Political Science

You are in the official 2008-2009 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.

Department of Political Science

In most instances, the faculty in the department have had experience practicing what they teach. All bring to their classes extensive backgrounds that permit them to combine the theories of political science and public administration with the practical applications of those theories.

Most upper-division classes are small enough to allow extensive student-faculty interaction. The usual course involves a mixture of lecture and class discussion and encourages the expression of a variety of viewpoints about political issues. With smaller classes come greater opportunities for individualized instruction and assistance.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
Political Science Major

Major requirements (36 units)
(see Notes 1 and 2)

Lower-division core:
PLSI 1, 90 (6 units)
(to be completed prior to or concurrently with enrollment in the first 6 units of upper-division major courses)

Upper-division core:
PLSI 110 or 111, 120, 140, 150 (12 units)

Upper-division Political Science electives:
(PLSI exclude 101, 102, 187) (18 units)

General Education requirements (51 units)

Electives and remaining degree requirements (33 units)
(see Degree Requirements); may be used toward a double major or minor

Total (120 units)

Advising Notes

CR/NC grading is not permitted in the political science major.
No General Education Integration or Multicultural/International course offered by the Political Science Department may be used to satisfy the General Education requirements for public administration majors. In addition, PLSI 120 may not be used to satisfy the General Education Multicultural/International requirement for public administration majors.
General Education and elective units may be used toward a double major or minor (see Double Major or departmental minor). Consult the appropriate department chair, program coordinator, or faculty adviser for further information.
The department highly recommends that the student select upper-division electives in at least three of the following disciplines: anthropology, African American studies, economics, English, geography, history, Chicano and Latin American studies, philosophy, sociology, or city and regional planning. Consult adviser for specifically recommended courses.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
Public Administration Major

Major requirements (36 units)
(see Notes 1 and 2)

Lower-division core:
PLSI 1, 90 (6 units)
(to be completed prior to or concurrently with enrollment in the first 6 units of upper-division major courses)

Upper-division core:
PLSI 150, 181, 182, 184, 185 (15 units)

Upper-division electives (15 units)
Select from:
PLSI 110, 111, 114, 170 (6 units)
PLSI 160, 163, 169T (3 units)
PLSI 183, 187, 188T, 189T, 190, 191 (6 units)

General Education requirements (51 units)

Electives and remaining degree requirements (33 units)
(see Degree Requirements); may be used toward a double major or minor

Total (120 units)

Advising Notes

CR/NC grading is not permitted in the public administration major with the exception of PLSI 187.
No course used to satisfy a General Education requirement may be used to satisfy public administration major requirements. In addition, PLSI 120 may not be used to satisfy the General Education Multicultural/International requirement for public administration majors.
General Education and elective units may be used toward a double major or minor (see Double Major or departmental minor). Consult the appropriate department chair, program coordinator, or faculty adviser for further information.
The department highly recommends that the student select upper-division electives in at least three of the following disciplines: anthropology, African American studies, economics, English, geography, history, Chicano and Latin American studies, philosophy, psychology, sociology, or city and regional planning. Consult adviser for specifically recommended courses.

Minors

The following minor requirements are in addition to the General Education requirement in social science.

Political Science
PLSI 1, 110 or 111 (6 units)
Political Science electives (upper division), excluding PLSI 101, 102, 158, 187 (9 units)
Electives (upper division) in anthropology, economics, English, geography, history, philosophy, psychology, or sociology (6 units)
Total (21 units)

Public Administration
PLSI 1, 181, 182 (9 units)
Select from PLSI 110, 111, 114, 150, 151, 170 (3 units)
Select from PLSI 183, 184, 185, 189T (6 units)
Electives (upper division) in anthropology, economics, English, geography, history, philosophy, psychology, or sociology (3 units)
Total (21 units)

__________

No course used to satisfy a General Education requirement may be used to satisfy requirements for the Political Science and Public Administration minors.

International Political Economy

For details about the Minor in International Political Economy, see listing in the Department of Economics.

Note: The minors also require 2.0 GPA and 6 upper-division units in residence.

United States Constitution Requirement

The United States Constitution (including California State Constitution and local government) requirement for graduation will be fulfilled by PLSI 2 or 101. No other political science class fulfills the United States Constitution requirement.

Advanced Placement Exam Policy

Advanced Placement Examinations for American Government cannot be counted to fulfill the American government General Education requirement; 3 units of elective may be granted.

Credential Program

See the Social Sciences credential adviser, Social Science Building, Room 118, for advising, and refer to Secondary Teaching Credential under Social Science Programs.

