Academic Bulletin

School of Business Administration - Undergraduate

POLITICAL SCIENCE - Dept. Code: POL

• Major | Minor | Five-Year Program | Honors

The Department of Political Science offers a wide selection of courses and activities adapted to the needs of students who contemplate careers in law, government, and public service at various levels. These courses will also benefit those in related vocations.

POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR

The major in Political Science consists of at least 27 credits for students in the School of Business Administration.

For those in the College of Arts and Sciences, the major consists of at least 30 credits. At least 21 credits of these must be earned at the University of Miami.

Students in the schools of Communication and Education may also major (double major) in Political Science (at least 30 credits).

Six credits must be taken in departmental core courses, namely, POL 211 and 212. The remaining credits must meet the following distributional requirements:

1. Six (6) of the credits must come from the following designated courses:

POL 510 Political Analysis
POL 522 Introduction to Graduate Public Administration
POL 531 Global Environmental Politics
POL 535 Courts as Political Institutions
POL 537 The Law and Politics of Sports
POL 540 Problems in American Foreign Policy
POL 541 Philosophy of Law
POL 542 American Constitutional Development
POL 543 Urban Politics
POL 544 Chinese Foreign Policy
POL 545 Environmental Policymaking
POL 546 Public Policy
POL 547 Congressional Representation
POL 551 Productivity in the Public and Non-Profit Sectors
POL 553 The Environmental Movement: Groups, Beliefs and Values
POL 554 Social Welfare Policy
POL 555 Total Quality Public Service Management: Achieving High Performance Government
POL 580 The Politics of Post-Communist Transitions
POL 581 Comparative Political Economy of Post-Industrial Democracies
POL 582 Political Economy of Latin American Development
POL 584 Contemporary Latin American Politics
POL 585 Political Movements in Latin America
POL 586 Conflict in the Middle East and Africa
POL 588 Politics in China
POL 591 Problems in International Politics and Organization
POL 592 International Political Economy
POL 593 International Relations of the Middle East
POL 595 North-South Relations

2. At least one course must be taken in three of the following four principal sub-fields of political science:

a. American Politics
b. Comparative Politics
c. International Relations
d. Public Administration, Policy, and Law

These can include courses used to fulfill requirement 1 above.

a. American Politics

POL 314 Legislative Process
POL 315 American Presidency
POL 332 Politics and the Media
POL 334 Campaigns
POL 335 Local Government
POL 342 State and Local Government and Politics
POL 343 Government in Metropolitan Areas
POL 349 U. S. Defense Policy
POL 351 Public Opinion
POL 352 Political Parties and Pressure Groups
POL 510 Political Analysis
POL 520 Internship
POL 521 Public Affairs Internship
POL 535 Courts as Political Institutions
POL 543 Urban Politics
POL 547 Congressional Representation
POL 553 The Environmental Movement: Groups, Beliefs and Values

2. Comparative Politics

POL 380 Comparative Political Analysis
POL 381 European Governments and Politics
POL 382 Government and Politics of the Federal Republic of Germany
POL 383 Government and Politics of the United Kingdom
POL 384 Soviet and Russian Politics
POL 385 Politics and Society in Latin America
POL 387 Politics of the Middle East
POL 388 Politics of Israel
POL 531 Global Environmental Politics
POL 580 The Politics of Post-Communist Transitions
POL 581 Comparative Political Economy of Post-Industrial Democracies
POL 582 Political Economy of Latin American Development
POL 584 Contemporary Latin American Politics
POL 585 Political Movements in Latin America
POL 588 Politics in China

3. International Relations

POL 337 International Law
POL 345 The United States and Asia
POL 346 U. S.-Latin American Relations
POL 347 American Foreign Policy
POL 348 United States Relations with the Middle East
POL 349 U. S. Defense Policy
POL 391 Introduction to International Relations
POL 392 International Terrorism
POL 531 Global Environmental Politics
POL 540 Problems in American Foreign Policy
POL 544 Chinese Foreign Policy
POL 586 Conflict in the Middle East and Africa
POL 591 Problems in International Politics and Organization
POL 592 International Political Economy
POL 593 International Relations of the Middle East
POL 595 North-South Relations

4. Public Administration, Policy, and Law

POL 305 Introduction to Political Theory
POL 321 Public Policy and Administration
POL 322 Environmental Politics and Policy
POL 336 Politics of Crime
POL 337 International Law
POL 372 Introduction to Criminal Justice
POL 373 Constitutional Law I
POL 374 Constitutional Law II
POL 375 Supreme Court Issues
POL 376 Discrimination and the Law
POL 377 Constitutional Law III
POL 397 Policy for Urban Systems
POL 501 Budget and Financial Management and Administration
POL 521 Public Affairs Internship
POL 522 Introduction to Graduate Public Administration
POL 535 Courts as Political Institutions
POL 537 The Law and Politics of Sports
POL 541 Philosophy of Law
POL 542 American Constitutional Development
POL 545 Environmental Policymaking
POL 546 Public Policy
POL 551 Productivity in the Public and Non-Profit Sectors
POL 554 Social Welfare Policy
POL 555 Total Quality Public Service Management: Achieving High Performance Government

The following courses cannot be used to fulfill the 6-credit requirement at 500 level, although they do count toward the major and minor:

POL 501 Budget and Financial Management and Administration
POL 520 Internship
POL 521 Public Affairs Internship
POL 563 Senior Honors Thesis (I)
POL 564 Senior Honors Thesis (II)
POL 599 Directed Readings

NOTE: POL 213 does not count toward the major or minor.

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POLITICAL SCIENCE MINOR

The minor consists of at least 15 credits, of which at least 9 credits must be earned in residence.

To count toward a major or minor, each course must be completed with a grade of C- or higher, with an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.

FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM – BACHELOR and MASTERS in PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

A special curriculum for students specializing in public administration enables them to complete the requirements for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Public Administration in five years.

HONORS

The Political Science Department participates in the General Honors and Departmental Honors Programs. Interested students are requested to contact the Department Chair for details about these programs.

Graduate Studies

For graduate work in Political Science, see the Bulletin of the Graduate School. Courses at the 600 level are not open to undergraduates.

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