of the politics of Afghanistan, India and Pakistan and the political factors that have shaped their development over the past century. Students will acquire the tools necessary to evaluate critically the impact of war, the legacy of colonialism, and the challenge in building durable democratic institutions. This course fulfills the distribution requirement for comparative politics, as well as the advanced and related course requirements for Political Science majors. The course also fulfills the supporting course requirement for International Politics majors and the related areas requirement for Asian Studies majors. Cross-listed with: ASIA 469
The origins of judicial review, landmark decisions of the Supreme Court, and their impact on the American form of government. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Analysis of the roles, procedures, and policies characterizing the American legal system. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Analyzes behavior of judges and other participants in the legal process; examines how and why courts function as policymaking bodies. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4745
Fundamental problems relating to civil liberities and due process. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course engages students in the empirical study of law and the courts. PL SC 476 Empirical Legal Studies (3) The tools of social science affect both how scholars understand the workings of the judicial system and how lawyers practice law. This course engages students in the empirical study of law and the courts. It provides them with the substantive knowledge, and statistical and analytic skills they need to understand both (1) how social scientists use empirical evidence to make inferences about laws, judges, and legal institutions and (2) how statistical methods are used in legal practice. Through the course, students will undertake statistical analyses and learn how to present these analyses to nontechnical audiences, such as jurors, employers, and the general public. The course begins with an overview of the social scientific study of law and the courts, and then investigates a series of topics, including how social science and empirical evidence are used to make legal claims and establish legal standards, to provide a context for judicial decisions, and to litigate cases.
The American judicial system has played an active role in policing the rights of disadvantaged groups in American history. In this course, we will draw upon political science and legal approaches to examine the judiciary's approach to ensuring equality through an examination of cases involving same-sex rights, affirmative action, and voting rights. We will explore difficult questions such as: How does the Court define equality? Are justices' decisions driven by law, ideology, or both? Is the current Supreme Court particularly activist? Readings include court cases, newspaper articles, and essays from political science and law journals. United States Cultures (US)
This course examines China's economic reform and development and its engagement with the world since 1978. It pays close attention to the interplay of politics and economics. The course first examines the initiation and process of China's economic reform. This part of course covers topics including state-owned enterprise reform, township and village enterprises, fiscal decentralization, and tax reform. Then the course explores China's interactions with the world, paying special attention to trade, foreign investment,and development aid. Finally, the course addresses the issues and challenges that China faces for sustainable development, including corruption, income inequality, and environmental deterioration. The goal of this course is to give students a comprehensive view of the political economy of contemporary China and
This course introduces students to the role of nuclear weapons in international relations. It covers the origins of nuclear weapons; the reasons for nuclear proliferation; nuclear deterrence; nuclear strategy; the consequences of nuclear weapons for global stability and security; and counterproliferation and disarmament efforts. In addressing these issues, we will study a variety of countries that have pursued or attained nuclear weapons. The objective of the course is to give students a comprehensive understanding of how nuclear weapons have affected international relations since their development and to enable students to analyze current debates about nuclear issues in a critical and informed way. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Basic characteristics and processes of the national legislature and executive; roles and interaction of these institutions in the policy process Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences Writing Across the Curriculum
Supporting Courses and Related Areas Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better Select 12 credits from one of the following: 400-level political science courses in International Relations, Comparative Politics, or Theory/Methodology (excluding courses taken to fulfill other requirements in the major) from an approved department list in consultation with an adviser World language courses beyond the 12th-credit level 9 of these credits must be at the 400 level. With adviser approval, a 12 credits may be below the 400 level, but must be in addition to the language proficiency for BA requirements. International Political Economy Option (30 credits) Available at the following campuses: University Park, World Campus Code Title Cr
