Undergraduate Program
The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree requires the completion of 120 units of coursework. Of these, 48 units must be selected from courses within the Department, 52 units from the university's General Education requirements, and 20 units may be electives.
Additionally, the degree candidate must satisfy the Title V Part 1 American History, Institutions and Ideals requirement. Parts 2 and 3 can be satisfied by taking POLS 155 or 355 as required by the major.
All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade: they may not be taken CR/NC.
The Department offers a major with two options:
- Option 1: Politics and Government
- Option 2: Public Policy and Management
- Option 3: Law and Society
- A Minor is also available
Option 1: Politics and Government
Option 1: Politics and Government offers a variety of courses in domestic and global politics and policy. The curriculum may be selected by students who
- wish a liberal arts education, or
- who desire to pursue graduate education in political science or other fields, such as law, or
- who wish to enter government, or
- who intend to teach in secondary schools
BASIC REQUIREMENTS (12 units)
- POLS 372 Principles and Methods of Political Science (1 unit)
- POLS 372L Laboratory in Principles and Methods of Political Science (2 units)
- Choose one of the following:
- Chose one of the following*:
- Choose one of the following:
ADVANCED REQUIREMENTS IN UPPER DIVISION (36 units)
- Choose 3 courses in Domestic Politics and Policy (9 units)
- Choose 3 courses in Global Politics and Policy (9 units)
- Choose 6 courses in Domestic, Global, or General Electives** (18 units)
**Courses in the Advanced Requirements Electives must include 2 proseminars, or one proseminar and one internship.
Option 2: Public Policy and Management
Option 2: Public Policy and Management offers a variety of courses in policy and management and allows students to form a thorough understanding of the political institutions through which public plans are formulated and implemented. This option may be scheduled by students who wish to prepare for careers in government, politics, and public offices within public, non-profit, or private sectors.
Basic Requirements (18 units)
- Choose one of the following:
- Choose one of the following:
- POLS 350 Great Questions in Politics (3 units)
- POLS 360 Public Administration (3 units)
- POLS 361 Introduction to Public Policy (3 units)
- POLS 372/L Principles & Methods of Political Science/Lab (3 units)
ADVANCED REQUIREMENTS IN UPPER DIVISION (30 units)
- Four Core Courses From the Following (12 Units)
- Six Electives Chosen from the Following (18 units)*
Must include POLS 471E and 1 internship (498 A-C)- POLS 404 Urban Politics (3 units)
- POLS 428 International Organization (3 units)
- POLS 429 U.S. Foreign Policy (3 units)
- POLS 458 Administrative Law (3 units)
- POLS 460 Public Policy: Welfare (3 units)
- POLS 461 Environmental Policy (3 units)
- POLS 464 Comparative Public Policy (3 units)
- POLS 466 Politics of Public Spending (3 units)
- POLS 467 Urban Administration (3 units)
- POLS 469/L City Planning/Lab (3 units)
- POLS 471E Proseminar in Public Policy and Administration (3 units)
- POLS 498A-C Internship (1-6 units)
* up to 6 units may be taken outside of the Department with Chair approval
Law & Society Option
Beginning in the Spring 2005 semester, Political Science majors may choose to concentrate in the Law and Society Option. The department currently offers two other options that allow students to concentrate in the study of Government and Politics or Public Policy and Management. Students interested in concentrating in the Law and Society Option prior to Spring 2005, can start enrolling in courses in the concentration now and formally choose the Law and Society Option after the start of the Spring 2005 semester.
The Law and Society Option is designed to give Political Science major more depth and breadth in the study of the role and significance of law in society. More specifically, it is intended to better prepare those students wishing to enter law school upon graduating from CSUN. Every year, a significant majority of graduates from the Political Science Department enter law school. In order to better prepare our students for law school, the Law and Society Option offers the possibility to concentrate in departmental courses that specifically deal with the study of law. Additionally, students in the Law and Society Option may choose to take a limited number of law-related courses in other departments.
In addition to the unique and highly successful Judicial Internship program that the department offers, the Law and Society Option gives students greater grounding in the study of the U. S. legal system, jurisprudence, administrative and constitutional law, as well as the philosophy and sociology of law.
Students wishing to pursue the Law and Society Option need to enroll in the following courses:
BASIC REQUIREMENTS (12 units)
- POLS 372 Principles and Methods of Political Science (1 unit)
- POLS 372L Laboratory in Principles and Methods of Political Science (2 units)
- Choose one of the following:
- Chose one of the following*:
- Choose one of the following:
ADVANCED REQUIREMENTS IN UPPER DIVISION (24 units)
- Choose 3 courses in Domestic Politics and Policy (9 units)
- Choose 3 courses in Global Politics and Policy (9 units)
- Choose 2 proseminars (471 A-F) or one proseminar and one internship (498C) (6 units)
ELECTIVES (12 UNITS)
Choose 2 of the following courses: POLS 450, POLS 455, POLS 457A, POLS 457B (6 units)
Remaining 6 units may include Political Science courses from the Domestic, or Global, or General areas, or ENGL 407, PHIL 390, PHIL 446, PHIL 460, SOC 434.
For more information on the Law and Society Option or the department's other offerings, please consult with the departmental advisor or with one of the department faculty members.
Minor in Political Science
The Minor in political science is designed for students who wish to have a formal secondary area of concentration. A minor is not required for a baccalaureate degree.
Requirements for the Minor in Political Science (24 units)
Basic Requirements (6 units)
- Choose one of the following:
- POLS 155 American Political Institutions (3 units)
- POLS 355 American National, State, and Local Government (3 units)
Upper division students should take POLS 355. Students will receive credit for either POLS 155 or POLS 355, not both.
