Political Science (POLS)
POLS 521 | COMPARATIVE LEGAL SYSTEMS
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines legal systems from a comparative perspective. Students will study how scholars, lawyers, and policy makers construct and manage formal and informal measures to ensure societal compliance with the law, the legal accountability of state actor, and the provision of basic rights and access to justice under the law. In the process, students will learn about key case studies and cross-national comparisons to understand the differences in legal systems employed around the world. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 523 | INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines the methods and approaches used to enforce laws internationally, including the use of international conventions, extradition, mutual legal assistance mechanisms, police and judicial cooperation, and other types of international law enforcement cooperation. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 527 | INTERNATIONAL LAW AND POLITICS
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: No
This topics survey course provides an overview of the politics, theory, and practice of international law, including building of international legal frameworks; the negotiation, ratification, and enforcement of treaties; the role and functioning of multinational legal institutions (such as the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunals, United Nations Rapporteurs, etc.); the domestic options available in the adjudication of international legal controversies; and comparative legal systems. Relevant topics include the development of legal regimes and strategies for dealing with human rights, corruption, war crimes, crimes against humanity, terrorism, drug trafficking, and similar issues. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 528 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL BOUNDARIES AND BORDER POLITICS
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course provides an examination of international political boundaries, border politics, and related policies, including trade, economic development, migration, law enforcement and security, and international diplomacy. This course considers comparative border dynamics of various regions, such as U.S.-Mexico, U.S.-Canada, China-Russia, India-Pakistan, Spain-Morocco, and the European Union.
POLS 529 | LAW OF THE SEA
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines regimes of the sea including fisheries, seabed mining, and coastal management zones. The politics of ocean regulation will be examined with emphasis on the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. The seminar will consider Law-of-the-Sea negotiations from three perspectives: 1) the development of international law; 2) the processes of international bargaining and negotiation; and 3) the decision-making processes associated with the formulation of maritime policies in individual countries.
POLS 530 | RESEARCH DESIGN & ANALYSIS
Units: 3 Repeatability: No
This seminar helps students to formulate empirical research questions and introduces basic research strategies to answer them. Through hands-on experience, students learn to develop theories and to test them using basic research designs and uni- and multivariate analyses. In the end, students should be able to conduct and to critically evaluate basic research in the field.
POLS 535 | RESEARCH DESIGN
Units: 1.5
This course is a brief introduction to the principles of research design and analysis in the field of political science and international relations. The course discusses the nature of the scholarly community, the development of middle range theories and hypotheses, conceptualizing and operationalizing variables, and testing hypotheses.
POLS 536 | RESEARCH SKILLS
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course enables students to develop understanding and skills in utilizing specialized research methods and tools such as bibliographic research, data gathering, data visualization, qualitative field methods, statistical analysis, and other advanced research methods. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes. Lectures may be augmented by computer lab time.
POLS 550 | POLITICS & POLICIES AROUND THE WORLD: FOUNDATIONS OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Units: 3 Repeatability: No
This course offers in an in-depth look at the policies and politics of countries around the world. The purpose of the course is to examine the major theoretical approaches to comparative politics as well as the political histories of individual countries. It is designed to introduce students to a variety of themes central to this field, including state-society relations, state capacity, the role of institutions, nationalism, cultural/ethnic pluralism, political culture, and democracy. This course is a degree requirement.
POLS 555 | POLITICS IN EUROPE
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course surveys the political cultures, institutions, and parties of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Foreign and defense policies, including those relating to European integration, will receive special attention.
POLS 556 | POLITICS OF AFRICA
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course provides an in-depth analysis of political development in Africa. It is designed to introduce students to the challenges African states have faced during the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial eras. Particular emphasis is placed on how different countries have sought to develop strong institutions, democratic processes, and national integration in the context of scarce resources and civil conflict. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 557 | POLITICS IN LATIN AMERICA
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course uses a variety of theories to examine the dynamics of political and economic change in Latin America. Particular emphasis is placed on the causes and consequences of cyclical economic development and recurrent waves of democratization and authoritarianism.
POLS 559 | POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course explores political developments in the Middle East with particular attention to the contemporary era.
