The Graduate School Bulletin
Department of Political Science
237 Graham Building
(336) 334-5989
Department of Political Science Homepage
Admissions Information
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Faculty
Overview
Requirements for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
Nonprofit Management
Urban and Economic Development
Requirements for the Master of Public Affairs
Community and Economic Development Concentration
Local Government Management Concentration
Nonprofit Management Concentration
MPA with Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Gerontology
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Political Science
PSC Political Science Courses
Faculty
Professors
Linda P. Brady, Ph.D.
American foreign policy, international negotiation, and arms control.
James Clotfelter, Ph.D.
Southern politics, public policy (health, defense).
William Crowther, Ph.D.
Comparative politics, political economy, Eastern Europe, inter-ethnic relations.
Ruth Hoogland DeHoog, Ph.D.
Public administration, urban management, privatization, organization theory and behavior (Head of Department).
Charles L. Prysby, Ph.D.
Research methods, elections, voting behavior, political parties, southern politics, contextual analysis.
Jerry Pubantz, Ph.D.
International politics, Middle East politics, the United Nations, American Foreign Policy, and globalization.
Associate Professors
Susan J. Buck, Ph.D.
Environmental policy and law, public policy, administrative law.
Robert J. Griffiths, Ph.D.
Comparative and international politics, African politics, civil-military relations, politics of development.
David Holian, Ph.D.
The presidency, legislative politics, mass media, public opinion, and political methodology.
Kenneth A. Klase, D.P.A.
Public administration, public budgeting and finance, public financial management (Director of Graduate Study).
Frabice Lehoucq, Ph.D.
Comparative politics, Latin American politics, political economy of development.
Gregory E. McAvoy, Ph.D.
Public policy, research methods, environmental policy, program evaluation.
Assistant Professors
Susan W. Johnson, Ph.D.
American politics, judicial politics, Supreme Court decisionmaking, Canadian Supreme Court.
Darlene X. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Nonprofit management, philanthropy and resource development, public administration.
Carisa Showden, Ph.D.
Modern and contemporary political theory, feminist theory, women in U.S. politics.
Takashi Tsukamoto, Ph.D.
Urban politics, community and economic development, urban development policy.
Lecturer
J. Alan Boyette, Ph.D.
State politics, federalism and intergovernmental relations, public policy (environment, education, campaign finance).
Overview
The M.P.A. degree is intended for public service professionals in local, state, and federal agencies; private, nonprofit agencies and voluntary organizations; public affairs offices in private businesses; and legislative staff positions. It provides professional training designed to meet current demands in public service positions and build the foundation for long-term development and advancement in a public service career. The M.P.A. program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).
The Master of Public Affairs is linked to the Bachelor of Arts in economics and the Bachelor of Arts in political science so that a student may earn both degrees in approximately five years. Undergraduates must be formally admitted to one of these programs. Please see the appropriate departmental listing in the Undergraduate Bulletin for the details of these accelerated programs of study.
The M.A. degree in political science is for persons who wish to teach in community colleges and secondary schools or continue graduate study in a doctoral program or a professional school.
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in nonprofit management is designed to meet the training needs of nonprofit professionals in the Triad region. The urban and economic development certificate is designed to meet the training needs of those currently working in or who plan to work in urban planning or community and economic development in the Triad region.
Requirements for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
The Department of Political Science offers a program of study leading to a 15 hour Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in nonprofit management. At least 9 hours must be taken in the M.P.A. curriculum. A portfolio demonstrating skills and competencies acquired through course work in the program must be submitted and approved for completion of the certificate. If the portfolio is judged unacceptable, no more than one additional attempt to satisfy the requirement is permitted. If the student fails to meet the department’s minimum criteria for the portfolio on the second attempt, The Graduate School will be notified and will send the student a letter of dismissal.
Certificate graduates will be prepared for management positions in the nonprofit sector, including positions in human service agencies, foundations, or professional associations. The certificate program may be useful to government and business professionals who have significant voluntary or nonprofit agency responsibilities. The program combines core courses and electives that allow a student some tailoring to specific interests.