Master of Arts Degree in International Relations

The program leading to a Master of Arts degree in International Relations is designed chiefly, but not exclusively, for students preparing for careers involved with global and international politics (e.g., political aspects of: international business, agriculture, health services, education, U.S. foreign service, etc.). The interdisciplinary nature of the program is derived from: (1) the five seminars in political science each of which requires the student to master concepts and materials from other disciplines closely related to global politics, and from (2) the 9-unit component of the program which students select from the approved list of extra-departmental courses related to their career objectives.

The program's flexibility, however, also accommodates the needs of those students who plan to use the master's degree for teaching careers or to pursue a Ph.D. in political science, or both. After completion of 15 of the required 30 units of the program, each student is requested to submit to the graduate adviser a written statement of career objectives so that remaining requirements may be tailored to the needs and desires of the individual.

Requirements for the Master
of Arts in International Relations

Admission to the program is open to all graduates of a duly accredited college or university who meet the requirements for admission (see Admissions). Students with background deficiencies in political science usually may remedy these through a few upper-division political science courses selected by the program adviser. Any prerequisites required by extra-departmental courses must also be fulfilled unless waived by the department or program concerned.

Admission. Applicants may qualify for admission to the program courses by achieving classified graduate standing. Classified standing requires:

An acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association;
Good standing at the last college attended;
Submission to the university of transcripts of college work; scores from the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test (GRE); a written statement indicating why the applicant wishes to pursue the M.A.; and three letters of recommendation; and
Recommendation for admission by the Admissions Committee of the Graduate Program in International Relations. Candidates will be recommended on the basis of the promise they show for successfully completing the program. Candidates will be evaluated using a combination of: (a) grade point average (those with averages of less than 2.8 overall or 3.0 on the last 60 semester units attempted must have compensating strength in other areas); (b) aptitude for academic work (those with scores of less than 500 on either the verbal or quantitative part of the GRE must have compensating strength in other areas); applicants whose native language is not English must also achieve a minimum score of 570 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language; (c) evaluation of the applicants written statement and letters of recommendation.

All candidates for the Master of Arts degree in International Relations must complete the 15 units of graduate seminars specified as the core program, which consists of PLSI 200, 210, 220, 240, and 250. Nine units of approved electives from outside the department are also required along with an additional 6 units within the discipline of political science.

The additional 6 units of political science may be earned in one of the following four ways, depending on the interests and career objectives of the candidate:

For students declaring their intentions to pursue Ph.D. degrees, a master's thesis amounting to 6 units of credit is required.
Students declaring their intentions to teach political science at other than the university level may meet the 6-unit requirement by: (a) thesis or (b) project equivalent to 6 units of thesis.
Students declaring their intentions to pursue careers in fields other than political science may meet this 6-unit requirement by: (a) thesis or (b) approved project equivalent to 6 units of thesis or (c) 6 units of additional coursework in political science and written comprehensive examination.
Students declaring their intentions to pursue careers in the U.S. Foreign Service or other governmental agencies and international organizations may meet this 6-unit requirement by: (a) thesis or (b) approved project equivalent to 6 units of thesis or (c) 6 units of additional coursework in political science (courses must be in international relations and/or comparative politics) and written comprehensive examination.

A thesis or project must be primarily in the field of international relations and under the direction of the Political Science Department. One reader or assistant project adviser may be chosen from outside political science where the topic makes this appropriate.

Exclusive of the core courses and thesis or project, a maximum of 3 units may be gained through Independent Study. Basic competence in written translation from a foreign language into English is a prerequisite for the M.A. in International Relations. This language examination will be required before enrollment in the thesis or taking the written comprehensive examinations. Foreign students may offer English in fulfillment of this requirement. The graduate program in international relations student can meet the university Graduate Writing Requirement by passing the writing component of PLSI 200. Please see program coordinator for the written policy.

Specific Requirements for M.A. in International Relations. One of the following plans is available to the student in consultation with the graduate adviser:

Plan A. Students declaring their intention to pursue a Ph.D.
Core Program (15 units)
Thesis (6 units)
Elective from approved list of extra-departmental courses (9 units)
Total (30 units)

Plan B. Students declaring their intention to teach political science at other than university level.
Core Program (15 units)
Thesis or Project (6 units)
Electives from approved list of extra-departmental courses (9 units)
Total (30 units)

Plan C. Students declaring their intention to pursue careers outside political science.
Core Program (15 units)
Thesis, project, or 6 additional units of coursework in political science (6 units)
Electives from approved list of extra-departmental courses (9 units)
Comprehensive written examination if 6 additional units in political science are chosen
Total (30 units)

Plan D. Students declaring their intention to pursue a career in the United States Foreign Service.
Core Program (15 units)
Thesis, project, or 6 units of electives in political science drawn from the International Relations and/or Comparative Government series (6 units)
Electives from approved list of extra-departmental courses (9 units)
Comprehensive written examination if 6 additional units in political science are chosen
Total (30 units)

Note: At least 21 of the 30 required units must be taken at the graduate, 200-series level.

