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3 Credit Hours
Introduction to fundamental institutions and processes of American national politics including the Constitution, voting, the Presidency, the Congress and the courts.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (SS)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (SS)

3 Credit Hours
Introduction to politics and political systems emphasizing government in a cross-national and global perspective. Focus on the knowledge and principal concerns of political science as a social science.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (SS)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (SS)

3 Credit Hours
Analysis and exploration of the American political system for students with superior ability.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (SS)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (SS)
Comment(s): 3.25 GPA required for current students; 29 ACT composite or 1250 SAT composite required for incoming students.

3 Credit Hours
An introduction to the concepts, enduring questions, and significant thinkers associated with political philosophy with specific attention to differing conceptions of human nature, politics, the state, civic obligation and rights, freedom, justice, and democracy.

3 Credit Hours
Major elements in Tennessee government and politics.

3 Credit Hours
Public agencies, their organization, personnel, financial management, and administrative responsibility. The policy-making process and political environment.

3 Credit Hours
Fundamentals of comparative political inquiry, including what constitutes comparative politics, how comparative study of political systems is done, and major issues in comparative politics.

3 Credit Hours
Resource availability, international economics, international security and peace (imperialism, war, diplomacy, the balance of power, international law, and international organization). Writing-emphasis course.

3 Credit Hours
Research design, data collection, and statistical techniques used in political science.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (QR)

3 Credit Hours
Selected public policy issues confronting the nation, including the background, nature, and effects of present policies, and options for the future. Writing-emphasis course.

Satisfied Volunteer Core Requirement: (EI) (WC)

Satisfied General Education Requirement through 2021-2022 academic catalog: (WC)

(RE) Prerequisite(s): ENGL 102*, ENGL 132*, or ENGL 298*

3 Credit Hours

Popular culture related to American politics and government focusing on the role of film, television, fiction, music, drama, art, and sports. Writing-emphasis course.

(Same as CNST 312*.)
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (SS) (WC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s):ENGL 102*, ENGL 132*, or ENGL 298*

3 Credit Hours

Setting, institutions, and processes of government in the 50 states. Generalizations and comparisons with emphasis on federalism and intergovernmental relations.

3 Credit Hours
Law as a process through which social problems are addressed in the United States. Examples from case law, legislation, and administrative regulation. Writing-emphasis course.

3 Credit Hours
Courts as components of political systems and public policy-making through judicial decision-making.

3 Credit Hours
Analyzes the key sources of political change in the modern world—from military coup plotters to empowered women and climate change. Focuses on the agents of political change in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and can serve as an introduction to more region-specific 400-level offerings in Comparative Politics. Writing-emphasis course.

3 Credit Hours
Introduces the nature and origins of different forms of democracy and authoritarianism, and considers transitions between these two major types of political regimes. Examines how different regime types work in practice and how they influence people’s lives, focusing on issues including political competition, human rights, violence, and material well-being.

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours
Discusses the concept, history, causes, and effects of globalization.

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours
Processes whereby United States foreign policies are made and implemented, focusing on interaction within federal bureaucracy and roles of the President, Congress, the press, and public opinion.

3 Credit Hours
Analysis of current international events.

3 Credit Hours
This course focuses on the causes and consequences of terrorism and political violence. Students will be introduced to theoretical and empirical research on violent political conflict and the role of non-state actors in our world today. Topics will vary, but may include: trends in armed conflict, underlying causes of terrorism and political violence, characteristics of violent non-state actors, strategies of violent non-state actors, the process of radicalization, and efforts to counter violent non-state actors.

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours
This course focuses on cutting edge political science research on civil war. It examines the onset of conflict, who participates in fighting, the strategies employed by participants, when and why third parties intervene in civil wars, the military outcomes of civil wars, and the long-term consequences of civil wars.

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours

Major themes and ideas in American political thought related to the development of American political institutions, values, and practices. Writing-emphasis course.

3 Credit Hours

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.