Core Requirements (6 hours)
PSC 540 Nonprofit Management and Leadership (3)
PSC 550 Philanthropy and Resource Development (3)
Choice Requirements (3 hours)
PSC 511F Problems in Public Management: Financial Management (1) or PSC 511R Problems in Public Management: Nonprofit Budgeting (1)
Plus two of the following:
PSC 511B Problems in Public Management: Marketing for Public and Nonprofit Agencies (1)
PSC 511D Problems in Public Management: Strategic Planning (1)
PSC 511F Problems in Public Management: Financial Management (1)
PSC 511G Problems in Public Management: Grant Writing (1)
PSC 511N Problems in Public Management: Nonprofit Law (1)
Electives (6 hours)
Students must take 6 hours in a combination of one-hour courses (PSC 511): financial management or nonprofit management (whichever was not chosen above), strategic planning, marketing, legislative relations, volunteer management, media relations, oral communication skills, grantwriting, nonprofit law; and/or 3 hour courses from the M.P.A. curriculum or approved courses outside the department in human development and family studies, social work, public health, business administration, and/or counseling.
Urban and Economic Development
The Departments of Political Science and Geography jointly offer a program of study leading to a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in urban and economic development. This certificate requires courses emphasizing the knowledge and skills to prepare students to work in organizations focusing on urban planning and community economic development activities in government and nonprofit organizations.
The certificate requires 18 semester hours of course work (12 hours of core courses and 6 hours of approved electives).
Required Core Courses (12 hours)
GEO 502 Urban Planning (3)
GEO 533 Industrial Development: State and Local (3)
PSC 520 The Urban Political System (3)
PSC 630 Community and Economic Development Theory and Practice (3)
Electives (6 hours)
Select two from the following:
GEO 602 Regional Planning (3)
GEO 603 Understanding Geographic Information Systems (3)
GEO 622 GIS Applications in Urban Planning (3)
GEO 631 Transportation Planning (3)
PSC 613 Local Government Administration (3)
PSC 620 Urban Development Policy (3)
Requirements for the Master of Public Affairs
The Department of Political Science offers a graduate program of study leading to a 40 hour M.P.A. degree. Students with no work experience in public or nonprofit agencies must complete an additional 3 hour supervised internship.
The program provides a foundation in the major substantive areas of public affairs: policy-making and policy analysis; administration, management and organizational behavior; quantitative analysis and evaluation; and the political context of public administration. Beyond these areas, students can develop a specialization in courses in political science and up to 9 hours in other departments (e.g., geography, social work, public health education).
Prerequisite (3 hours)
The program requires students to have completed an undergraduate course in American government, politics, or public policy.
Core Courses (23 hours)
The eight required courses are to be taken in approximately the following order, when possible:
PSC 600 Public Administration and Management (3)
PSC 601 Politics of Public Policy (3)
PSC 602 Quantitative Analysis and Program Evaluation (3)
PSC 603 Budgeting and Fiscal Administration, with lab (4)
PSC 604 Public Personnel Management (3)
PSC 511J Problems in Public Management: Legal Issues in Public Administration (1)
PSC 612 Organizational Behavior and Leadership (3)
One applied research tools course chosen from 503, 504, 610, or 611 (3)
Electives (17 hours)
Regularly offered courses:
PSC 504 Public Management Information Systems (3)
PSC 510 Topics in Public Policy (1-3)
PSC 511 Problems in Public Management (1)
PSC 512 Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations (3)
PSC 516 Administrative Law (3)
PSC 520 The Urban Political System (3)
PSC 530 Administrative and Elected Leadership (3)
PSC 540 Nonprofit Management and Leadership (3)
PSC 550 Philanthropy and Resource Development (3)
PSC 560 Special Topics in Public Administration (1-3)
PSC 610 Public Policy Analysis (3)
PSC 613 Local Government Administration (3)
PSC 615 Human Resource Development and Performance Management (3)
PSC 620 Urban Development Policy (3)
PSC 630 Community and Economic Development Theory and Practice (3)
Students may take up to 9 hours from approved graduate courses in other departments.
Experiential Component
Students not having approved prior work experience will complete a supervised internship (PSC 695) in a public or nonprofit agency for 3-6 hours credit, depending on the duration of the placement, together with a directed field study (PSC 696). Students with prior work who desire experience in a new area of public affairs may choose to complete an internship as well.
