POLS 1010. Introduction to Political Science. (3 Credits)

This course is an analysis of the structure and operation of American political system, along with a comparison of the characteristics of liberal democracy with those of such competing ideologies as nationalism, communism, socialism, anarchism, and fascism.

POLS 1350. Voices in Democracy. (3 Credits)

This course introduces the student to the study of American government, its structure, processes and actors. Students will examine the operations of the federal government as well as the roles of state and local governments. Also, the course will examine the role of the media and of public interest groups in American politics, as well as the nature of the electoral process.

POLS 2010. American Government. (3 Credits)

This course studies the basic foundations and underlying principles of American national, state and local government.

POLS 2550. Presidency. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the history, theory, and practice of the office of the U.S. presidency. Activities will help students appreciate how the presidency has evolved, explore the powers and limitations of the contemporary presidency, and recommend improvements and modifications to the office. The course is suggested as an advanced level course for students who have taken POLS 2010 (American Government), though it is not a prerequisite.

POLS 2850. American Politics and Health Care Policy. (3 Credits)

In this course students will learn the fundamentals of the American political system as well as its origins. They will compare a federal political system to unitary and confederal systems in terms of policy outcomes and variation. Students will engage in research, both individually and in small groups, with the purpose of assessing the current state of health in the United States and formulating practical policy ideas to improve it. Students will contribute their individual data to a data pool for common use. The group projects include researching and leading a panel discussion as well as a debate in class. The final exam will require students to do further individual research on specific health policy problems and to formulate their own practical policy suggestions.

POLS 2900. Spacepower. (3 Credits)

This course will engage the students in the coming 5th economic revolution and address the politics, economics, and strategy of from space, to space, and in space. It will focus on international space policy issues facing the United States and other space powers, placing them within the context of astropolitics, geopolitics, science, and technology. The course will briefly examine the space environment, the policy foundations of U.S. space policy, and the current international space legal regime. It will also address the great and medium power competition in space.

POLS 3000. Comparative Politics. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to central concepts of comparative politics, including power, state formation, political economy, political culture, nationalism and identity, democratization, and globalization. Prerequisites for Political Science majors and minors: POLS 1010 and POLS 2010.
Prerequisites: (POLS 101 or 1010) and (POLS 201 or 2010).

POLS 3100. International Relations. (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of international politics and international organization, particularly the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
Prerequisites: (POLS 101 or 1010).

POLS 3300. Political Philosophy. (3 Credits)

This course provides a broad introduction to political philosophy, beginning with classical political thought, theorists from the Enlightenment, Marx, and up through more recent thinkers and movements. The course will include an analysis of current issues in light of these philosophical ideas, as we seek to determine what is the best form of government, and how should human societies be organized.

POLS 3310. American Political Thought. (3 Credits)

This course will explore American political thought and American political philosophy. There will be a heavy emphasis on primary documents, especially those related to the founding fathers. Thematic political ideas such as democracy, liberty, freedom, conservatism, progressivism, and liberalism in the American context will be addressed.

POLS 3320. Conservative Political Thought. (3 Credits)

This course is a survey of the political tradition of conservatism. We will analyze the philosophical foundations of conservatism and the various theories of conservatism. The course will address historical, thematic, intellectual, and policy issues and concepts. We will explore questions: Is conservatism an ideology, tradition, or perspective? Are the different schools of conservatism more unified or disparate? How has conservatism changed, and what is the conservative movement's future?

POLS 3400. U.S. National Security Policy. (3 Credits)

This course will examine the problems and issues regarding United States National Security Policy. There will be a brief overview of national security theory and philosophy. Next, a large section of the course will deal with the principal actors and institutions involved in making and creating a national security policy. Lastly, there will be a thematic look at the threats and concerns that United States national security has dealt with and must continue to deal with. The instructor will call upon his experience as a diplomat for the Department of State and the U.S. Space Force to enhance the classroom. Time will also be spent on career options in national security.

