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Programs Offered

• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
• Minor in Political Science

Political Science is the study of government, public policies and political behavior. Political Science uses both humanistic and scientific perspectives and skills to examine all countries and regions of the world. The Political Science Program is based on the educational objectives emphasized in the California State University Channel Island's mission. All students graduating with a degree in Political Science will have taken course work and developed competencies in all four key areas of the university mission: interdisciplinary and integrative learning; multicultural perspectives; international perspectives and civic engagement through service learning or experiential learning. Unlike traditional political science majors, all students will be required to complete a course on racial politics in the United States. This is not only consistent with our mission, but it reflects the ethnic and racial reality of California in the 21st century. The curriculum will have a strong international component as well, as all graduates will take international politics, and comparative government, and many of the elective courses emphasize international perspectives. All students graduating from º£½ÇÉçÇøCI must complete nine units of upper division interdisciplinary course work. Finally, experiential and service learning are woven throughout the curriculum, and the required capstone course is a community based project designed to synthesize learning through analysis of an important policy issue.

Careers [top]

The Political Science Program prepares students for careers in federal state and local governments, law, business, international organizations, nonprofit associations and organizations, campaign management and polling, journalism, education, electoral politics, research and advocacy. In addition, the major in Political Science prepares students for graduate and professional study in the field of Political Science as well as International Relations and Public Administration.

Program Learning Outcomes [top]

Students completing the requirements for a B.A. degree in Political Science will be able to:

1. write clearly and with purpose on issues of international and domestic politics and public policy;
2. participate as a civically engaged member of society;
3. analyze political and policy problems and formulate policy options;
4. use electronic and traditional library resources to research key local, state, national and international policy issues and present results;
5. demonstrate competency with basic tools underlying modern social science research including competency in statistics and qualitative analysis
6. demonstrate critical thinking, including the ability to form an argument, detect fallacies, and martial evidence, about key issues of public policy and politics;
7. discuss the major theories and concepts of political science and its subfields; and
8. deliver thoughtful and well articulated presentations of research findings.

Faculty [top]

Scott Frisch, PhD.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Sage Hall, Room 215
Phone: 805-437-2770
E-Mail: scott.frisch@csuci.edu

Contact Information [top]

http://polsci.csuci.edu

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Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (120 Units) [top]

Lower Division Requirements (9 Units)

POLS 102 Comparative Government (3)
POLS 103 Introduction to International Politics (3)
POLS 150 American Political Institutions (3) *

Upper Division Requirements (15 Units)

POLS 300 Research Methods in Political Science (3)
POLS 301 Political Theory (3)
POLS/SOC/PSYÌý303 Statistical Applications in the Social Sciences (3)
POLS 306 The Politics of Race and Ethnicity (3)
POLS 499 Capstone (3)

Electives (15 units)

ESRM 328 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3)
POLS 140 California Government and Politics (1)
POLS 305 Gender and Politics (3)
POLS 315 Congress and the Presidency (3)
POLS 316 State and Local Politics and Policy (3)
POLS 317 Judicial Power and Process (3)
POLS 318 The Electoral Process (3)
POLS 320 Public Administration (3)
POLS 321 Public Budgeting and Finance (3)
POLS 325 American Public Policy (3)
POLS 326 Government and Politics of Selected Nations (3)
POLS 327 International Relations of Selected Areas (3)
POLS 328 American Foreign Policy (3)
POLS/SOC 330 Political Sociology (3)
POLS/ENG/ECON/SOC 331 Narratives of the Working Class (3)
POLS/COMM 335 Politics and Film (3)
POLS/ESRMÌý340 Environmental Politics and Public Policy (3)
POLS/BIOL 345 Science and Public Policy (3)
POLS/COMM 430 Political Communication (3)
POLS 490 Special Topics in Political Science (3)
POLS 492 Service Learning In Political Science (3)
POLS 493 Internship in Political Science (3)
POLS 494 Independent Research In Political Science (1-3)

Requirements for the Major in Political Science (120 Units)

Lower, Upper Division and Electives 39
General Education 48
Free Elective 30
American Institutions Requirement * 3
chosen from the following: HIST 270, HIST 271, HIST 272, HIST 275

*The Government portion of the American Institutions Requirement (POLS 150) is listed in the major courses above.

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Requirements for the Minor in Political Science (18 units) [top]

Lower-Division Requirements (9 Units)

POLS 102 Comparative Government (3)
POLS 103 Introduction to International Politics (3)
POLS 150 American Political Institutions (3)

Upper-Division Requirements (9 Units)

ECON 370 The World Economy (3)
ESRM 328 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3)
ESRM 329 Environmental Law and Policy (3)
FIN 421 Public Financial Management (3)
HIST 412 Law and Society
POLS 301 Political Theory (3)
POLS 315 Congress and the Presidency (3)
POLS 320 Public Administration (3)
POLS 325 American Public Policy (3)
POLS 494 Independent Research (3)