Explores basic characteristics and processes of American state and urban politics; nature of intergovernmental relations involving these governmental levels. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the process of U.S. national security policy - the principles, practices, and participants in the development and implementation of security strategy and policy. It applies theories and models to the bureaucratic policy making structure of the Executive Branch, looks at the roles of other governmental participants, and evaluates the many factors that constrain decision making. It assesses the impact of non-governmental entities such as the media, interest groups, and public opinion, and considers the effect of changing domestic factors on the process. Finally, it prepares students to be knowledgeable and effective participants in the process and presents them with a practitioner's framework for policymaking. The main themes of this course are that the U.S. Constitution established a federal government of separate institutions sharing powers within an intentionally inefficient system of checks and balances that has evolved by virtue of a dynamic process of Constitutional Amendments, legislative statutes, judicial decisions, and executive actions; and, that national . security decisions are best understood by considering the bureaucratic context in which they are made within the Executive Branch, and as a result of the interaction of other governmental and non-governmental participants. Cross-listed with: HLS 483, PUBPL 483
Relations between Russia and The Newly Independent States (NIS); Russia's relations with selected foreign states and political Institutions; regional impact of the NIS in Baltic, Asian, and Central Asian areas. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences Writing Across the Curriculum
International migration relates to the mobility of humans across international borders for protection, settlement, and/or labor. Over the late 20th century, international migration (both viewed as immigration and emigration) has become a salient issue of national politics across most countries in the world, and different regional and global forums of governance. This course sets to contextualize the political discussion of migration by systematically analyzing the history, theories, and categories of migration. It presents a survey of the many subtopics discussed by the interdisciplinary migration literature that directly relates to broader political issues, including issues of development, immigration, and border control politics, citizenship and integration, the Migration
Study of the role of culture in East Asian regional and East-West international relations. ASIA 400 (PL SC 486/HIST 489) International Culture in East Asia (3) (IL)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. This course will examine the place of culture in international history through a comparative look at the role of cultural circulation and exchange in relations among China, Korea, and Japan (and between East Asia and the West) from the propagation of Buddhism in the first century A.D. to present-day circulation of popular music, movies, and comics. We will explore the international politics of culture and the politics of international culture, considering questions of what constitutes culture, whether it is ever entirely separate from politics, and how that separation has evolved over time. These larger themes of the course will be tackled by following the historical movement of concrete objects and people throughout the region. This is a course in international history, but it also seeks to explore aspects of international relations. The goals of the class are not only to gain an understanding of the uses and impact of culture in international relations, but also to develop the skill of building such an understanding through primary and secondary sources, both written and visual. Students in this class will think critically about assigned texts to develop their own interpretations of their meanings. Through readings, discussions, presentations, and the final project, students will enhance their ability to think critically and to express their ideas clearly in both speech and writing. Class work includes some lecture but emphasizes guided discussions, group work, writing exercises, and some student presentations. This participatory approach is intended to deepen students' appreciation of the assigned readings, to help them understand value systems that may differ from those predominant in western cultures, and to assist students in developing both analytic and expressive abilities. ASIA 172; ASIA 174; ASIA 175; ASIA 197; JAPNS 120; JAPNS 121; CHNS 120; CHNS 121; KOR 120; KOR 121 Cross-listed with: ASIA 400 Bachelor of Arts: World Cultures
Major topics and issues of international law with special attention to institutional arrangements (international organizations) through which that law operates. PL SC 487 International Law and Organizations (3) The course is useful in two distinct ways. First, it aids in the understanding of how countries conduct their relations with one another. Second, studying international law-it is a distinct system of law-- helps students to assess whether they might be suited for law school.The course introduces international law and international governmental organizations (the two are closely linked) and their role in the management of peaceful relations among countries as well as during international conflict. Both Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4747 the contributions and limitations of international law will be analyzed. International law is viewed both as a body of norms countries feel an obligation to follow and as a means of communication among countries.Major topics covered include sources of international law, human rights law, environmental law, economic law, law of the sea, and the use of force. There are several hundred major intergovernmental organizations. Several of the most prominent will be discussed including the UN, the WTO, the European Union, the International Labor Organization, and the International Court of Justice.Examinations are principally of the essay variety although a command of factual information is essential to success in the course. Students also prepare critiques of important international legal cases (many of which have been decided by national courts) and of treaties (the principal modern manifestation of international law). Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Comparative methodology and public policy implementation in postindustrial societies; selected case studies of policy output. PL
A survey of the major approaches to the management of most governmental agencies. PL SC 489 Public Administration (3) Government Management is a three-credit Political Science course that teaches the role and function of bureaucracy. Although some investigation is made about state and local government functions, the primary focus of the course is on the federal bureaucracy. In particular, the course illustrates how the interrelationship between the three branches of government exists using the various federal agencies as functionaries.The course first examines the basic functions of bureaucratic agencies in the modern world; primarily their distributive, re-distributive and regulatory activities. In addition to these functions, the various external and internal political forces that form the mission of the agencies are examined. Next the internal function of a bureaucracy is examined by highlighting the various roles of the people who comprise a typical large agency. The roles of the political appointee, the career professional, the general civil servant and the union laborer are examined, with the GS system of the federal government used as a guide to show the hierarchy that exists in a large agency.By highlighting both the functions of a typical agency and examining its role in the larger government structure, and by looking inside the bureaucracy to see the various short and long term roles of the people who comprise those agencies, the student appreciates how large bureaucracies are at the same time always changing, and always staying the same. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Any 400-level STAT course NOTE: Internships will be counted as elective credits (CRIM 395). NOTE: The following themes should be incorporated into all CRIM 3 classes, as appropriate: ethical issues, ethnicity and gender issues, and theory.
Advanced study of major contemporary issues of peace and conflict; includes anthropological, technological, psychological, and economic perspectives. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 12 Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 12 Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 6 Combining experience in government offices, related agencies, or law firms, with appropriate readings and a research paper/report. applicable departmental internship requirements such as satisfactory completion of required 300- or 400-level courses appropriate for the internship program selected Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest. Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
/Maximum of 9 Formal courses offered infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest.
/Maximum of 12 Study, in selected foreign countries, of political institutions. or sociology Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Survey of important methods and approaches to the study of politics; intro- duction to research design.
Graduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 601
18 additional credits in Political Science 18 3 credits for the M.A. essay 3 Total Credits 30 Students also take a seminar on teaching and professional development in political science. There are no language requirements for the degree. Every master's student is required to pass an examination of their master's essay. Credits earned at other institutions but not used to earn a degree may be applied toward the requirements for a graduate degree, subject to restrictions outlined in GCAC-309 Transfer Credit (http:// gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-300/ transfer-credit). Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies. (https:// gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/) The Department of Political Science requires a minimum total of 60 post-baccalaureate credits for the Ph.D. At least 45 credits, exclusive of the dissertation, must be in political science. Course work accepted for the M.A. in Political Science at Penn State will count toward the department's 60-credit requirement. In the case of students who have earned credits in an advanced degree program at another university or in another department at Penn State, a maximum of 30 credits may count toward the 60-credit departmental requirement. In the case of transfer students, a maximum of 30 credits earned in an advanced degree program at another university or in another department at Penn State will count toward the 60-credit requirement. The department requires that a student complete the designated "core" courses in methodology (PLSC 501, PLSC 502, and PLSC 503) and two 1.5-credit seminars on teaching, writing, and professional development in Political