Guide to Undergraduate Studies in Politics
(Revised September 2009)
The
Department of Politics
Marist Hall, Room 300
Phone: (202) 319-5128
Fax: (202) 319-6289
http://politics.cua.edu
Department Chair: Dr. Phillip Henderson
Email: hendersp@cua.edu
Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies:
Dr. Matthew Green
Email: greenm@cua.edu
Assistant to the Chair: Betsy
Email: chiles@cua.edu
Administrative Assistant: Colleen Giszczak
Email: giszczak@cua.edu
The study of Politics at The Catholic University of America is divided into three main areas of specialization (or departmental “subconcentrations”): American Government, World Politics, and Political Theory. All courses are designed as belonging to one or more of these three; the course listing in the University’s Undergraduate Bulletin indicates these designations (as does the listing available on the Politics website). To ensure familiarity with the three areas, all Politics majors (or “concentrators”) must take these courses, usually during their first three semesters:
POL 111 Introduction to American Government
POL 112 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POL 211 Introduction to Political Theory
Beyond these three, Politics concentrators must take a minimum of 9 (and a maximum of 11) additional courses in Politics.
Each student chooses a subconcentration in either American Government, World Politics (which includes comparative politics and international relations), or Political Theory. Four of your courses, beyond the introductory ones, must be in your field of sub-concentration, and at least three must be outside it (i.e., in one or both of the other two politics subconcentrations). Students who choose a subconcentration in World Politics are required to take POL 212, Introduction to International Relations, in addition to the other three introductory courses. Students in any of the three sub-concentrations may opt to follow the Pre-law curriculum (see below).
Altogether, students must take a minimum of 12 Politics courses to complete the major. The
Politics concentrators must also take and pass a comprehensive examination (or “assessment”), normally in the Fall of their senior year, and satisfy a senior writing requirement. These requirements are described in more detail below.
Comprehensive Assessment
The comprehensive assessment for Senior concentrators in Politics is given on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving and includes two parts:
* Day One: objective questions on issues relevant to the subject of politics as a whole (three hours).
* Day Two: three essay questions, two of which come from your area of subconcentration (three hours).
Students taking the assessment should have a basic familiarity with the essential themes and concepts of the discipline, as well as those related to their particular subconcentration in Politics. Students studying for the exam are strongly encouraged to review readings, lectures, and other material from their previous courses in Politics. Examining books and documents of particular importance, such as those listed at the end of this guidebook, may also be helpful.
Senior Writing Requirement
In the senior year, students must fulfill a requirement in systematic thinking and writing. This is usually done by substantially revising, under the guidance of a member of the faculty, an earlier paper assigned in an upper-level course. Papers shall be at least 20 pages in length, excluding title page and bibliography; the product of careful research using library sources; and well-organized and free of typographical errors. Papers must be submitted to their professors and to the Administrative Assistant no later than the deadline (usually towards the end of the spring semester of the senior year ). Only after a regular member of the faculty signs the paper, signifying that it has met the necessary standards for approval, will the paper fulfill the senior writing requirement. The department keeps all papers submitted on file. Eligible students may also choose the honors thesis option (below).
Advising
All students who declare an intention to major in politics are assigned – even before formal admission as concentrators – to a Politics professor who can advise them in organizing their studies. If you are not sure who your advisor is, check the lists posted on the bulletin board outside the Politics Department office, or contact the department Administrative Assistant (who can also answer many questions about the Politics major). You can request a particular faculty member as your advisor by completing a form available from the Administrative Assistant. In addition, the Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies and the department Chair are available to all students needing guidance.
Planning Your Course of Studies
The required courses in the major should ideally be taken in sequence, starting with POL 111 in the fall of your freshman year. Once the required courses are completed, you may move on to choose among other course offerings. Remember that 500-level courses are designated for seniors (or “advanced undergraduates”) and graduate students. In addition, no more than three independent study courses may be taken towards completion of the major.
