POL Political Science Courses at Global Campus

This course is an introduction to the field of political science. It explores the political theories that have shaped modern governments and compares how governments are organized, focusing on their legislatures, executives, and judicial systems. It examines international relations theories and analyzes how power is distributed in the modern world.

A survey of government at the national level. Emphasis is placed on the constitutional basis of American government, federalism, the sources and forms of political behavior, the operation of the three branches of government, and the making of national policy.

This course introduces key theories and concepts within international relations in addition to exploring the roles of state and non-state actors in global politics. Students will analyze a mixture of historical and contemporary issues such as conflict, cooperation, and globalization, as well as some of the emerging challenges within the global system, including technology with the rise of artificial intelligence as well as cybersecurity threats.

This course is a study of the Constitution of the United States and its role in American history and government. The study covers the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, its subsequent amendment and interpretation, and its contemporary role in American politics and government.

Environmental Policies explores environmental policy in the United States and the global environment. It describes the history of environmental policy beginning in the 1960s. It examines the environmental policymaking process and the roles that different stakeholders play in this process. It studies the regulatory mechanisms in different environmental policies, discusses current environmental problems, and evaluates the effectiveness of environmental policies.

This course introduces the basic concepts and theories of comparative politics through an analysis of selected political systems and governments from various regions and societies across the world. Topical analysis in the course includes an emphasis on key political institutions, political culture, ideology, globalization, conflict and stability, various state and non-state actors, and on issues associated with economic development and underdevelopment.

This course introduces the preliminary processes needed to research and write presentable and professional Political Science papers. Practical, hands-on experience and in-class exercises will walk students through the research process and enable them to create expert research products. Specifically, this course focuses on how to choose a research topic, conduct a thorough literature review, make critical research design decisions, collect and analyze relevant data, and skillfully document and present the results of the research. 

This course completes the process of learning how to conduct political analysis and critically assess statistical research. In this course, students will learn how to measure political science events and actions, identify and assess pertinent variables, design valid hypothesis testing techniques, control for alternative hypotheses, and interpret data in various formats, including graphs, statistical tables, and charts. Students will utilize pragmatic, relevant Political Science-related exercises to enhance and refine their political science analysis skills. Prerequisite: POL 470.

In this final course, students will demonstrate mastery of program outcomes in Political Science and Government by applying the scientific method and research analysis to create a professional research paper examining a current and relevant political issue. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the General Education Capstone course.