Science. Students must complete an additional 24 credit hours in political science, chosen in consultation with their advisor. Students must also complete an additional 9 hours of coursework, chosen in consultation with their advisor, which may be taken in political science or another discipline. The communication and foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. may be satisfied by advanced course work and competence developed in foreign languages, statistics, or other research methods. To earn the Ph.D. degree, doctoral students must successfully pass a qualifying examination, comprehensive examination, and final oral examination (the dissertation defense). Ph.D. candidates must also write a dissertation that is accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School. Graduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 595
This course examines a range of statistical models widely used in political science that generalize from linear normal regression. PL SC 504 Topics in Political Methodology (3) This is an elective course in statistical methods designed to meet the particular needs of students in the political science Ph. D. curriculum. PL SC 504 is tailored to focus on the specific issues that arise in the types of data found in political science applications. Students are expected to have completed the three required foundational courses in political methodology or their equivalents. This course examines a range of regression-like models widely used in empirical political science. Its core focus is on maximum likelihood estimation of models for various kinds of limited- dependent and qualitative response variables. Specific models covered are widely used in political science today, including binary logit and probit, multinomial logit and probit, ordered logit and probit, and Poisson regression models. Additional topics include models for time-to-event
This course provides students with a foundation in time series methods and to the applications of these methods in political science. PL
This course offers foundational information regarding the use of non- cooperative game theory in political science. PL SC 506 Game Theory for Political Science I (3) This course offers foundational information regarding the use of non-cooperative game theory in political science. Game theory is a mathematical tool used to study strategic interaction in a variety of academic disciplines. Within political science, researchers who study American politics, comparative politics, and international relations use game theory to examine a broad range of political phenomena, including the outcomes of elections, the formation of governments, and the onset and duration of interstate conflict. The course introduces students to the basic concepts and principles of non- cooperative game theory, and demonstrates through examples how it can be used in the study of politics. Attention is given to both strategic (simultaneous move) and extensive form games. Topics to be covered include the concept of Nash equilibrium; mixed strategies; backward induction; subgame perfect equilibrium; incomplete information; and signaling games. The course provides students with the concepts, language, and notation needed to begin using game theory in their own research and to evaluate its application by others. Graduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 1339
This course offers information regarding the advanced application of non- cooperative game theory in political science.
A network is a set of relationships among units. The study of networks in political science, the social sciences, and beyond has grown rapidly in recent years. This course is a comprehensive overview of methods for analyzing network data. We will cover network data collection and management, the formulation and expression of network theory, network visualization and description, and methods for the statistical analysis of networks. The course will make extensive use of real-world applications and students will gain a thorough background in the use of network analytic software. Most of the applications discussed will be drawn from political science and sociology, but this course will be relevant to anyone interested in the study of network data. Recommended Preparations: Students taking this course should have knowledge of hypothesis testing and regression, and experience with at least one statistical or scientific programming language (e.g., R, Stata, SAS, Python, Matlab).
An introduction to professional norms, the fundamentals of good research, and the basic skills necessary for good teaching. PL SC 511 Professional Norms in Political Science (1.5) This course is the first of two courses in a required series on professional development in the graduate program in political science. The first course focuses specifically on fundamental knowledge and skills that will help graduate students throughout graduate school but also in their later careers as a scholar. The topics over the course of the semester fall into three mail themes: 1) understanding the norms and requirements of the profession; 2) the fundamentals of good research; and 3) an introduction to teaching. Professionalization topics include planning your graduate school years, putting together a curriculum vita, communicating with senior scholars, and writing the MA; teaching topics including planning a course and recitation sections, preparing lectures or discussion classes, as well as documenting your teaching; and the research fundamentals that we will discuss include defining problems, crafting arguments, outlining and revising manuscripts.
