10133 American and Texas Government | 3 |
20093 Scope and Methods of Political Science | 3 |
20203 Introduction to Political Theory | 3 |
or 20303 International Politics | 3 |
30103 Topics in American Politics | 3 |
30303 Topics in International Politics | 3 |
30403 Topics in Public Law | 3 |
30503 Topics in Comparative Politics | 3 |
Total | 24 |
The following is a complete list of courses offered by this department. Go
to Class Search on the Registrar's Page to see which courses are being taught
this semester.
Courses of Instruction
"Topics" courses are described only in terms of the field designations.
The specific subjects for each such course are determined in advance and published
in the Schedule of Classes each semester. The Department also prepares detailed
course descriptions and circulates them among Political Science majors and other
interested students each semester.
Political Science as a Discipline
10093 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE. Introduces students to varying
thought on and divergent practices of politics in a variety of nations.
10433 FIRST YEAR SEMINAR: THE POLITICS OF FREEDOM AND ORDER. Introduction
to an assessment of the delicate balance between maintaining order in society
and guaranteeing political freedom.
20093 SCOPE AND METHODS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE. Prerequisites: Prior
completion of or concurrent enrollment in MATH 10043 (Elementary Statistics)
or an equivalent course. Introduction to political science as a field of
study and to the major issues in relating theory and empirical research to the
study of political behavior.
30003 HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Examination of a significant political
issue. This is generally offered on a tutorial basis and the specific topic
is determined jointly by the student and the instructor. POSC 30003 and 40003
cannot be taken simultaneously.
30093 TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE METHODS. Prerequisites: POSC 20093
or consent of the instructor and COSI 10403 (Introduction to Computer Science)
or MANA 20103 (Introduction to Data Processing.) Topics include political
science methods applied to various research problems such as political behavior,
public policy analysis, and program evaluation.
40003 SENIOR HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. The writing of a substantial
research paper under the supervision of a three person faculty committee. A
grade of "I" (Incomplete) will be carried in this course until the
paper is completed. The sequence of POSC 30003 and 40003 must be planned so
that 40003 is taken prior to the student's final semester of undergraduate
work.
American Government and Politics
10123 ISSUES IN AMERICAN POLITICS. Introduction to the dynamics of American
governmental institutions and political processes through the study of significant
contemporary issues in the American political arena. The particular issues may
vary from semester to semester in accordance with the changing interests of
students and instructor.
10133 AMERICAN AND TEXAS GOVERNMENT. (May not be counted toward a major
or minor in political science.) The American political system at national and
state levels, including a survey of the federal and Texas Constitutions. This
course satisfies the Texas state certification requirements for education majors.
30103 TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS. Topics related to the study of American
political institutions, processes, behavior, and policy, such as Congress, the
Presidency, political parties and elections, interest groups, social and defense
policy, and Texas politics.
Political Theory
20203 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY. Introduction to the normative
or value dimensions of political inquiry through the study of selected "classics"
in political literature.
30203 TOPICS IN POLITICAL THEORY. Topics will be selected from varying
periods of Western history: ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary. Topics
may focus on individual thinkers (Hobbes), groups of thinkers (the Liberal Tradition),
or on policy questions (Human Nature and Public Policy).
International Politics
20303 INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. Introduction to both the major actors
and issues which comprise contemporary international politics. A major goal
of the course is to familiarize students with non-western perspectives on international
phenomena.
30303 TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. Topics studied include such areas
as U.S. foreign policy, Russian foreign policy, and various regional issues.
Public Law
30403 TOPICS IN PUBLIC LAW. The course sequence includes Gender and Sexual Orientation in Contemporary Law, International Human Rights, and several courses on American Constitutional Law. A simulation of the U.S. Supreme Court is offered in alternate years.
Comparative Politics
30503 TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS. European politics, Latin American politics, Middle Eastern politics, developing political systems, etc.
Independent Study
40900 INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Washington Center or at The
London Centre. Full-time internships with a public or private agency in Washington,
D.C. or in London, England, offered either through the Washington Center or
through TCU's London Centre. The internship will allow students to integrate
theory and practice in a supervised professional setting. (up to 12 sem. hrs.)
40950 INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Internships (usually local in
Tarrant County) arranged with the consent of an instructor, taken on a strictly
Pass/No Credit basis. (3 sem. hrs.)
40970 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Prerequisite: A specific
program of study approved by instructor prior to enrollment. (1-6 sem. hrs.)
Pre-Law
Pre-law students should complete
a four-year curriculum leading to the B.A. or B.S. degree or the equivalent.
Pre-legal education at TCU is not a degree program, but rather an advisory program
involving courses from the University Curriculum Requirements and free elective
credit hours. Law schools do not require completion of any specific undergraduate
major as a condition of admission, but they do prefer a broad undergraduate
liberal education. Law schools expect their applicants to demonstrate high levels
of academic achievement in their undergraduate studies and to show aptitude
for law school as reflected by good scores on the Law School Admission Test
(LSAT).
Specialists in legal education, as well as students enrolled in law schools,
emphasize the importance of the following in preparation for law school and
for a legal career:
1. Obtain an outstanding command of the English language. This includes
the ability to read rapidly with good comprehension, to write lucidly and grammatically,
and to speak clearly and forcefully. Emphasis should be placed in courses in
English composition and persuasive communication. While extensive work in literature
may not of itself fulfill this objective, courses that require substantial writing
assignments are very important for the pre-law student.
2. Obtain a good grounding in logic, philosophy, political theory, constitutional
law, and a general understanding of social, cultural, economic and governmental
processes. Apart from constitutional law, pre-legal studies should not necessarily
include courses in specific legal fields that will eventually be covered in
law school.
3. Develop the ability to think logically, analytically and quickly under
pressure and to express ideas clearly. Courses that require a student to
understand and master complex verbal abstractions are especially important.
Courses in philosophy and courses with highly theoretical orientations are especially
important. Mathematics courses may also be useful in developing skills with
abstractions, although lawyers usually work with the sorts of verbal abstractions
commonly found in the humanities and social sciences.
4. Obtain a basic grounding in accounting. A great deal of legal work
requires familiarity with financial records and accounts. If such preparation
is not obtained as an undergraduate, the law student is often compelled to take
courses in accounting while in law school.
5. Be certain that a legal career is really desired. Many students view
the law degree as a means of entry into fields for which other professional
training is more appropriate. The fact that many people with law degrees enter
other fields does not mean that the study of law is the best preparation for
those fields; rather it often reflects the reality that law is a crowded field
in which some law school graduates do not find fulfillment of their career expectations.
Donald Jackson of the Political Science Department is the University Pre-Law
Advisor. Joanne Green and James Riddlesperger, Jr., both also of Political Science,
serve as Associate University Pre-Law Advisors. They should be consulted early
in one's studies for pre-legal academic and career counseling and for advice
on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and on law school admission. A student
must also have a primary academic advisor in the department of his/her major.
Pre-legal advisement is complementary to departmental advisement, rather than
a substitute for it. The University Pre-Law Office is located in Sadler Hall
Room 205, (817) 257-7468.