POLS 561 | POLITICS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines the major issues and challenges that face South Africa. The goal of the course is to introduce students to contemporary South African politics and to place the current political challenges into the broader historical context.
POLS 565 | POLITICS IN RUSSIA
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course offers an examination of the political institutions and forces of change in Russia and the Soviet successor states with particular attention to the difficulties of democratization, modernization, and capitalist transformation.
POLS 566 | POLITICS IN MEXICO
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines the trajectory of political development in Mexico from the twentieth century to the present. We will examine the Mexican revolution, the origins of the dominant party system, the transition to democracy and current prospects for democratic and economic stability.
POLS 568 | POLITICS IN CHINA
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course offers an examination of politics and selected policy issues in contemporary China including political institutions, the policy-making process, and citizen political behavior. Special attention is given to prospects for political reform in China.
POLS 570 | GLOBAL CONFLICT & COOPERATION: FOUNDATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Units: 3 Repeatability: No
This core course provides students with a foundation in the main theories of international relations. In Global Conflict and Cooperation, we tackle some of the most consequential questions in the world: Why do countries go to war? How will countries cooperate to solve problems like global warming? How does global capitalism affect politics? How is foreign policy made? To find answers, we read influential texts, analyze competing ideas, and apply them to case studies. The course also gives students space to explore their own research interests and build a theory framework for their projects. This course is a degree requirement.
POLS 571 | UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This class offers an examination of the challenges and opportunities facing U.S. foreign policy in the 21st century, the institutional context of foreign policy decision-making, and the application of theories of international politics and foreign policy to the empirical analysis of contemporary American U.S. policy.
POLS 572 | RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course explores foreign policy in the U.S.S.R. and its successor states focusing on competing institutions within the foreign policy establishments, changing security preoccupations, and the difficulties of realigning regional and global relationships in a structurally changed international system.
POLS 573 | CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course offers an analysis of the foreign policy of the People's Republic of China. Foreign policy-making and China's relations with other international actors will be examined.
POLS 574 | U.S.-LATIN AMERICA RELATIONS
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course provides an analysis of historical and contemporary relations between the U.S. and Latin America. Policy issues examined include trade, immigration, drug trafficking, military intervention, and relations with Cuba.
POLS 575 | U.S.-MIDDLE EAST RELATIONS
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines the influences and interests that shape U.S. relations toward the Middle East. Rooted in the study of international relations and foreign policy decision-making, the course critically examines the past, present, and future of relations between the United States and a contested and dynamic region. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 576 | U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines contemporary U.S. security policy, including military technology, nuclear strategy and arms control, recent U.S. military interventions, biological and chemical weapons, domestic security politics , the defense industry and budget, and terrorism.
POLS 577 | REGIONAL SECURITY
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines security dynamics in important regions of the world, such as West Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and the Islamic countries running from Northwest Africa to Southeast Asia. The course addresses issues like military technology, war, diplomatic relations within the region, political economy, drug trafficking, and terrorism, among others. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 578 | TRANSNATIONAL CRIME AND TERRORISM
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course focuses on how the law enforcement community has responded to the unprecedented increase in crimes and terrorist acts that cross international borders. The course examines those factors that have led to this increase in transnational crime and terrorism, the types of crimes that pose the greatest threat to lawful societies, the responses that have been developed to combat transnational crime, and the extent to which transnational crime threatens the national security interests of the United States and the world community.
POLS 580 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines the international and national political strategies affecting economic growth and global distribution of wealth.
POLS 581 | POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines the challenge of development, and the domestic and international institutions and policies that seek to promote development around the world. A course subtitle may be modified to reflect a focus on a particular country (e.g., The Politics of Development: South Africa). Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 582 | INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course considers theoretical foundations, historical development, and applications of human rights in differing parts of the world. The seminar will focus on contending approaches to human rights.
POLS 583 | INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course offers an examination of the development of contemporary intergovernmental political organizations with emphasis on the United Nations system and the functional agencies. The future of supranationalism will be investigated with particular attention to the European Communities.
POLS 584 | INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course examines the policy decisions that determine human responses to environmental challenges. The course explores three foundational topics: environmental ideologies, the global commons, and natural resources valuation. Students apply these core concepts to environmental sectors, such as climate change, sustainable development, marine resources management, environmental negotiations, and conservation.