Comprehensive Examination (Capstone Experience)
The required exam consists of two parts:
(1) a written essay examination (based on core courses) when halfway through the graduate program, and (2) a summary of learning paper completed near the end of graduate work.
Community and Economic Development Concentration
This concentration combines the M.P.A. core requirements with courses emphasizing the knowledge and skills to prepare students to work in organizations focusing on community and economic development activities. The prerequisite, comprehensive exam, and the experiential component are the same as for the M.P.A.
Required Courses (35 hours)
Students must complete all of the M.P.A. core courses including the required research tools course. They must also complete 15 hours of course work related to community and economic development skills and knowledge. Required courses are:
PSC 520 The Urban Political System (3)
PSC 620 Urban Development Policy (3)
PSC 630 Community and Economic Development Theory and Practice (3)
PSC 511J Problems in Public Management: Legal Issues in Public Administration (1)
Plus one of the following courses:
GEO 502 Urban Planning (3)
GEO 533 Industrial Development: State and Local (3)
Electives (5 hours)
With the approval of the Director of Graduate Study, students may select additional course work from political science or other departments, such as geography, sociology, business administration, or economics.
Internship (3 hours)
An internship (PSC 695) is required for students who have no prior experience in a professional or management position in community and economic development.
Local Government Management Concentration
This concentration combines the M.P.A. core requirements with courses emphasizing the knowledge and skills to prepare students to work as local government managers. The prerequisite, comprehensive exam, and experiential component are the same as for the M.P.A.
Required Courses (29 hours)
Students must complete all of the M.P.A. core courses including the required research tools course (23 hours). For the concentration, they must complete 6 hours of required course work related to local government management skills and knowledge.
PSC 520 Urban Political Systems (3)
PSC 613 Local Government Administration (3)
Electives (11 hours)
Students complete an additional 11 hours of elective course work. Nine of these elective hours together with the 6 hours of required concentration courses listed above complete a 15 hour concentration in local government management.
Recommended courses include:
PSC 560F Special Topics in Public Administration: Public Financial Management (2)
PSC 512 Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations (3)
PSC 530 Administrative and Elected Leadership (3)
PSC 510K Topics in Public Policy: Ethics in Public Policy (3)
With the approval of the Director of Graduate Study, students may select additional course work from political science or other departments, such as geography, sociology, business administration, or economics.
Internship (3 hours)
An internship (PSC 695) is required for students who have no prior experience in a professional or management position in a government agency.
Nonprofit Management Concentration
This concentration combines the M.P.A. core requirements with courses emphasizing the knowledge and skills to prepare students to work in or with the nonprofit sector. The prerequisite, comprehensive exam, and the experiential component are the same as for the M.P.A.
Required Courses (31 hours)
Students must complete all but one of the M.P.A. core courses (PSC 511N substitutes for PSC 511J). The research tools requirement in the M.P.A. core will be met by PSC 611. They must also complete 15 hours of course work related to nonprofit management skills and knowledge. Required courses are:
PSC 540 Nonprofit Management and Leadership (3)
PSC 550 Philanthropy and Resource Development (3)
Plus three of the following four one-hour Problems in Public Management:
PSC 511B Marketing for Public and Nonprofit Agencies (1)
PSC 511D Strategic Planning (1)
PSC 511F Financial Management (1)
PSC 511G Grant Writing (1)
Electives (9 hours)
With the approval of the Director of Graduate Study, students may select courses from political science or up to 9 hours in other departments, such as social work; recreation, tourism, and hospitality management; or sociology.
Internship (3 hours)
An internship (PSC 695) is required for students who have no prior experience in a professional or management position in a nonprofit agency.
M.P.A. with Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Gerontology
Students with an interest in public service work related to the elderly and meeting the needs of an aging society may complete elective course work in the M.P.A. degree by jointly completing the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Gerontology.
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Political Science
The Department of Political Science offers a graduate program of study leading to a 30 hour M.A. degree. Course offerings and the thesis focus on public administration and policy.