Professional development focusing on publishing research, writing dissertatins dissertations, and professional issues of advanced graduate students. PL SC 513 Writing and Professional Development in Political Science (1.5) This course is designed to help advanced graduate students surmount the challenges they face as they turn to writing a dissertation and prepare to become junior faculty. The course is designed to give practical advice on many of the issues faced by these students. Primary among these is learning to turn initial papers into research
Research design of social, behaviorial and health surveys. PL SC (SOC) 518 Survey Methods I: Survey Design (3) This course is intended to provide graduate students the background to both evaluate published research using survey methods, and -- when combined with additional training -- to design their own surveys to collect data for their own research. Students will learn the essentials of sampling, questionnaire design, and how surveys may be implemented in different modes: telephone, face to face interviews, mail or other self-administered modes, and the internet. The course will emphasize how decisions of research design have important implications for the validity, reliability, and quantit of data that will be analyzed to answer key questions in the social, behavioral and health sciences. Sample design: 2 weeks; Questionnaire design and item analysis: 2 weeks; Telephone Surveys: 2 weeks; Face to face surveys: 2 weeks; Self administered and mail surveys: 2 weeks; Internet Surveys: 2 weeks; Ethics and human subjects protection: 1 week. Cross-listed with: SOC 518
Intermediate course on the statistical analysis of survey data: topics include weighting, complex surveys, missing data, and contextual analysis. PL SC (SOC) 519 Survey Methods II: Analysis of Survey Data (3)This is an intermediate level course in quantitative analysis. It is intended for graduate students who have completed 1-2 semesters of graduate-level statistics (not general research methods) and who are interested in the application of social statistics to the unique aspects of data collected by way of surveys. Surveys have a combination of qualities that represent challenges to valid inference. These include cluster and stratified sampling, under-representation of some groups due to differential response rates, missing data due to item non-response, cross-sectional design, and coarse measurement. Quite often we use surveys to test theories that the original survey designer did not intend to address, raising issues of validity and reliability of measurement. At the same time, surveys offer a number of opportunities and, when combined with other surveys (pooled cross sections) or merged with contextual data, can address a wide range of theoretical puzzles in the social sciences. This course provides an introduction to techniques in applied statistics that have developed specifically to address the special features of survey data. Examples of such techniques are: use of design weights, post-stratification weights, merging surveys with other surveys or auxiliary data, missing data imputation, challenges of causal inference. The class will blend an understanding of the core statistical issues with an emphasis on acquiring an intuition for the theory underlying the statistical models rather than focusing on proofs and estimation. This will provide a foundation for frequent hands-on applications in this seminar and for enrollment in more advanced or more in-depth courses offered by the Statistics department and the various social science departments. Cross-listed with: SOC 519
(Oil and Mining) Given the rising global demand for energy and resources, Africa's production of oil and solid minerals has already produced very significant positive as well as negative impacts on the continent's political, economic, and social conditions. This seminar examines the extractive industry-driven changes in Africa's political economy, as well as in the continent's foreign relations. Students will examine the institutional basis under which the expansion of the industry is taking place in Africa. This will involve discussions of the institutional characteristics of Africa, including issues of land tenure and property rights laws, how institutional systems are changing in order to facilitate the industry's expansion, and the repercussions of these changes upon society. The course also interrogates the relevance of international efforts to mitigate some of the y adverse impacts of the industry. Among such efforts is the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. Overall this seminar examines the industry's impact on Africa's socioeconomic development and global relations, and concludes with how African countries might deal with the adverse impact of the Oil and Mining industry. Cross-listed with: AFR 534, INTAF 534
Survey of basic literature in major fields of U.S. government: public opinion, parties, voting, interest groups, presidency, congress, judiciary.
/Maximum of 9 Research on a selected topic in United States political institutions such as the presidency, the courts, congress, bureaucracy, state governments.
/Maximum of 9 Research on a selected topic in United States political behavior such as public opinion, voting, parties, socialization, judicial behavior.
/Maximum of 9 An examination of significant concepts, ideas, and research questions addressed in recent and classic studies of political representation. PL SC 543 Political Representation (3) This seminar will investigate significant concepts, ideas, and research questions addressed in recent and classic studies of political representation. It will take up questions and issues central both to an understanding of American politics and to an assessment of the nature and quality of democratic governance: how are citizen interests represented and how responsive is government to citizen preferences? The seminar begins with an investigation of different types of political representation, some of which are policy-related and others of which are not rooted in public policy. It next takes up assessments of the relationship between citizen preferences and public policy (policy responsiveness); biases and inequality in representation; and the role of political intermediaries, namely organized interests and
In this seminar, we will explore what race is, why it matters, and how it shapes attitudes, behaviors, policies, and institutions. While this is a political science course, the seminar draws ideas and insights from a broad array of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. It demonstrates that an explicit consideration of race is needed to fully comprehend American politics. Students emerge from the course with an understanding of the scholarly approaches and key substantive debates. Cross-listed with: AFAM 544
Survey of basic literature and major research efforts in comparative political analysis.
Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students are expected to complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.P.P. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied. Integrated B.S. in Sociology and M.P.P. in Public Policy This Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate (IUG) degree program combines the B.S. in Sociology with the M.P.P. in Public Policy offered at the g following campuses:
/Maximum of 9 Research on aspects of comparative political behavior, such as political culture, political change and development, interest groups, public opinion. PL SC 552 Comparative Political Behavior (3 per semester/ maximum of 9) This course will explore the nature of social movements and revolutions. We will look at the major theories that sociologists and political scientists have created to explain the development and outcomes of social movements and revolutions. How do we explain why people participate in revolutions or social movements? Why is it that some people never revolt although observers would say they are as bad off as others that do? What sorts of factors determine the tactics people will use once they decide something must be done? Can governments repress revolutions or social movements? What determines whether a social movement or revolution is successful? In examining these questions we will read theoretical works, quantitative studies comparing many different social movements or revolutions, and case studies of particular social movements and revolutions. By the end of this course, you should have a good grasp of the theoretical debates about social movements and the methods which have been used to study revolutions and social movements, and you will have cursory knowledge of several different revolutions and social movements ranging from the French Revolution to the American Civil Rights Movement. Precise content will vary in subsequent offerings of the course, as determined by instructor. Graduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 1341 Students will consult with instructor prior to taking the course additional times.
Since its founding, the United States has had to balance the American creed of equality for all, on one hand, with racial inequality, on the other hand. Is this challenge something exclusive to the United States? This course will provide students the opportunity to analyze how race and ethnicity are constructed across the globe as well as how race and politics interact across state borders. Students will examine how race is constructed and racial ideologies are developed in several countries including the U.S., South Africa, France, Australia and Brazil. By the end of the semester, students should be able to fully engage and contribute to broad literatures on the politics and policy of race and racism. They should readily be able to answer questions such as: What role do countries and their institutions play in developing racial ideologies and racial hierarchies? What political purpose do ideologies such as "racial democracy" serve? How might social scientists best compare notions such as U.S.'s "race problem," Latin America's "shade problem" and Europe's "immigrant problem"? What are the perils of cross-border comparisons, and how, if possible, can social scientists account for state differences in their analyses? The major objectives of the course are to: (1) analyze the effects of historical, social, economic, cultural and global forces on the development of racial and ethnic politics in various countries; (2) define and critically analyze concepts relevant to the study of racial and ethnic politics; (3) identify, critique and apply major academic theories and debates regarding issues of race, ethnicity, inequality and reconciliation; (4) build analytical skills so that students will be able to effectively engage and communicate in public and scholarly discourse about race and ethnic politics; (5) improve writing skills, especially as they relate to manuscript and book reviews; (6) become cognizant of the difficulties that scholars must navigate as they approach topics related to the politics, race, ethnicity as well as comparative/cross-state analysis; and (7) develop a series of best practices to address methodological and theoretical challenges to studying race comparatively. Cross-listed with: AFAM 553, PPOL 553
This course provides an overview of comparative analyses of regimes as they relate to the field of political science. PL SC 555 Comparative Regimes (3 per semester/maximum of 9) This course focuses on the comparative study of particular types of regimes, including democracies and authoritarian regimes. It is designed for Ph.D. or M.A. students who have completed the foundational graduate statistical methods courses. The course examines current research on both the institutional structures of different political systems (e.g. the state, party systems, administrative structures) and on aspects of political behavior (such as political participation, interest groups and social movements, public opinion). Topics include theories of regimes, measures and typologies of regimes; formal theories of regimes; political institutions (legislatures, parties, and elections); political behavior; consequences of regimes for economics; and regimes place in current international relations research. Building on this literature, students will be expected to conduct replications or original research focused on these regimes.
This class addresses civil conflict, in terms of general theory regarding cooperation and conflict and also cross-regional cases of civil conflict.
Survey of major traditional and contemporary theory-building efforts and contemporary research techniques and orientations in international relations.
