• PLSC 3200 Political Parties and Interest Groups • PLSC 3240 The Psychology of Political Decision Making • COMM 2000 Introduction to Communications • PLSC 3410–3412 International Organizations/Model United Nations Management • PHIL 2900 Logic • ADMN 4000 The Legal Environment of Business • MGMT 3040 Organizational Behavior • ECON 3070 Industrial Organization
Other courses can be counted toward the major with prior approval of the program director. A course must have a policy focus or be directly related to a skill needed by public managers or policy advocates.
Courses 1000 Introduction to American Government (4 sem. hours). A systems analysis of the American political environment and decision-making agencies, including study of federalism, state and local government, political parties, Congress, the presidency, and the judiciary. 1300 Comparative Government (4 sem. hours). General comparative theory applied to developed and developing nations. 2010 American Public Policy (4 sem. hours). Analysis of civil liberties, civil rights, and fiscal, regulatory, social, defense, and foreign policies. Prerequisite: PLSC 1000.
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2020 State and Local Politics (4 sem. hours). This course is a survey of the processes of government and politics within and across the states. This is not a course on Mississippi politics, though special consideration will be given to historical examples and current events in our state. The primary focus of the course is a comparative examination of the institutions and politics of state government. Significant time is also devoted to studying the structures and practices of local government. Students gain a special appreciation for the complex relationships between state, local, and national levels of governance. Prerequisite: PLSC 1000. 2030 Women and Politics (4 sem. hours). This course considers the challenges that women face as they participate in the public political world. The current level of political power of women as both citizens and elites is examined. The historical and psychological origins of this power dynamic are also explored. Though special consideration will be given to the U.S. political context, time will also be spent discussing women and politics around the world. 2100 The U. S. Congress (4 sem. hours). This course examines the roles and functions of Congress in American governance. Recruitment is analyzed, as are formal and informal structures and processes, interbranch relations, and legislative reform. Prerequisite: PLSC 1000. Offered in alternate years. 2130 The U.S. Judiciary (4 sem. hours). The nature and functioning of the judicial branch of American government is examined. This course analyzes judicial recruitment and selection, decision making, court organization, and management in courts from the U.S. Supreme Court to the municipal magistrate. Prerequisite: PLSC 1000. Offered occasionally.