POLS 585 | INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This topics course examines the theory and use of diplomacy in international relations and world politics. Students will learn about different diplomatic approaches, forums, techniques, and tools used by states, international governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other entities working internationally. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 586 | POLITICS OF INTELLIGENCE
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the history and institutional structure of the US intelligence community, the intelligence production cycle, how intelligence contributes to policymakers, how intelligence agencies are managed and controlled, the ethical debate about intelligence activities, current intelligence issues facing US policy makers, and counterintelligence concerns.
POLS 589 | POLITICS OF DISASTER AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This topics course examines the problem of natural disasters, crises, and catastrophic events, and the political and policy responses to these phenomena. Students will learn about different types of hazards, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, nuclear disasters, and famines. Students will also learn about the political, economic, and societal factors that contribute to human vulnerability to hazards, such as poverty, corruption, a lack of preparedness, and other issues of governance. Students will also learn about the strategies and practices employed to mitigate hazards and their effects, as well as the ethical dilemmas and moral hazards involved in disaster relief efforts. Finally, and most important, students will have the opportunity to consider the human toll and other implications of catastrophic events. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 591 | MIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION POLITICS
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
This topics course examines theories, trends, and policies related to migration and immigration. The course reviews historical and contemporary global migration trends, as well as the specific contexts, aspects, and drivers of migration and immigration policy. In the process, students will learn about differing views in different nations about complex and contentious issues related to the politics of migration and immigration, including citizenship and naturalization, the rights of migrants and immigrants, the problem of unauthorized migration, border security and interior enforcement, anti-immigrant sentiment and immigrant advocacy, the cost and contributions of migrants and immigrants, crimes committed by and against immigrants, the “assimilation” or integration of new immigrant groups, and the consequences of migration and immigration for the affected countries and communities. Students may repeat the seminar for credit when the specific topic changes.
POLS 593 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COURSE
Units: 0.5-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
International travel courses come in different formats and schedules, including seminars, field studies, lectures, simulations, and short travel courses. By traveling to sites of relevance to the course topic, students have the opportunity to meet with policy makers and practitioners, visit locations of interest, and gather information in the field. 593 courses can be repeated for credit provided the topics are substantially different.
POLS 594 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
A current issue or topic in the discipline will be the focus of the course. The course can be repeated if the topic changes.
POLS 595 | MAIR CAPSTONE SEMINAR
Units: 3 Repeatability: No
Prerequisites: POLS 550 with a minimum grade of C- and POLS 570 with a minimum grade of C-
The Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) program at the University of San Diego hosts a capstone seminar for its graduating students to prepare and present a major research project. This capstone seminar is designed to allow students to integrate the knowledge obtained from their course of study in the program and apply that knowledge to the analysis of contemporary issues in international relations. Research topics are determined by the students in consultation with the capstone instructor and other faculty members who serve as external advisors on the student’s project. Students present their work at a formal symposium that is open to the public. The final paper and presentation produced for this seminar allow students to fulfill the main learning objectives of the MAIR program, and help to orient them towards a career in international affairs. Students must have completed at least 24 units prior to enrollment in the MAIR Capstone Seminar.
POLS 596 | SHORT COURSE IN IR: SPECIAL TOPICS
Units: 0.5-1.5 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
Short courses come in different formats and schedules, including academic seminars, professional workshops, and short travel courses. They allow the department to offer courses on topics and/or on schedules that would not be suitable for three units and they give students greater options and more flexibility in load management and scheduling. 596 courses can be repeated for credit provided the topics are different.
POLS 598 | INTERNSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Units: 0.5-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
Students can receive credit for internships with the government, nongovernment agencies, corporations, and other suitable entities involved in international relations. Students are required to have a writing component in the internship. Students must have completed at least 15 units in the program and have an overall GPA of 3.33 to request an internship for credit. Internships for credit must be approved by the graduate director.
POLS 599 | INDEPENDENT STUDY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Units: 0.5-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
Directed research can be conducted under the supervision of one of the permanent graduate faculty members in the Department. Students must have completed 15 units in the program and have an overall GPA of 3.5. Project proposals must be approved by a faculty sponsor and the graduate director.