/Maximum of 9 Research on the institutions, dynamics, and major themes of United States foreign policy. PL SC 561 American Foreign Policy (3 per semester/maximum of 9) This course is an advanced option for graduate students in political science studying international relations. The course surveys important themes in U.S. foreign policy, including how that policy is made, the implementation of policy, and critiques of U.S. foreign policy. Precise content will vary in subsequent offerings of the course, as determined by instructor. Students will consult with instructor prior to taking the course additional times.
/Maximum of 9 Research on international political economy with a focus on theory building; analysis of political causes and consequences of economic behavior. PL SC 563 International Political Economy (3 per semester/ maximum of 9) This course is a graduate seminar on international political economy. Topics covered include the major theoretical perspectives in international political economy and the political economy of international trade, finance, investment, and monetary policy. The aim is to familiarize students with theoretical and empirical literature in the field of international political economy. Students are expected to engage in constructive dialogues across the disciplinary boundaries of economics and political science, across different research methods, and among themselves, with the goal of producing publishable work. Precise content will vary in subsequent offerings of the course, as determined by instructor. Students will consult with instructor prior to taking the course additional times.
Research into the causes and consequences of international crises and wars, using various methodologies for theory assessment.
Research on termination and resolution of international conflicts, focusing on theory building and empirical assessment of theories of conflict resolution. PL SC 566 Conflict Management, Termination, and Bargaining (3)This graduate seminar introduces and examines the dominant theories, hypotheses, and research concerning the termination and resolution of international and civil wars. Topics include international mediation, rational bargaining theory, conflict resolution vs. termination, third party intervention, peacekeeping, and peace duration. The focus is theoretical and research oriented; arguments about the causes of conflict resolution are assessed both logically and empirically, using both case study and statistical methods. The course examines whether and how theories of conflict management have been tested, and allows/ encourages students to develop their own testable hypotheses about conflict management and termination. Existing research (primarily from political science, but also drawing on economics) is evaluated on its merits, and students then seek appropriate ways to extend that research.
This seminar provides a general and cumulative investigation into the phenomenon of terrorism from a Political Science perspective. It is a study of terrorism with an attention to what it is 'theoretically, conceptually, empirically' and how and why it is used by nonstate actors; its political, economic, and social root causes; its consequences to political, economic, and social institutions and outcomes; and the implications of current research on terrorism and counterterrorism. Although the study of terrorism has a long pedigree in the social sciences, research by political scientists became more extensive following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. This course critically evaluates this new literature, noting its contributions, limitations, gaps, and opportunities for future discovery. Much of the contemporary scholarly literature on terrorism makes use of state-of-the- art political science research methods and quantitative analysis. Cross-listed with: INTAF 567
This course examines the causes and consequences of terrorism, and the responses to terrorism from a psychological perspective, to include Christian extremism, Islamic Fundamentalism, Jihadism, Left wing extremism and Marxist terrorism, Right wing extremism, and single- issue terrorism. It draws on research from a variety of disciplines in order to examine terrorist ideologies; the motives, strategies, and behaviors of terrorists and terrorist leaders; how people come to join terrorist groups; methods of recruitment; terrorist tactics; the psychological consequences of terrorism on individuals, communities, and global societies; psychological counterterrorism; reactions to counterterrorism efforts; terrorism prevention; and possibilities for disengagement and deradicalization. Cross-listed with: INTAF 568, PSY 568
This course investigates the topic of counterterrorism. It surveys the history and evolution of counterterrorism campaigns, strategies, and tools using relevant scholarly and professional literature on the subject as well as contemporary and practical case studies that explore the application of counterterrorism. It begins with an examination of the current status of U.S. counterterrorism and the institutions and agencies that conduct counterterrorism. The course then moves into a discussion
/Maximum of 9 Research on selected political theorists or historical traditions of politica thought. PLSC 581 History of Political Theory (3 per semester/maximum of 9) This seminar is a survey of American political thought. The course is designed (1) to introduce students to sources and techniques in researching and writing the history of political thought and (2) to prepare its participants for teaching American political thought courses to undergraduates. We will discuss a variety of persuasive works (sermons, speeches, essays, autobiographies, poetry, plays, films, etc.) to examine how Americans have conceptualized key political ideas (e.g., equality, liberty, autonomy, community, progress, the American dream) and how their views on the proper organization of political society have changed from the seventeenth century to today. We will pay particular attention to the tradition of dissent in American political thought, and the corresponding political and social movements that have been built on demands for "liberty and justice for all." Precise content will vary in subsequent offerings of the course, as determined by instructor. Students will consult with instructor prior to taking the course additional times. This course will be offered once a year with 16 seats per offering.
