12 courses with the subject POL, 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.
An introduction to the study of politics where students will become familiar with the government policies and institutional structures that influence the major political issues of time. The course will also examine the structure and activities of the most typical kinds of political systems and the way 244 – Course Descriptions
This course provides a review of the basic framework and foundational concepts of politics, exploring key questions in contemporary comparative politics. The course will focus on several questions that have long been central to the study of comparative governments: (1) why democracy emerges and survives in some countries but not in others; (2) how political stability affects economic development; (3) how political institutions (constitutional, electoral, administrative, and party systems) vary across countries and why these variations matter; and (4) how contentious politics often turn violent and take the forms of civil war. Core: SB
2026-27 Undergraduate Programs of Study – 77
Choose one course from this list: *POL 230 International Norms and Institutions (3) *POL 250 Law, Justice and the Local Context (3) *PPX 371 Peace and Security in East Asia (3) (may count for Area Studies or Political Science, not both) *PPX 401 Human Rights and Dignity (4) *PPX 421 Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (4) *PPX 431 Political Reconciliation (4) Economics Course (3 SH)
This course examines the history and contemporary issues of American foreign policy. As the most powerful country in the international system, the United States has been uniquely positioned to shape and influence international politics since the end of World War II. Has it been a peacemaker or a warmonger? The course asks what constraints, dilemmas, risks, and opportunities affected major foreign policy decisions in U.S. history and evaluates the efficacy of America's foreign policy instruments such as international institutions, alliances, and military power in crises and conflicts. This course also aims to expose students to contemporary foreign policy issues. (Fall 2026)
This course provides an overview of the history, objectives, impacts, and effectiveness of norms and institutions in international politics. It examines (1) how international norms and institutions evolve; (2) why and how governments and civil society actors promote international norms and institutions; (3) why states join institutions and comply with international rules and regulations; (4) how international norms affect state behavior; and (5) what determines the effectiveness of international norms and laws. Along with theoretical and historical reviews, students will also study empirical topics such as the United Nations, international humanitarian law, transnational advocacy groups and human rights regimes, international trade and finance organizations, and Course Descriptions - 245
SOC 336 Methods of Social Research (3) or PSYC 311 Psychological Research Design and Analysis (3)
PXD 485 Theories of International SOWK 360 Race and Gender . . . . . . . 3 Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 PXD 245 Environment and Society. . . 3
This course is offered as instructors with special expertise in an area are available to offer unique or trial content. Possible topics include POL 340 Political Philosophy, and POL 341 Latin American Development and Environment.
Designed for upper-level political studies minors who want to explore career options and gain practical experience in local, state or federal government work. Approval from the history department is required one semester in advance. Students take initiative in arranging their own placement. Internship can be completed in the summer. Grading is on a pass/fail basis. Students may be able to meet the requirement (but not earn credit) through documentation of a noncredit experience, upon departmental approval.
Minors enter a semester or summer-session internship through their major. Some options would be in the immediate area, while others would tap into EMU and MCC programs in Washington, New York, and abroad. These might include paralegal work, mediation work, VORP, WCSC, SALT, or the MCC U.N. Liaison. Note: Students completing an internship/ practicum for their major (e.g. Business, PXD) can use this to satisfy the pre-law internship with approval from the history department. Grading is on a pass/fail basis. Students may be able to meet the requirement (but not earn credit) through documentation of a non-credit experience, upon departmental approval.
Source: Eastern Mennonite University's catalog, linked per course · table learning_unit · CourseShelf publish 59
