Gannon University

MARK JUBULIS, Ph.D., Director

FACULTY: Professors: David C. Kozak, Thomas Ostrowski. Lecturer: Paul Foust, Sarah Stager.

Objectives:
The Department of Political Science offers an undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. The program is designed to provide a broad and solid foundation in Political Science, Political Analysis, International Affairs, and Policy Studies to help students develop knowledge and skills in preparation for a professional career in the public, private, or not for profit sectors.

The emphasis is upon the development of specific skills necessary for Leadership, management, planning, and evaluation of government programs; upon providing a comprehensive understanding of policy-making and policy-implementation within a local, national, or global context; and upon the preparation for individuals interested in further professional education at graduate or law school.

Career Opportunities

Individuals with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science may qualify for administrative and management trainee positions in such fields as legislative and policy research, public relations, personnel work, budget analysis, security investigation, etc. Employment opportunities also include such professional careers as college and university teaching, law, city management, urban planning, public administration, policy research and analysis, foreign service and many other careers with local, national and international organizations both public and private.  

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:

POLI 101: Orientation
A required orientation program for freshman Political Science and Pre-Law concentrators.
NC/Fall

POLI 111: U.S. Government and Politics
Constitutional foundations of U.S. Government; structure and functions of Congress, the Presidency, the judiciary; administrative institutions and processes, interest groups and political parties; political behavior, and the electoral process.
3 credits, Fall/Spring

POLI 122: Public Policy Analysis
Principles and practices of policy analysis; emphasis on current national policy issues.
3 credits, Fall/Spring

POLI 133: Introduction to International Relations
Introduction to the nature of international relations, focusing on the role of the state and international institutions; the role of ideology and culture in international affairs; and the nature of the world economy and the process of globalization.
3 credits

POLI 210: Bureaucracy and Public Administration
Principles and practices of public administration in modern society with a special attention to the administration of the American Federal government.
3 credits

POLI 220: Comparative Government
Principles of comparative political analysis; principles and features of selected European and other governmental systems.
3 credits

POLI 260: Introduction to Law in Society
Introduction to legal institutions and processes; evolution of the American legal system; major substantive areas of law; legal reasoning and the adversarial process; and, the role of attorneys and courts in American society.
Cross listed with PLAW 111
3 credits

POLI 301: Leadership Studies I: Theory
Examines leadership theory, the differences between leadership and management, the skills necessary for successful leadership, and various styles of leaders. Students will become familiar with the “great books” of leadership, interact with practicing professionals, learn leadership lessons from the study of the American Presidency, and experience negotiation and creativity exercises.
3 credits

POLI 302: Leadership Studies II: Skills
Builds on the theoretical study of leadership with an emphasis on practice and application. Students study leaders, systems analysis, planning, strategic thinking, and the requirements of community leadership. Students participate in exercises to increase skills in communication, media relations, and effective political leadership.
3 credits

POLI 311: State and Local Government
Institutions and processes of state and local government with special focus upon Pennsylvania.
3 credits

POLI 312: Parties and Political Behavior
The electoral and governmental functions of American political parties, with consideration given to party systems at national and local levels, and the study of campaigns and elections.
3 credits

POLI 315: Congress and Legislative Process
The structure, functions and the role of Congress in both the policy process and the nation’s political life.
3 credits

POLI 317: The American Presidency
Institution, politics, personality, and policies of the president.
3 credits

POLI 322-325: Regional Studies
Political structures and regional features of a select area of the world, such as Russia and Eastern Europe, the European Union, Latin America, Africa, or Asia.
3 credits

POLI 331: Urban Politics and Public Policy
The American urban political process and public policy. Community structure and the distribution and use of power.
3 credits

POLI 340: Theories of International Relations
Analysis of major theoretical approaches to study of international relations and evaluation of competing paradigms which claim to explain the nature of post-Cold War international relations.
Prerequisite: POLI 133
3 credits

POLI 332: Comprehensive Urban Planning
Consideration of the economic, political and social determinants of comprehensive urban land use planning.
3 credits

POLI 341: The U.N. and International Law
Principles, rules, procedures and institutions of public international law and organization, with focus on the United Nations. Gannon’s Model U.N. for High School students provides opportunities for experiential learning.
3 credits

POLI 343: U.S. Foreign Policy
Historical and intellectual foundations of contemporary U.S. foreign policy.
3 credits

POLI 350: Constitutional Law and the Judicial Process
Processes of constitutional development and interpretation; the Judicial system; judicial review; the federal system; Presidency: office and powers; powers of Congress.
3 credits, Fall

POLI 351: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Constitutional basis of civil liberties; freedom of speech and press; freedom of association, religious liberty and the separation of church and state; federal and state procedural due process; substantive due process; equal protection of the laws.
3 credits, Spring

POLI 355: Administrative Law and Government
An analysis of rule making, adjudication and review in the administrative process. Political and legal contexts of administrative and rule making activities.
Prerequisite: POLI 111 or consent of instructor.
3 credits