Politics students are expected and encouraged to take courses from a wide range of disciplines in order to achieve a solid foundation in the liberal arts. However, politics majors may find certain courses in other fields to be of particular interest and utility. These include courses in the fields of:
* Business and Economics (including Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics)
* History
* Mathematics (particularly Probability and Statistics)
* Philosophy (including Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Introduction to Symbolic Logic, and Morality and Law)
* Psychology
* Sociology
Options and Opportunities in the Major
Students may want to consider a variety of options, which, with a little planning, can accompany a concentration in Politics. This includes the following:
Double majors and minors. Students who choose a double major should begin planning their course of studies by their sophomore year to ensure they can meet the requirements of both majors. They must complete an application for a double major (available at the School of Arts & Sciences Office, 107 McMahon). “Minors” in other disciplines are relatively easy to arrange. Popular minors for Politics majors include Economics, English, History, Peace and World Order Studies, and Philosophy. Requirements for these minors are listed in the Arts and Sciences Advising Handbook.
Pre-Law. Students planning a career in law may follow the department’s Pre-law curriculum. The student first chooses one of the three regular subconcentrations – American, World, or Theory – and then completes the additional requirements below. Requirements for the subconcentration and the Pre-law curriculum can be satisfied simultaneously since all pre-law courses can also count toward a regular subconcentration.
In addition to the department’s three introductory courses (see above), Pre-law students must take:
POL 220 Introduction to Law
Pre-law students must then take two courses from the following (one of which must be Constitutional Law I or II):
POL 323 Constitutional Law I
POL 324 Constitutional Law II
POL 361 American Political Discourse
POL 404 Law and Morality
POL 408 Separation of Powers
POL 415 International Organizations
POL 462 Principles of the American Founding
Finally, Pre-law students must take one of the following courses, typically during the senior year:
POL 510 Property Rights and Environmental Policy
POL 532 Political Theory of the Framing
POL 553 Constitutional Theory and Interpretation
POL 578 Advanced Topics in Public Law
POL 584 Jurisprudence
POL 585 Constitutionalism in Comparative Perspective
Pre-law students may take additional courses from the lists above and count them toward
their regular subconcentration or as general Politics credits. This list of courses may change from year to year; interested students should contact the Pre-law advisor, Dr. Dennis Coyle, for current information (319-5813; coyle@cua.edu).
Internships. Students in their junior or senior year who wish to undertake an academically supervised field of work in Congress, one of the Executive agencies, a “think-tank,” political party, or another political organization may register for an internship (POL 593 or 594). Students may take no more than two such courses for credit. See Dr. Kromkowski for details (319-6188; kromkowski@cua.edu).
Study Abroad. The university offers a variety of opportunities for studying abroad. There are three international internship programs geared towards Politics majors: one in
Honors Thesis Option. Students with a 3.5 GPA by the start of their senior year may, with the approval of the undergraduate coordinator, opt to write a Senior honors thesis (generally 60 pages in length) under the direction of a faculty member. Students register for POL 498 and 499 Seniors Honors Thesis, and receive credit for their work on the thesis. Students develop a thesis topic in consultation with their professor, write up and present a proposal to the undergraduate committee of the department early in the first semester, and carry out the research and writing of the paper thereafter. After submitting the paper (usually by April 1 of the spring semester), they are invited to present their work before interested faculty at the end of the semester. Students writing an honors thesis are excused from Day Two of the comprehensive examinations.
Joint Degrees. Two programs leading to higher degrees require careful advanced planning. One is the B.A./M.A. program, which allows students to apply credit jointly to a B.A. and an M.A degree in order to complete both degrees in five years. Students must apply at the beginning of their junior year and have a 3.5 GPA at that time. (See the description of requirements and procedures below.)
The other is the B.A./J.D. program, which allows a student to complete both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree within six years. Students must have a 3.6 GPA by the end of their sophomore year and score a minimum of 35-38 on the LSAT in their junior year. Interested students should consult Dr. Coyle and inquire about the program at the Arts and Sciences office (107 McMahon) by the end of the sophomore year.
B.A./M.A. Program. Students with a 3.5 GPA may be admitted to the joint B.A./M.A. program. Students must take the GRE, apply to the graduate program of the department, and be admitted. They will be allowed four courses to count toward both the B.A. and M.A. degrees (i.e., total undergraduate and graduate course requirements are 46 rather than 50 normally required). Apart from this, students must fulfill all distribution requirements for the undergraduate degree in the
If you are interested in this option, you should see the Department Chair or Undergraduate Coordinator by the beginning of the junior year to work out your program. Once a program of study has been drawn up, it must be formally approved by the Dean of the
Requirements for the master’s degree normally include POL 651 and 652 (Political Theory I & II). Students whose field of concentration is world politics take POL 606 and 607. Students whose concentration is American government complete POL 625. Students who choose political theory as their field of concentration take six hours (two courses) in one of the other two fields. Each student must also complete two graduate research seminars in the field of concentration with a grade of B or better.
