Political Science Minor
Curriculum
To graduate with a minor in Political Science, students must complete 18 hours of course work (6 courses) in the department or through transfer or advanced placement credit.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
Select two of the following: | 6 | |
Political Theory | ||
American Politics | ||
International Relations in an Age of Globalization | ||
Comparative Politics | ||
Select four additional courses, either introductory or upper-level classes, regardless of the subfield. | 12 | |
Total Hours | 18 |
Subfield Courses
American Politics
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
PLSC 202 | Mock Trial 1 | 3 |
PLSC 203 | Moot Court 1 | 3 |
PLSC 208 | Representation in the United States | 3 |
PLSC 215 | Politics of Marginalized Groups | 3 |
PLSC 218 | African-American Politics | 3 |
PLSC 224 | 3 | |
PLSC 236 | Political Communication | 3 |
PLSC 238 | Political Advocacy | 3 |
PLSC 251 | Women in American Politics | 3 |
PLSC 300A | Contemporary Political Issues: American Politics | 3 |
PLSC 318 | Politics & the Economy | 3 |
PLSC 319 | Women, Law & Public Policy | 3 |
PLSC 320 | Constitutional Law-Due Process | 3 |
PLSC 321 | Constitutional Law-Powers of Government | 3 |
PLSC 322 | Constitutional Law-Rights and Liberties | 3 |
PLSC 323 | Children, Law & Public Policy | 3 |
PLSC 324 | Civil-Military Relations | 3 |
PLSC 326 | American National Security | 3 |
PLSC 327 | Political Psychology | 3 |
PLSC 328 | Political Behavior | 3 |
PLSC 329 | Interest Group Politics | 3 |
PLSC 332 | Politics of American Bureaucracies | 3 |
PLSC 334 | Urban Policies and Problems | 3 |
PLSC 335 | Urban Semester Seminar | 3 |
PLSC 357 | Hollywood and Law | 3 |
PLSC 372 | Crime, Race & Violence | 3 |
PLSC 376 | Political Behavior and Public Opinion | 3 |
PLSC 377 | American Public Policies | 3 |
PLSC 378 | Intro to Political Economy | 3 |
PLSC 379 | The Legislative Process | 3 |
PLSC 380 | Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
PLSC 381 | The American Presidency | 3 |
PLSC 384 | The Judicial Process | 3 |
PLSC 385 | Introduction to Law | 3 |
PLSC 386 | Campaigns and Elections | 3 |
PLSC 387 | Politics and the Press | 3 |
PLSC 389 | State Politics | 3 |
PLSC 390 | Urban Politics | 3 |
PLSC 391 | Chicago Politics | 3 |
PLSC 392 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
PLSC 393 | Black Politics | 3 |
PLSC 398 | Washington DC Internship Seminar 2 | 3 |
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This course is Engaged Learning.
- 2
This course is Writing Intensive.
Political Theory
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
PLSC 300B | Contemporary Political Issues: Political Theory | 3 |
PLSC 301 | Political Justice | 3 |
PLSC 302 | American Political Thought | 3 |
PLSC 303 | Conservatism | 3 |
PLSC 304 | Ancient Political Thought | 3 |
PLSC 306 | Modern Political Thought | 3 |
PLSC 307 | Democratic Theory | 3 |
PLSC 308 | Contemporary Political Thought | 3 |
PLSC 309 | Socialism | 3 |
PLSC 310B | Catholic Political Thought | 3 |
PLSC 312 | Feminist Theory | 3 |
PLSC 313 | Resistance and Obligation | 3 |
PLSC 314 | Liberalism | 3 |
PLSC 330 | Global Justice | 3 |
PLSC 331 | Islamic Political Thought | 3 |
PLSC 339 | Political Ideologies | 3 |
PLSC 373 | Politics and Literature | 3 |
PLSC 388 | The Morality and Legality of War | 3 |
Comparative Politics
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
PLSC 232 | Politics of the United Kingdom | 3 |
PLSC 300C | Contemporary Political Issues: Comparative Politics | 3 |
PLSC 336 | Politics in Contemporary China | 3 |
PLSC 337 | Terrorism | 3 |
PLSC 338 | 3 | |
PLSC 339 | Political Ideologies | 3 |
PLSC 342 | African Politics | 3 |
PLSC 343 | Latin American Politics | 3 |
PLSC 344 | Contemporary Issues in Latin America | 3 |
PLSC 345 | South & Southeast Asian Politics | 3 |
PLSC 346 | East Asian Politics | 3 |
PLSC 347 | The European Union | 3 |
PLSC 348 | Soviet & Post-Soviet Politics | 3 |
PLSC 349 | Eastern European Politics | 3 |
PLSC 352 | Canadian Politics | 3 |
PLSC 355C | Women and Politics: A Cross-National Perspective | 3 |
PLSC 359 | Revolutions | 3 |
PLSC 360 | Western European Politics | 3 |
PLSC 362 | Politics Developing Societies | 3 |
PLSC 365 | Italian Politics & Government | 3 |
PLSC 366 | Dictatorship | 3 |
PLSC 368 | Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
PLSC 374 | Democracy | 3 |
GLST 303 | Technological Change and Society | 3 |
International Relations
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
PLSC 204 | Conflict Management | 3 |
PLSC 213 | International Human Rights | 3 |
PLSC 252 | Capitalism and Its Discontents | 3 |
