Goucher Politics and IR Dept.


		The Academic Program in Political Science and International Relations at Goucher About the Curriculum The Hughes Field Politics Center Washington Semester at American University January Seminar on Gender and Public Policy Honors in the Majors Computer Proficiency The Political Science Major The Political Science Minor The International Relations Major The International Relations Minor About the Curriculum The Department of Political Science and International Relations offers two distinct but complementary majors, and two minors. The curriculum in both Political Science and International Relations is designed to provide a rich and diverse understanding of the character of politics and public policy in communities ranging from the city to the international system. To this end, courses explore both theoretical and practical aspects of politics and the processes by which policies, rules, and political cultures are contested and established. Within the context of a liberal arts college, the department gives special attention to preparing students for careers in government, politics, public interest organizations, law, and journalism, and provides training useful for those wishing to pursue graduate or professional degrees. Certification for teaching social studies in the secondary schools may be based on a major in political science or international relations. Last, but certainly not least, political science and international relations at Goucher College seek to sensitize students to the role of the active citizen who is responsibly assertive in the community. The Hughes Field Politics Center Funded by an endowment made by the late Judge Sarah T. Hughes, Class of 1917, the Field Politics Center was originally founded in the early 1950s under a grant from the Maurice and Laura Falk Foundation. The Center directed by Dr. Nicholas Brown, sponsors a variety of activities designed to facilitate student exposure to and involvement in governmental and political affairs in the Baltimore-Washington region. Foremost among these activities is an extensive internship program that places students in a variety of settings ranging from local, state, or federal courts to the office of the state's attorney, the U.S. Congress, the Maryland State Legislature, the Baltimore City Council and Mayor's Office, and Baltimore County government offices. In addition, students have been placed in local, state, and federal agencies, and lobby and public interest groups. Through a competitive process, the Hughes Center annually awards stipends and travel expenses for student internships. The center also sponsors conferences and a speaker series that bring diverse political figures to the campus. Goucher students secure assistance and encouragement from the center in attending conferences at other institutions. Washington Semester at American University This 16 week immersion program involves an internship, a seminar that includes contact and interaction with policy makers and leaders in federal government, and a choice of an additional course or independent research project. Students come from colleges and universities around the world to live and study at American University's Tenley campus. Requirements for admission include second semester sophomore standing, a 2.5 grade point average, and permission of the Department chair. January Seminar on Gender and Public Policy Goucher offers a January seminar in Washington, D.C., on Gender and Public Policy in conjunction with the Public Leadership Education Network. The seminar provides students with a firsthand look at the policy-making process at the federal level through faculty lectures supplemented by guest lectures by women judges, lobbyists, regulatory board members, Congressional leaders, and government agency representatives. Policy briefings and site visits are an integral part of the seminar. In addition to Goucher students, this seminar attracts participants from across the country. Honors in the Majors Students wishing to pursue honors in political science or international relations must submit to the Chair, by April 30 of their Junior year, a proposal outlining their project and naming the proposed thesis director. This proposal will be considered by the Department to determine whether the student is a good candidate for honors. Upon approval, the student must enroll in a two-semester (6 or 8 credit) Senior Thesis course (PSC 399). One-semester projects are not eligible for Honors. At the end of the fall semester, the thesis advisor will determine whether the project has sufficiently progressed to warrant continuation of the pursuit of Honors. If not, the student may receive a grade of pass/no pass for those credits. No later than three weeks before the end of the Spring semester of the Senior year, the student will defend his/her thesis before a committee of at least three faculty members, a majority of which are members of the Department. The recommendation of the thesis committee will be brought to the Chair and the full department will approve all candidates for Honors. Computer Proficiency Computer proficiency within the Department is defined as the ability of students to: (1) use and evaluate political information that is published electronically in the U.S. and abroad and (2) be aware of the epistemological and ethical implications of computerized information and the public sphere of "cyberspace." Political science majors will have fulfilled the computer proficiency requirement when they have successfully completed PSC 101, 102, and 316. International relations majors will have fulfilled the computer proficiency requirement when they have successfully completed PSC 101, 102, and CS 102. The Political Science Major The major places considerable emphasis on the relation between politics in theory and politics in action. The subject matter is arranged into four basic fields: political theory ; American politics and public policy ; comparative politics ; and international politics. Courses are also offered in constitutional law, women in politics, urban and ethnic politics, and state and local politics. All majors are required to do an internship, for at least 3 credits, in politics and public policy. The internship may be either domestic or international in focus and may be taken