/Maximum of 9 Research on major developments and issues in modern political and social theory, such as critical theory, modernism, and postmodernism. PL SC 583 Modern Political and Social Theory (3 per semester/maximum of 9) This course will survey recent versions of liberal theory as well as critical appraisals of that tradition. Particular attention will be paid to the developments of liberalism in the most recent work of Rawls and Habermas. We will then consider critical appraisals of liberalism arising from various corners: communitarianism, identity politics, and post- modernism. Throughout, we will explore themes concerning the grounds of political theorizing and normative justification, models of the self and the person presupposed in political theories, questions of individualism and collective identity, and the very possibility of stable meanings and generalized theory construction. Precise content will vary in subsequent offerings of the course, as determined by instructor. Students will consult with instructor prior to taking the course additional times. This course will be offered once a year with 12 seats per offering.
/Maximum of 6 The role of the executive in government and politics; theories of administrative organization, organization behavior, and decision-making processes. Graduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 1343
Total Credits 24 Cyber Threat Analytics and Prevention Option Code Title Credits Cyber Threat Analytics and Prevention Option Prescribed Courses
/Maximum of 9 Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction, including field experiences, practicums, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required. l applicable departmental internship requirements such as satisfactory completion of required upper level courses appropriate for the internship program selected. Cross-listed with: SOC 595
/Maximum of 6 Practicum in Survey Research data collection or management.
/Maximum of 9 Creative projects, including nonthesis research, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. A specific title may used in each instance and will be entered on the student's transcript.
/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or term.
/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or semester.
/Maximum of 999 No description.
0 Credits/Maximum of 999 No description.
/Maximum of 6 No description.
/Maximum of 999 No description.
0 Credits/Maximum of 999 No description.
This course examines political violence committed by non-state groups as it applies to homeland security from both a domestic and global perspective. Cross-listed with: HLS 805
Investigates the role economic, political and social factors play in determining patterns of international and domestic terrorism and terrorist activity.
This course examines the communicative, social, and psychological factors related to individual and mass trajectories into and out of engagement in terrorism and other forms of political violence. It investigates the factors that promote the radicalization process, as well as the theoretical and practical foundations of efforts at counter- radicalization and de-radicalization both in the United States and abroad. With an emphasis on the persuasive strategies employed by terrorist groups and counter-terrorist forces (including government officials, analysts, and community outreach organizations), the course explores the social and psychological processes that move an individual towards engagement in political violence; the conceptual distinctions between radicalization, violent radicalization, counter-radicalization, and de- radicalization; the specific efforts designed and implemented by counter- terrorist forces meant to prevent violent radicalization; existing programs and initiatives designed to divorce an individual from his/her violent ideology; and the question of whether radicalization is fundamental to terrorism.
Total Credits 12
This course examines U.S. domestic terrorism, focusing on its roots, the contemporary threat landscape, responses to it by law enforcement and policymakers, and the nature and form of extremist violence perpetrated by U.S. domestic actors and movements. Topics include how U.S.-based terrorism is defined; the historical roots of U.S. domestic terrorism; the current domestic terrorism threat landscape; organizational versus individual terrorist activities; the relationship between violent and non- violent extremist groups/movements; pathways of radicalization in the U.S. context; counterterrorism tools for domestic actors; and policy responses to domestic radicalization. A series of case studies provide for an in-depth examination of key domestic extremist movements.
Source: Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College's catalog, linked per course · table learning_unit · CourseShelf publish 59