PLSC 300D | Contemporary Political issues in International Relations | 3 |
PLSC 316 | Politics of Genocide | 3 |
PLSC 317 | Politics of International Health | 3 |
PLSC 325 | American Foreign Policy | 3 |
PLSC 333 | Crossing Borders: The Politics of Immigration | 3 |
PLSC 340 | International Relations of Africa | 3 |
PLSC 350 | Politics of International Economic Relations | 3 |
PLSC 351 | Latin American International System | 3 |
PLSC 353 | International Law | 3 |
PLSC 354 | Global Environmental Politics | 3 |
PLSC 356 | Intervent in World Politics | 3 |
PLSC 358 | War, Peace and Politics | 3 |
PLSC 358D | The Scientific Study of War | 3 |
PLSC 363 | International Politics | 3 |
PLSC 364 | UN & International Organization | 3 |
PLSC 367 | Model United Nations 1 | 3 |
PLSC 369 | Politics of Energy | 3 |
GLST 302 | States and Firms | 3 |
GLST 305 | Globalization and Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
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This course is Engaged Learning.
Learning Outcomes
The Minor in Political Science is designed to achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Provide students with an introduction to three foundational areas in the discipline of Political Science:
- American Politics, including U.S. institutions and political processes.
- International Relations, most notably the impact of globalization on international affairs, and how it relates to U.S. foreign policy.
- Political Theory, or the study of political philosophy ranging from Ancient to Modern and Contemporary political thought.
- Provide students more broadly with an in-depth understanding of political institutions and processes in the United States and abroad.
- Challenge students to think critically about various dilemmas, including achieving justice, in political life.
- Enhance the ability of students to express their thoughts in writing (all upper division Political Science classes include a significant writing component)
- Prepare minors for purposeful careers in politics, government, international affairs, law, the non-profit world, journalism, business, education, social services, and other professions.
- Prepare minors for further graduate or professional study at professional schools and institutions of higher learning, both in the U.S. and abroad.
We as a Political Science department also encourage our students to take advantage of additional learning opportunities through numerous Political Science-sponsored programs that will enhance learning outcomes:
- Obtain professional experience through our Chicago-based internship program that places students in host offices throughout Chicago during the fall, spring, and summer sessions, including participating in an internship class where you share your experiences with other student interns.
- Obtain professional experience through our Washington DC-based internship program, in which students spend either the fall or spring semester in Washington DC interning and taking classes full-time at Loyola’s new Washington DC center with Loyola faculty and under the guidance of a Loyola Resident Director.
- Acquire unique experience through semester-long programs, most notably the department's Model United Nations (spring semester), Mock Trial (spring semester), and Moot Court (fall semester) programs, each of which involves national competitions and a semester-long class.
- Acquire advanced methodological training, most notably through the Political Science “Political Numbers” class that satisfies the Quantitative Knowledge requirement of the Core Curriculum for Political Science students.
- Learn about the Comparative Politics of various regions of the world, such as Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
- Acquire advanced research skills by working on a research project under the mentorship of individual faculty members through Loyola’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (LUROP) and other internal or external grants.
- Gain international, cross-cultural experience by participating in study abroad opportunities led by Political Science faculty or more broadly offered through Loyola’s Office for International Programs (OIP).
- Strengthen class-based learning by attending Political Science-sponsored events, most notably our endowed Hartigan (fall semester) and Covey (spring semester) lecture series that bring prominent scholars and political figures to Loyola every semester to share their ideas and to meet with students.
For more information, please contact Professor David Doherty (ddoherty@luc.edu), Undergraduate Program Director for the Department of Political Science.