Courses
The 18 credits of course work include at least one course in each of the following political science areas:
- American Politics
- Theory/Methodology
- Comparative Politics
- International Relations
Six of these 18 credits must be at the 400 level. A grade of "C" or better is required in all courses that you take to fulfill requirements for the minor.
Convenient and Flexible
Each course is taught using a blend of web technology, print, and other media to maximize flexibility while maintaining teacher and student interaction. As a Penn State online student, you have the opportunity to learn when and where it's most convenient for you.
Course List - Political Science Minor
Choose at least one course from each of the following four areas:
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to American National Government | PL SC 001 | Introduction to development and nature of American political culture, constitutional/structural arrangements, electoral/policy processes; sources of conflict and consensus. | 3 credits |
| Rights in America | PL SC 110 | This course explores the historical and contemporary struggles of particular groups within American society to expand their rights. | 3 credits |
| Analyzing Public Policy in the American State | PL SC 404 | This course provides students with the tools to empirically evaluate policy proposals and outcomes in the American states. | 3 credits |
| Politics and the Media | PL SC 468 | An examination of how politics and public policy affect and are shaped by the news media, as a political institution, in America. | 3 credits |
| American Constitutional Law | PL SC 471 | The origins of judicial review, landmark decisions of the Supreme Court, and their impact on the American form of government. | 3 credits |
| The American Legal Process | PL SC 472 | Analysis of the roles, procedures, and policies characterizing the American legal system. | 3 credits |
| American Judicial Behavior | PL SC 473 | Analyzes behavior of judges and other participants in the legal process; examines how and why courts function as policymaking bodies. | 3 credits |
| Congress and the Presidency | PL SC 480W | This course examines states, markets, power, production, and the relations between the various transnational agents who act in these areas. | 3 credits |
| Policy Making and Evaluation | PL SC 490 | Advanced analysis of public policy, emphasizing policy evaluation and the factors that determine policy success and failure. | 3 credits |
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Relations | PL SC 014 | Characteristics of modern nation-states and forces governing their international relations; nationalism; imperialism; diplomacy; current problems of war and peace. | 3 credits |
| International Political Economy | PL SC 412 | The transnational politics of trade, investment, aid, raw materials, and the environment; nation-states, multinational corporations, and the U.N. | 3 credits |
| International Relations Theory | PL SC 418W | A survey of traditional and contemporary conceptual frameworks and theoretical approaches for the analysis of international relations. | 3 credits |
| The Politics of Terrorism | PL SC 439 | Analysis of political terrorism as a violent alternative for peaceful change and traditional warfare in the nuclear age. | 3 credits |
| American Foreign Policy | PL SC 442 | Principles of American foreign policy; processes of policy formulation; roles of the President, Congress, the State Department, and other government agencies. | 3 credits |
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | PL SC 003 | Introduction to study of comparative government and politics: normative/ empirical theories; government functions in modern societies; representative structures and processes. | 3 credits |
| Comparative Politics--Western Europe | PL SC 020 | Comparative analysis of political cultures, interest groups, parties, and decision-making processes in principal Western European political systems. | 3 credits |
| Society and Cultures in Modern Israel | PL SC 060 | An introduction to the society and cultures of the State of Israel from 1948 to the present. | 3 credits |
| Governments and Politics of Western Europe | PL SC 455 | Comparative analysis of political and governmental structures of major West European nations; main functions and processes of such structures. | 3 credits |
| Politics and Institutions of Latin-American Nations | PL SC 456 | Social forces and processes, governmental institutions, foreign policies of major states of Latin America. | 3 credits |
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contemporary Political Ideologies | PL SC 007 | Critical analysis of contemporary political ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, anarchism, fascism, feminism, and environmentalism. | 3 credits |
| Scientific Study of Politics | PL SC 10 | This course introduces students to both the scientific study of politics and the way that study advances our understanding of political actors, events, processes, and institutions. | 3 credits |
| Introduction to Political Theory | PL SC 017 | Introduction to basic issues in political theory through analysis of selected major political thinkers. | 3 credits |
| Introduction to Political Research | PL SC 308 | Introduction to conceptualization, research design, and measurement in political research. | 3 credits |
| Quantitative Political Analysis | PL SC 309 | Data analysis and statistical applications in political research, including data processing; inferential statistics; contingency analysis; correlation and regression; multivariate analysis. | 3 credits |
| Politics and the Media | PL SC 404 | This course provides students with the tools to empirically evaluate policy proposals and outcomes in the American states. | 3 credits |
| Congress and the Presidency | PL SC 480W | This course examines states, markets, power, production, and the relations between the various transnational agents who act in these areas. | 3 credits |
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.