Required Courses (6 hours)
Two courses must be taken in the first 18 hours:
PSC 601 Politics of Public Policy (3)
PSC 602 Quantitative Analysis and Program Evaluation (3)
Electives (24 hours)
Students select from departmental offerings. Up to 6 hours may be taken as independent study courses.
Thesis
See the Director of Graduate Study for details.
PSC 699 Thesis (3-6)
Comprehensive Examination
A written comprehensive examination is required when 18 hours of course work have been completed.
PSC Political Science Courses
| 501 | Selected Topics in Political Science (1-3) |
| Pr. major in political science or permission of instructor Opportunity for advanced students to study in depth a topic of special interest. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. | |
| 503 | Survey Methods for Policy Research (3:3) |
| Theoretical and practical issues involved in designing and using sample surveys for political and policy research. Emphasis on survey methods used by the government and others in the public sector. | |
| 504 | Public Management Information Systems (3:3) |
| Overview of management information systems in public and nonprofit organizations, covering broad questions of design, management, training, utilization, and impact of decision making. | |
| 505 | Problems in Politics (3:3) |
| Seminar in research and study in political science. Attention also on problems of methodology and alternative conceptions of field of political science as a scholarly discipline. | |
| 510 | Topics in Public Policy (1-3) |
| Intensive analysis of a major area of public policy. Examination of the sources of policy making, the policy-making process and the impact of policy. Students may repeat the course but not the same topic. 510a, Politics of Education; 510b, Criminal Justice; 510c, Labor Relations; 510d, Foreign and Defense Policy; 510e, Environmental Policy; 510f, Urban Development Policy; 510g, Health and Social Policy; 510h, Global Challenges; 510i, Press and Politics; 510j, Industrial Policy; 510k, Ethics in Public Policy. | |
| 511 | Problems in Public Management (1) |
| Intensive examination of important current problems related to the management of public institutions. 511J, Legal Issues in Public Administration, is a required course. Students may repeat the course when topics vary for a maximum of six credit hours. | |
| 512 | Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations (3:3) |
| Pr. permission of instructor or 210, or 310; or graduate standing Focuses on changing relationships of local-state-federal agencies, expanding role of regional cooperation and recent developments in sub-national governments. | |
| 516 | Administrative Law (3:3) |
| The law, practice, and procedure in federal administrative agencies: agency rulemaking; administrative adjudication; judicial review; informal process and administrative discretion. | |
| 520 | The Urban Political System (3:3) |
| Examination of major topics in the study of urban government and politics, including citizen participation, interest groups, parties, types of elections, forms of government, community power, and racial politics. | |
| 530 | Administrative and Elected Leadership (3:3) |
| Recruitment, selection, and roles of executives and legislators; organization and activities of the offices; and relationships among executive offices, administrative offices, and legislative bodies. | |
| 535 | Citizen Participation in Policy Making (3:3) |
| Political participation and citizen involvement in governmental policy making. Both citizen-initiated and government-sponsored efforts to increase popular input will be analyzed. Assessment of the impact of citizen participation on policy-making in specific areas of policy and on the performance of government in general. | |
| 540 | Nonprofit Management and Leadership (3:3) |
| Pr. senior or graduate standing Overview of major concepts and concerns of nonprofit organizations, including tax-exempt status, incorporation, nonprofit-government relations, board-director-staff relations, volunteers, service and program planning, implementation, resource development. | |
| 550 | Philanthropy and Resource Development (3:3) |
| Pr. 540 and senior or graduate standing Major concepts, strategies, issues, and approaches to resource development and philanthropy in nonprofit and educational organizations. | |
| 560 | Special Topics in Public Administration (1-3) |
| Pr. permission of M.P.A. Program Director or instructor Specific topic identified by extension to basic title: e.g., Special Topics in Public Administration: Public Financial Management; Financial Analysis Techniques; Grants and Contract Administration. Students may repeat three credit hour courses when topics vary. One credit hour courses may be repeated for a maximum of three credit hours when topics vary. | |
| 589 | Experimental Course |
| This number reserved for experimental courses. Refer to the Course Schedule for current offerings. | |
| 600 | Public Administration and Management (3:3) |