POLI 357: Legal Analysis and Persuasion
Legal analysis and persuasion will introduce the student to the fundamentals of legal thinking; including the critical examination of case law and other written materials. Applying this legal analysis, students will learn to persuade a targeted audience in both written and oral forms. Classroom exercises include briefs, mock appellate arguments and/or mock trial.
Cross listed with PLAW 357
3 credits

POLI 360: Political Theory
The Classical and Christian tradition of political theory and philosophy. Reading and discussion of select works of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and Machiavelli. Modern Political Theory and philosophy. Reading and discussion of select works, including writings of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, and Marx.
3 credits, Fall

POLI 390-394: Special Topics
Such as Futurism, Strategic Thinking, National Nominating Conventions Field Experience, Presidential Campaigns and Elections, Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict, and Islam and the West.
1-3 credits

POLI 395-399: Independent Study
1-3 credits

POLI 400: Political Analysis Senior Coordinating Seminar
The Coordinating Seminar is designed to enhance and integrate the student’s comprehension of politics; and to develop further, critical and analytical skills in reading, writing and research.
3 credits, Fall

POLI 490: Fieldwork and Internships I
Qualified individuals will be placed in internship positions with public officials, political organizations and governmental agencies particularly, not exclusively, in the local community. Students may also design, in consultation with the program director, an appropriate program of field research.
Prerequisite: Permission of Department.
3 credits, Fall

POLI 491: Fieldwork and Internships II
Prerequisite: Permission of Department.
3 credits, Spring

Political Science Curriculum

Core of Discovery Requirements: 39 credit hours

Program Requirements: Concentrators should successfully complete 33 credit hours in Political Science and 43 credit hours in cognate and elective subjects, including the following courses:

        Freshman Orientation: POLI 101 (NC)

        Introduction: POLI 111, 112, 133

        Upper Level Core: Upper Level Core:
                POLI 360; 400, one of the following: POLI 220, 321, 322, 340, 341 343
                and one of the following: POLI 210, 260, 312, 315, 317, 350, 357.

        Program Electives: 12 credit hours - 3 of which may be taken in Internship
                Fieldwork, Independent Study of Intersession Courses.

        Cognate Requirements: 36 credit hours including:
                Social Science Cognates: 6 credit hours from Economics/BCOR 111 or
                BCOR 112 or Sociology/SOCI 110 or Psychology/PSYC 111.
        Mathematics: 3 credits.
        Statistics: 3 credits
        Language: 6 credit hours in Language
        History: 6 credit hours of HIST 221 and HIST 222
        Unspecified Cognates: 15 credit hours.
                Cognates may be taken in Political Science and/or related fields
                depending on the individual student’s interests and career plans. In all
                cases students must have the approval of the Department in selecting
                cognate courses.

        Electives: 14 hours

Legal Studies: Law and Politics

Students pursuing this track will take most of the required courses in the Political Science major, but will substitute 2 legal courses, Introduction to Law & Society and Legal Analysis & Persuasion, for 2 upper level Political Science courses.

Students who intend to go on to law school are encouraged to complete the Legal Studies Certificate. The certificate can be completed within the four year program by using those courses as the allowable cognates and electives offered in the Political Science Program. If the pre law school student does not want to complete the certificate, they are encouraged to take some of the Legal Studies courses so that they can learn skills that could enable them to find summer employment and/or part-time employment in legal settings. Some helpful courses would include Legal Research & Writing I and II, Public Records Research, and Computers in Law.

Political Science Curriculum
(Numerals in front of courses indicate credits)

Political Science/Public Administrative/Public Management
Five Year BA/MPA or MBA Program

Gannon University’s Political Science Department in cooperation with Gannon’s Graduate Center offers a special program for qualified undergraduates leading to a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and the Master of Public Administration Degree. Alternatively, students may elect to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Business Administration Degree with a public management focus. Both programs may be completed in five years of full time study of 158 credit hours.

The Gannon University Duquesne School of Law, 3+3 Early Admissions Program has been designed for qualified students to earn an undergraduate and a law degree in six years rather than seven. Under the early admissions program students may receive a Bachelors Degree in Political Science after three years of undergraduate work and the successful completion of the first year of full time study at the Duquesne School of Law. The student would then receive their Law Degree after successful completion of the second year at Duquesne School of Law. Qualified students may wish to pursue this Political Science Program option.

POLITICAL SCIENCE MINOR

A minor in political science may be accomplished by taking the 6 credit foundations sequence - POLI 111 U.S. Government and either POLI 122 Public Policy, or POLI 133 Introduction to International Relations plus 12 credits in upper level courses. This minor is strongly recommended as preparation for teaching social studies and civics at the elementary and secondary levels. Students are encouraged to plan the minor in consultation with an advisor from the political science department. A political Science minor also complements a major in Foreign Language and International Business.

THE NEXT STEP

Baccalaureate Degree program for Graduates of Two Year Colleges
Political Science/Pre-Law
(Numerals in front of courses indicate credits)

All students graduating from the College of Humanities must have completed six credits of a Modern Foreign Language.

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