POLS 3450. United States Foreign Policy. (3 Credits)

This course will explore the role of the United States in the world. The course's themes will be American foreign policy and diplomacy through a historical context, foreign policy decision-making and apparatus, the role of the electorate (you) in foreign policy, and American foreign policy objectives. We will also concentrate on significant issues facing American foreign policy, and students will familiarize themselves with these concepts for their awareness and study. The class will stress major themes in United States foreign policy and national security, connecting to form a whole picture.

POLS 3500. Methods for Political Science. (3 Credits)

This course provides an introduction to the research methods used in political science. Students will develop the skills necessary to formulate questions and hypotheses, carry out, and analyze research questions in political science. Emphasis will be placed on research design and quantitative methods, culminating in a student research project.
Prerequisites: (MATH 205 or 2050).

POLS 3590. Constitutional Law. (3 Credits)

This course analyzes individual rights and responsibilities as developed by the United States Supreme Court in its interpretation of the United States Constitution.

POLS 3600. Intelligence and Terrorism. (3 Credits)

This course will examine the misunderstood topic of terrorism and the neglected area of intelligence. The first half of the course deals with the issue of terrorism. This section identifies the fundamental and underlying reasons why America is a target for terrorists as it compares and contrasts various international terrorist groups and their respective ideologies. The second section will deal with intelligence, exploring the organization and functions of the U.S. Intelligence Community, its interaction with national security policymakers, critical issues about its workings, and the challenges it faces in defining its future role.

POLS 3610. Civil Rights & Civil Liberties. (3 Credits)

This course explores the philosophical and historical development of the concepts of civil rights and civil liberties, the role American society has played and continues to play in protecting human rights through government institutions, particularly the judiciary, and the current state of rights protections within the U.S. 

POLS 3710. Nonprofits and Public Policy. (3 Credits)

This course explores the relationship between nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and the public policy process by examining the different strategies of public policymaking used by NPOs to fulfill their respective missions and the various ways public policy impacts how NPOs function. Additional focus is given to the broader role NPOs play in democratic societies, especially through their collaborative and/or conflictual interactions and relationships with government entities.

POLS 4100. Faith and Politics. (3 Credits)

This course examines the relationship between religion and politics in the United States and how Christians may respond to and be a part of the public square. Prerequisites for Political Science minors: POLS 1010 and POLS 2010.
Prerequisites: (POLS 101 or 1010) and (POLS 201 or 2010).

POLS 4800. Internship/Fieldwork. (1-6 Credits)

This course provides opportunities for students to work and gain experience in a variety of political contexts. Students may intern at the local, state, national, or international level, including a Washington, D.C., semester.
Prerequisites: (POLS 101 or 1010) and (POLS 201 or 2010).

POLS 4900. Senior Seminar I. (3 Credits)

This course provides the methods and tools required to develop a significant, original undergraduate research project. Students learn how to: identify an issue worthy of further research; formulate an initial thesis; gather and evaluate relevant resources; and make a clear and coherent plan of their project. In addition, the course examines the nexus between faith and politics, and explores how Christian political and law practitioners may impact society.
Prerequisites: (POLS 100 or 1010) and (POLS 201 or 2010).

POLS 4910. Special Topics in Politics. (3 Credits)

Special Topics in Politics allows in-depth study of an area of politics and government of mutual interest to staff and students. This course may be taken more than once as long as there is substantially different content in each course. Prerequisites: POLS 1010 and POLS 2010 for Political Science majors and minors; or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites: (POLS 101 or 1010) and (POLS 201 or 2010).

POLS 4990. Senior Seminar II. (3 Credits)

This course is a continuation of Senior Seminar I. Working with the course instructor or a faculty advisor who specializes in the subject area of their research, students draft and redraft their thesis project. Students produce an original paper that deals with contemporary politics in one of the great sub-fields of the significant (International Relations, Political Philosophy, Comparative Politics, and American Government and Politics), culminating in a public presentation and defense of their thesis and produce a final version of their written project.
Prerequisite: POLS 4900.