3 Credit Hours
Nature, functions, and processes of the United States Presidency.

3 Credit Hours
Nature, functions, and processes of the United States Congress.

3 Credit Hours

Analysis of ethnoracial dynamics of politics and policies, considering how ethnoracial groups shape political processes and how power and policy outcomes are racialized. 

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours

Analysis of the gendered dynamics of politics and policies to consider how gender and its intersection with other dimensions of social and cultural difference shape political processes and outcomes. 

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours

This course introduces the development, structure, and functioning of Black American politics from the latter 19th century to present. The class explores the construction of blackness, black racial identification, black consciousness, black intragroup relations, black intergroup relations, black political thought, black ideologies, black political preferences, black struggles for political incorporation and representation, the relationship(s) of African Americans to the American political system, and the political development of African Americans. The course builds on a breadth of literature from history, psychology, sociology, and most importantly, political science.

(See AFST 415)

3 Credit Hours

Systematic examination of political attitudes, public opinion, and political behavior. 

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (QR) (SS) (WC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ENGL 102*, ENGL 132*, or ENGL 298*.

3 Credit Hours

Analysis of political parties, interest groups, campaigns, and elections. 

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (SS)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (SS).

3 Credit Hours

Nature of campaigns and elections in the American political process.

3 Credit Hours

Examines the interrelationship between the political system and the media from a political science perspective.

3 Credit Hours
Judicial review, constitutional powers of the President and Congress, federalism, sources of regulatory authority, and constitutional protection of political and economic rights.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (WC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ENGL 102, ENGL 132, or ENGL 298*.

3 Credit Hours
Current issues in civil rights and liberties, including first amendment freedoms, equal protection, privacy, and the rights of the accused. Writing-emphasis course.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (WC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ENGL 102, ENGL 132, or ENGL 298*.

3 Credit Hours
An overview of substantive and procedural law in the criminal justice field with emphasis on constitutional questions and public policy issues.

3 Credit Hours
Semester long simulation of a public organization in which student groups plan, organize, direct, teach, and evaluate within a tightly-structured framework.

3 Credit Hours
The process, participants, and politics of government budgeting with emphasis on federal government budgeting. Includes an overview of budget reform measures and their effectiveness

3 Credit Hours
Legal and political dimensions of rulemaking, enforcement and adjudication by executive agencies.

3 Credit Hours
Traces political dynamics on the continent from the pre-colonial era to the present. Focuses on African political development, and especially its economic, social, environmental, cultural, and demographic determinants. Writing-emphasis course.

(Same as AFST 452.)

3 Credit Hours
Introduces students to European political institutions and political parties, and discusses major political issues. Examples include immigration, the welfare state, women’s political representation, religion and politics, social movements and regional integration. Writing-emphasis course.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (GCI) (SS)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (SS)

3 Credit Hours
Discusses topics such as Chinese authoritarian resilience, implications of a rising China for the rest of the world, interactions between economic development and political development, political culture in China and Japan, and Japanese-style democracy. Writing-emphasis course.

3 Credit Hours
Introduces students to the political history, political culture and heritage, religious, ethnic and regional conflicts, and state and political institution-building in South Asian countries. Emphasis will be put on the similarities and differences among the covered countries. Writing-emphasis course.

3 Credit Hours
Examines the evolution of power in Latin America from authoritarian dominance toward democracy and subsequent episodes of democratic erosion. Considers how historical and contemporary dynamics such as economic crisis, US influence, military intervention, racial and ethnic exclusion, gender discrimination, and economic inequality, have shaped democracy in the region. Writing-emphasis course.

(Same as LAC 456*.)
Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (EI) (GCI)

3 Credit Hours
Discusses differences in the public policies of the industrialized democracies and the causes of those differences. Examples include health care, immigration, taxation, the welfare state, fiscal policy and environmental policy. Writing-emphasis course.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (GCI) (SS)

3 Credit Hours
Examines conflict and change in contemporary Middle East politics. Common topics include: Dictators, Islam, popular uprisings, democratic transitions, women’s rights, oil, terrorism, and ethnic/religious conflict.

(Same as MEST 463.)