| Pr. admission to the M.P.A. program or permission of instructor Political environment, structure and process of public bureaucracies; organizational theory; professional ethics; and administrative functions including management, budgeting, and personnel. | |
| 601 | Politics of Public Policy (3:3) |
| Pr. admission to the M.P.A. program or permission of instructor Public policy process from agenda-setting to policy formation, legitimation, and implementation. | |
| 602 | Quantitative Analysis and Program Evaluation (3:3) |
| Pr. admission to the M.P.A. program or permission of instructor Basic principles of research design, measurement, data analysis, and computer usage for research in politics and public policy. | |
| 603 | Budgeting and Fiscal Administration (3:3) |
| Pr. 600 or permission of instructor Purposes of budgets. The political and economic environment that surrounds the budgetary process in government. Budget preparation, enactment, execution, and decision making at the federal, state, and local levels. Must be enrolled in PSC 603 and PSC 603L at the same time. | |
| 603L | Budget Analysis Laboratory (1:1) |
| Pr. 600 or permission of instructor Problems and exercises designed to assist students in understanding public budgeting. Emphasis on analyzing and communicating budget data. Must be enrolled in PSC 603 and PSC 603L at the same time. | |
| 604 | Public Personnel Management (3:3) |
| Pr. 600 or permission of instructor Employment practices as applied in the public sector; merit and merit systems, position management, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, unionization, employee rights, and representative bureaucracy. | |
| 610 | Public Policy Analysis (3:3) |
| Pr. 602 Approaches to analyzing public policy; cost-benefit analysis, decision-analysis, and other analytical methods used in policy development and evaluation. | |
| 611 | Program and Policy Evaluation (3:3) |
| Pr. 602 or permission of instructor Structure of program evaluation; identification and measurement of program outcomes; use of experiments and quasi-experiments in evaluation; development of performance measures; analysis of program evaluation data. | |
| 612 | Organizational Behavior and Leadership (3:3) |
| Pr. 600 or permission of instructor Behavior of public and nonprofit organizations. Problems of leadership, group dynamics, conflict resolution, and organizational change. | |
| 613 | Local Government Administration (3:3) |
| Pr. permission of M.P.A. program director Administrative process, management, personnel, budget and finance, and intergovernmental relations in local government. | |
| 615 | Human Resource Development and Performance Management (3:3) |
| Public and nonprofit employee performance evaluation and development: theories of motivation, workforce trends, training techniques and trends, career development, employee performance and evaluation techniques. Workshop format with group exercises. | |
| 620 | Urban Development Policy (3:3) |
| Examines nature and evolution of U.S. urban development policy, including urban renewal, the war on poverty, and empowerment zones. | |
| 630 | Community and Economic Development Theory and Practice (3:3) |
| Pr. permission of M.P.A. program director or instructor Critical analysis of community and economic development theory and practice and its historical and theoretical roots, methods, strategies, and tactics. | |
| 690 | Public Affairs Seminar (3:3) |
| Role of the public official in organizations and policy making. Analysis of position and responsibilities in the context of literature on organizations, administration, management, and policy making. Open to advanced students in public affairs who have had work experience or internships in public agencies. | |
| 695 | Public Affairs Internship (3-6) |
| Pr. 600, 601, 602, at least three other graduate level courses in political science, and permission of instructor A full-time work and learning experience in a public or nonprofit agency of approximately three months duration designed to provide the graduate student with practical experience in the ongoing operations of an agency of government or an organization engaged in public affairs activities. | |
| 696 | Directed Field Research (3-6) |
| Pr. 600, 601, 602, three other graduate level courses, and permission of instructor Field research on selected problems and issues in public policy, including research design, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Open to advanced graduate students in the Master of Public Affairs program. | |
| 697, 698 | Special Problems in Political Science (1-3), (1-3) |
| Independent study or research in political science. Prior consent of faculty member with whom student wishes to work. | |
| 699 | Thesis (1-6) |
| 711 | Experimental Course |
| This number reserved for experimental courses. Refer to the Course Schedule for current offerings. | |
| 801 | Thesis Extension (1-3) |
| 803 | Research Extension (1-3) |