- Choose one of the following:
Upper Division (18 units)
- Choose 3 courses in Domestic Politics and Policy (9 units)
- Choose 3 courses in Global Politics and Policy (9 units)
Domestic Politics and Policy
- POLS 360 Public Administration (3 units)
- POLS 380 Los Angeles: Past Present, Future (3 units)
- POLS 403 State and Local Government (3 units)
- POLS 404 Urban Politics (3 units)
- POLS 405 Public Policy Formation (3 units)
- POLS 406 Fundamentals of Policy Analysis (3 units)
- POLS 407 Policy Implementation and Program Evaluation (3 units)
- POLS 413 American Political Thought (3 units)
- POLS 440 Political Parties (3 units)
- POLS 441 Interest Groups (3 units)
- POLS 442 Government and Business (3 units)
- POLS 443 Legislative Process (3 units)
- POLS 444 Election and Voting Behavior (3 units)
- POLS 445 Political Behavior (3 units)
- POLS 446 Presidency (3 units)
- POLS 447 The Judicial Process (3 units)
- POLS 448 Women and Politics (3 units)
- POLS 449 Politics of Community Organizations (3 units)
- POLS 450 Jurisprudence (3 units)
- POLS 455 Criminal Procedures (3 units)
- POLS 457A Constitutional Law I (3 units)
- POLS 457B Constitutional Law II (3 units)
- POLS 458 Administrative Law (3 units)
- POLS 460 Public Policy: Welfare (3 units)
- POLS 461 Environmental Policy (3 units)
- POLS 462 Ethics in Politics and Administrations (3 units)
- POLS 463 Public Personnel Administration (3 units)
- POLS 465 Administrative Behavior (3 units)
- POLS 466 Politics of Public Spending (3 units)
- POLS 467 Urban Administration (3 units)
- POLS 469/L City Planning and Law (3 units)
- POLS 471A Proseminar in American Government (3 units)
- POLS 471E Proseminar in Public Policy and Administration (3 units)
- POLS 471F Proseminar in Public Law (3 units)
Global Politics and Policy
- POLS 310 Problems in Political Economy (3 units)
- POLS 321 Comparative Socialism (3 units)
- POLS 330 Approaches to Comparative Government (3 units)
- POLS 332 Politics of Latin America (3 units)
- POLS 420A International Relations: Latin America (3 units)
- POLS 420B International Relations: Western Europe (3 units)
- POLS 420C International Relations: Eastern Europe (3 units)
- POLS 420D International Relations: Middle East (3 units)
- POLS 420E International Relations: Africa (3 units)
- POLS 420F International Relations: South Asia (3 units)
- POLS 420G International Relations: Southeast Asia (3 units)
- POLS 420H International Relations: Northeast Asia (3 units)
- POLS 421 Politics of Development (3 units)
- POLS 422 International Politics (3 units)
- POLS 424 Russian Foreign Policy (3 units)
- POLS 426 International Law (3 units)
- POLS 427A Model UN I/Lab (3 units)
- POLS 427B Model UN II/Lab (3 units)
- POLS 428 International Organizations (3 units)
- POLS 429 U.S. Foreign Policy (3 units)
- POLS 430 Politics of Selected Nations (3 units)
- POLS 431 Government and Politics: Russia (3 units)
- POLS 432A Government and Politics: Mexico & Caribbean (3 units)
- POLS 432B Government and Politics: South America (3 units)
- POLS 433A Government and Politics: Central America (3 units)
- POLS 433C Church and Politics in Latin America (3 units)
- POLS 434A Government and Politics: South Asia (3 units)
- POLS 434B Government and Politics: South East Asia (3 units)
- POLS 435A Government and Politics: China (3 units)
- POLS 435B Government and Politics: Japan (3 units)
- POLS 436A Government and Politics: Europe (3 units)
- POLS 438 Government and Politics: Middle East (3 units)
- POLS 439A Government and Politics: Sub-Saharan Africa (3 units)
- POLS 439B Government and Politics: Southern Africa (3 units)
- POLS 448 Women and Politics (3 units)
- POLS 471B Proseminar in Comparative Government (3 units)
- POLS 471C Proseminar in International Relations (3 units)
- POLS 480 The Politics of Globalization (3 units)
- POLS 481 Globalization, Gender, and Democratization (3 units)
General Electives
- POLS 303 Political Socialization Through Films/TV (3 units)
- POLS 321 Comparative Socialism (3 units)
- POLS 350 Great Questions in Politics (3 units)
- POLS 372/L Principles and Methods of Political Science/ Lab (3 units)
- POLS 411 Greek, Roman & Medieval Political Theory (3 units)
- POLS 412 Modern Western Political Theory (3 units)
- POLS 414 Western Political Theory in the 20thCentury (3 units)
- POLS 415 Comparative Political Ideologies (3 units)
- POLS 471D Proseminar in Political Theory (3 units)
- POLS 486SOC Social Science Career Internship (3 units)
- POLS 490CA Supervised Individual Project: California Government (3 units)
- POLS 494SOC Social Science Career Internship (3 units)
- POLS 496A-Z Selected Topics In Political Science (3 units)
- POLS 498A Field Assignments and Reports (3 units)
- POLS 498B Field Assignments and Reports (3 units)
- POLS 498C Field Assignments and Reports (3 units)
- POLS 499A Independent Study (1-6 units)
- POLS 499B Independent Study (1-6 units)
- POLS 499C Independent Study (1-6 units)
- POLS 499RIA