3 Credit Hours
Introduces students to the diverse histories, causes, and effects of international migration and discusses responses to international migration in countries that accept migrants with respect to public opinion on migrants and public policies regarding migration.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (GCI) (SS)
Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours
Examines conflict and change in the contemporary nuclear politics of the Middle East. Topics include: the spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation treaties, illicit/secret nuclear programs, nuclear energy, nuclear security and inspections, and nuclear energy’s relationship with solar, wind, and oil energy.

(Same as MEST 465.)
Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours
Genocide is an ancient practice. Not until recently, however, has the international community endeavored to prevent and punish such violence. This course examines why state and non-state actors commit these atrocities, the effects of genocide on both its perpetrators and victims, and what the international community can do to prevent and punish these crimes.

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours
Nature and development of international law and compliance with it. Particular attention to function of international law in the context of international conflict.

3 Credit Hours
The politics of international economics. Topics include globalization, development, trade, crime, the IMF, the WTO, the environment, and challenges to the status quo.

3 Credit Hours
Analysis and exploration of the causes and consequences of violent political conflict.

Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC)
Satisfies General Education Requirement through the 2021-2022 academic catalog: (WC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s): ENGL 102, ENGL 132, or ENGL 298*.

3 Credit Hours
Diplomacy, negotiation, and foreign policy decision-making. Theories of diplomacy and negotiation are applied in a simulation focusing on issues from international crime and global economic stability to world health and the environment.

3 Credit Hours
Constitutional framework and key functions of the United Nations. Topics include collective security, peacekeeping, human rights, development, regional organizations, and the role of the Secretary-General.

3 Credit Hours
Major western political thinkers from Socrates to Marsilio of Padua.

(Same as MRST 475.)

3 Credit Hours

Major western political thinkers from Machiavelli to Marx.

3 Credit Hours
Analysis and exploration of international relations and foreign policy issues in specific regional contexts.

1 Credit Hours
Participation in political science colloquia; reflection on and assessment of political science major; consideration of career and graduate/professional school opportunities.

Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Registration Restriction(s): Political science majors only; minimum student level – senior.

1 Credit Hours

Participate in departmentally sponsored student organizations and activities. Specific learning agreement required. 

Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 3 hours.
Registration Permission: Permission of undergraduate studies director and department head.

1 Credit Hours

This “child course” allows students to focus intensively on one topic within a “parent” political science course. 

Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 4 hours.
Comment(s): This “child” course must be taken contemporaneously with some other parent” political science course.
Registration Permission: Permission of department head, and instructor of “parent” political science course.

3 Credit Hours
This course focuses on the development and diffusion of nuclear technology and weapons. Topics covered will vary by instructor but may include: the science behind nuclear fission and fusion, the Cold War nuclear arms race, the development of nuclear strategy, efforts to control nuclear weapons and nuclear technology, arms control treaties, nuclear safeguards, illicit trade in nuclear materials, nuclear states, nuclear terrorism, and efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons.

Grading Restriction: Letter grade only.

3 Credit Hours
Required of students in honors concentration.

Registration Permission: Consent of department.

3 Credit Hours
Required of students in honors concentration.

Registration Permission: Consent of department.

1-15 Credit Hours

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 15 hours.

1-15 Credit Hours

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 15 hours.

Political Science 493 is intended to facilitate the needs of students who wish to undertake independent study that is relevant to some aspect of political science. Students interested independent study must obtain a faculty member’s approval to undertake independent study under his or her supervision. Normally students receive three hours credit for an independent study project completed during one semester.

Registration Permission: Projects must be approved by the Department Head before students are permitted to register for 493.

Access Online Application

1-6 Credit Hours

Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.
Credit Restriction: May not be applied toward the political science major or minor.

1-3 Credit Hours

Conduct research under direct supervision of a professor. Specific learning agreement required. 

Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.

1 Credit Hour

Provides framework for participation in service to community. Students assist classes at local schools or perform supervised service to local public service organizations or government institutions. 

Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only.
Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 3 hours.
Comment(s): Course can only be taken in conjunction with a section of an undergraduate political science course numbered 300 or above that is designated by instructor as having a service-learning component.
Registration Permission: Consent of department head.