for a letter grade only. The major requires 36 credits of course work, according to the following directives: A. Students must take PSC 101, 102, 290 or 234, and 316 B. Students must choose one course from each of the four subfields as listed below: 1. American Politics and Public Policy: PSC 231, 242, 243, 244, 282, 285, 3xx(Congress Seminar), 3xx(President Seminar), 382 2. Political Theory: PSC 200, 201, 202, 205, 207, 306 3. International Relations: PSC 241, 250, 251, 255, 257, 258, 259, 263, 264, 350, 352, 359, IIS 300 4. Comparative Politics: PSC 221, 224, 225, 227, 321, 323, 3xx (Sem in Comp) (* denotes courses for Writing Proficiency in the Major) C. Students must take four additional elective courses. All courses listed in B. above are eligible for elective credit; as are the following: PSC 124, 180, 192, 211, 213, 229, 233, 239H, 248, 252, 256/267, 270, 271, 297, 299, 399 D. Students must ensure that they have taken at least three courses at the 300 level, one of which must be 316. The Political Science Minor* The minor requires 21 credits of course work. Students must take PSC 101, 102, 316 and one course from each of the four subfields as listed in B above. The International Relations Major The dramatic events in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union since 1989 have ushered in a new era in international relations. The end of the Cold War has created an international context for the emergence of new alignments and has called into question the basis upon which states interact with each other. The emergence of new actors, extensive interdependence of national societies, the revolution in communications, and the persistence of hunger and poverty in the Third World have transformed and enlarged the international political agenda. The major requires 36 credits of coursework, according to the following directives: A. Students must take PSC 101, 102, 257, and 350. B. Students must take two of the following: PSC 224, 258, 259, 263, 264, HIS 286 ( denotes courses for Writing Proficiency in the Major) C. Students must take six additional courses from the list below. Two of these must be at the 300 level (at least one of these must be in a discipline other than political science. Courses cross-listed with political science do not count as a course outside the discipline). Anthropology 223. Anthropology of Women 236. Culture and Change 238. Cultures of Contemporary Europe 255. Political Anthropology 392. Seminar: Selected Problems in Anthropology Communication 200. Understanding World Cinema 257. Intercultural Communication 335. International Mass Media Economics 271. International Trade 396. Seminar in Microeconomics English 285. Between Two Worlds History 200. World History I 201. World History II 220. Russia from Peter the Great to the Revolution 222. Russia and the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century 224. Europe, 1914-1945 227. Nation, Memory, and Identity 238. Comparative History of Colonialism in Asia 277. Morality and Power in Twentieth-Century American Foreign Policy 285. Economic and Business History of Japan 286. Twentieth-Century Asia 288. History of Cross-Cultural Trade in Asia 295. Latin American History: An Introduction 338. Seminar in Modern European and American History 387. Seminar in Twentieth-Century Asia Management 231. Environment of International Business 234. History and Evolution of the Multinational Corporation 331. Case Studies in International Business 334. International Business and National Competitiveness Peace Studies 241. Issues in Conflict Resolution 261. Nonviolent Activism: An International Study Sociology 220. Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations 222 Understanding Inequality 271. Protest! Legacy of the Sixties 274. Women and Work: A Global Perspective 276. Cities and Minorities 387. Seminar in Social Psychology Women's Studies 240. Women, War, and Peace Political Science 200. Ancient/Medieval Political Thought 201. Modern Political Thought 202. Contemporary Political Thought 211. Research Methods in Political Science 221. Comparative Political Analysis 224.* European Politics Today 225. British Politics 229. Inequality and Social Policy in South Africa 243. The American Political System 250. Theories of International Politics 251. America and the World: U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1945 255. National Security Issues and Global Politics 256. The United Nations in World Affairs (seven week course) 258.* The International Politics of the Middle East 259. Africa: Past and Present 263.* The Pacific Rim 264.* Latin American Politics 267. Model United Nations (seven week course) 282. Analysis of Public Policy: A Substantive Approach 316. Seminar in Scope and Method in Political Science 321. Terrorism, Political Violence, and Revolution 323. Comparative Public Policy and Gender (Women's Studies 323) 350. Seminar in International Relations Theories 359. Seminar on African Politics 3xx. Seminar in Comparative Politics D. The major also includes the development of reading and speaking competence in a modern foreign language. The choice of language is up to the student and need not be limited to the languages available at Goucher. Cooperative arrangements with seven local colleges and universities open many opportunities for instruction in a variety of modern languages. The language requirement may be met by satisfactory performance on a test to be arranged with the Modern Languages Department. It may also be met by completion of any of the following courses and combinations of courses: French 248 or 263; Russian 250, 260, or 335; or Spanish 250, or 263. Given the importance of language skills to the pursuit of any internationally-oriented career, students are encouraged to pursue language study beyond that required. Students are also encouraged to participate in at least one international internship experience. The International Relations Minor The minor in international relations is composed of 21-22 credits. The required courses are Political Science 101, 257, and 350; two courses chosen from History 286, 295; Political Science 224, 252, 258, 259, 263, 264; two electives at the 200 level; one elective at the 300 level; and at least one 200-level foreign language course.

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