Students in the B.A./M.A. program may elect to write a master’s thesis on a topic approved by the department and the
For complete and authoritative information about the B.A./M.A. in Politics, see the Guide to Graduate Education in Politics (Available from the Department) and the University’s Graduate Announcements.
Minor in Politics
Students who major in another discipline may also decide to pursue a minor in Politics. The Politics minor requires completion of the three introductory courses (POL 111, POL 112, and POL 211); two courses in one of the three subconcentrations (American Politics, World Politics, or Political Theory); and one additional politics course.
Students interested in a combined Politics/ Pre-Law minor must take two of POL 111, POL 112, and POL 211; POL 220; either POL 323 (Constitutional Law I) or POL 324 (Constitutional Law II); and two additional courses from the following list: POL 323, 324, 402, 404, 415, 462, 510, 553, 578, 584, and 585.
The following is a sample of foundational works in the field of Politics. Students specializing in Political Theory, American Government, or World Politics may wish to pay special attention to the works listed in their respective fields. The reading list is updated periodically, so check with the department office to be sure you have the most current version of it.
The selections below for American Government represent a tiny fraction of the very important documents and works in the field.
Foundational Documents:
Mayflower Compact (1620)
Declaration of
The Federalist Papers (1789)
American Political Parties:
John Kenneth White, New Party Politics: From Hamilton and Jefferson to the Information Age (
Martin P. Wattenberg, The Decline of American Political Parties, 1952-1996 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998)
The Presidency:
Stephen Skrowonek, The Politics Presidents Make (Cambridge, MA: Belknap, 1993)
Charles O. Jones, The Presidency in a Separated System (Washington, DC: Brookings, 1994).
Jeffrey K. Tulis, The Rhetorical Presidency (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1988)
The Congress:
David R. Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986)
Nelson Polsby, “The Institutionalization of the
Morris P. Fiorina, Congress: Keystone of the
Law and the Courts:
David M. O’Brian, Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics, 2nd ed. (New York: Norton, 1990)
Students interested in this subfield should be familiar with the leading doctrines of Constitutional Law, particularly those that have expanded or limited the role of the courts in American life, including, but not limited to, the following cases:
Calder v. Bull (1798)
Marbury v.
McCulloch v.
Barron v.
Slaughter-House Cases (1873)
Lochner v.
Adamson v.
Baker v. Carr (1962)
Griswold v.
World Politics
The following list contains only a few of the many important works in the fields of international relations and comparative politics. Each one will, however, give you a foundation for further reading and study on specific topics and/or countries of your choice.
Graham Allison, Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co. 1971).
John Lewis Gaddis, Strategies for Containment (N.Y. Oxford U. Press, 1962)
International Relations:
Robert O. Keohne and Joseph S. Nye, Power and
Marc Trachtenburg, A Constructed Peace (Princeton: Princeton University Press; 1999).
Comparative Politics and
D. Rueschmeyer, E. Haber
Stephens, and J. Stephens, Capitalist Development and Democracy (Chicago: U Chicago Press, 1992)
The Post Cold War World:
Michael Brown, et al., eds., Debating the Democratic Peace (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1996), esp. articles by M. Doyle, John Owen, Christopher Layne and Edward Mansfield (with Jack Snyder)
Sean Lynn-Jones and Steven Miller, eds.,
Global Dangers: Changing Dimensions of International Security (Cambridge: The MT Press, 1995)
Political Theory
Classical and Christian:
Plato, Republic
Aristotle, Politics, I-IV
Augustine, City of
Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Quest 90-97
Modern:
Machiavelli, The Prince
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, I-XXI
John Locke, Treatise of Civil Government
Jean-Jeacques Rousseau, Social Contract
John Stuart Mill, On
Edmund Burke, Reflections, I-VIII
Marx and Engels, Communist Manifesto
Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in
Book I, X-XVII, Book III, XIII-XV, Book IV, I-VIII.
General:
Robert Nisbet, The Quest for Community (New York: Oxford University Press, 1971)
Eric Voegelin, The New Science of Politics (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987)
George Sabine, A History of Political Theory
(rev.) (Ft. Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1989)
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