Master of Public Administration Program

The M.P.A. Program builds on the belief that effective leadership of public agencies requires a basic set of abilities and public values irrespective of the particular characteristics of an organization. Courses in the program focus on the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as an appreciation for ethical decision making.

All students in the program complete a core program of 21 units within the 36 units required for the M.P.A. In consultation with their advisers, students will select the remaining units from graduate public administration courses and courses offered by other departments and programs. These units can be used to further develop a general competence in public administration or to provide students with an opportunity to pursue additional topics of interest. The M.P.A. student can meet the university Graduate Writing Requirement by passing the writing component of the course MPA 210. Please see program director for the written policy. To finish the program students may elect to write a thesis or to take a comprehensive examination.

The curriculum of the program follows the guidelines established by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) and was de-signed following consultation with senior public administrators in the Fresno area. Consistent with the NASPAA guidelines, the program seeks to prepare administrative specialists who understand the place and role of public agencies and their staffs in the political, social, and eco-nomic systems of the United States; who have the analytic tools, both quantitative and qualitative, to diagnose problems and analyze alternative courses of public action; who have the leadership abilities to develop and make effective use of the talents and abilities of agency staffs; who have the abilities required to formulate, implement, and evaluate public policies which are responsible and effective; and who are able to manage an agency in such a way as to make responsible and effective use of its resources now and in the future.

Master of Public Administration

Degree Requirements

Core (18 units)
MPA 120G, 200, 210, 230, 245, 260

Additional core (3 units)
MPA 215, 240, 250, or 280T

Approved electives (3-15 units)

Practitioner's Seminars (0-6 units)
GPA 289T

Internship (0-3 units)
MPA 287

Comprehensive examination (0 units)

Thesis (0-3 units)
MPA 299

Minimum Total (36 units)

All students will be required to take 21 core units; 18 of these core units are prescribed for students. The remaining 3 core units must be selected from the courses listed under the "Additional Core" heading. Students may take more than one course listed under the "Additional Core" heading. If they do, these courses will count towards meeting their "Approved Electives" requirement. MPA students may also choose to take units offered as Practitioner Seminars (MPA 289T). Pre-service or in-service students with less than six months of experience in the public or non-profit sector will be advised to take MPA 287. This will provide them with both a valuable learning and working experience. To culminate their MPA experience, students may choose either the comprehensive exam or thesis. The comprehensive exam does not count for any units towards the degree, but does satisfy the requirement that students be provided with a culminating experience to their program. The thesis (MPA 299) is worth 3 units toward the degree and also satisfies the culminating experience requirement.

Approved elective courses may used to build on the foundation of the program's core offerings. The courses to be used as electives in the MPA program are to be chosen in consultation with the student's adviser and must be approved by the MPA director. The students' selection of electives should be guided by their interest in a particular course/topic and its relationship to the practice of public administration.

Admission. Applicants may qualify for admission to the program and thereby take program courses by achieving classified graduate standing. Classified standing requires:

An acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association;
Good standing at the last college attended;
Submission to the university of transcripts of college work; scores from the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT); a written statement indicating why the applicant wishes to pursue an M.P.A.; and, if any, evidence of work performance in a public or nonprofit agency (see 4d below); and
Recommendation for admission by the Admissions Committee of the Graduate Public Administration Program. Candidates will be recommended on the basis of the prom ise they show for successfully completing the program and achieving a successful career in public management and administration. Candidates will be evaluated using a combination of: (a) grade point average (those with averages of less than 2.75 overall or 3.0 on the last 60 semester units attempted must have compensating strength in other areas); (b) aptitude for academic work (those with scores of less than 475 on either part of the GRE or on the GMAT must have compensating strength in other areas); (c) professional goals of the applicant; (d) successful performance in public or nonprofit agency employment as demonstrated by the character of work accomplished, distinctions achieved, and letters of recommendation from persons who can knowingly and comparatively evaluate the on-the-job performance of the candidate over a period of time (this basis for evaluation may be waived for candidates showing great strength in (a) or (b) above). Applicants whose native language is not English must also achieve a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

Political Science Courses