Courses at the 300-level
The extent and variety of natural resource use is examined, the environmental impacts thereof, and the management philosophies and efforts to regulate this use for the benefit of contemporary and future populations.
3 credit hours
Discussion centers on the geographic elements in the history and development of Rhode Island. Assessment is made of Rhode Island's place in the New England, national, and world scenes.
3 credit hours
Skills and methods in theoretical and applied geography are covered. Interpretation of maps and data gathered through remote sensing is followed by the application of spatial data to problem solving in the social and environmental sciences.
3 credit hours
The historical development of the United States is examined from a geographical viewpoint. Emphasis is on the interaction of physical and cultural elements that contribute to the emergence of distinctive landscapes, past and present.
3 credit hours
Focus is on societal responses to disasters and the systems created to deal with such phenomena. Included are causes of disasters and plans formulated to cope with them.
3 credit hours
The diverse geographic aspects of the land-sea interface are analyzed. Topics include coastal geomorphology and climate, fisheries and other natural resources, patterns of land use, and coastal regionalism.
3 credit hours
Geographic and political analyses are used to study the growth of cities. Discussion includes the role of cities on local, national, and world scales. Students cannot receive credit for both Geography 337 and Political Science 337.
3 credit hours
- 200-
- 200-
- or consent of department chair.
City planning and housing development are studied within the context of how and why neighborhoods change over time. Attention is given to land use plans, zoning maps, and the city building process.
3 credit hours
The historic growth, subsequent decline, and modern renaissance of Providence are examined. Topics include local politics, public policies, and major public building projects.
3 credit hours
Philosophical, historical, and analytical approaches to political science research are explored.
3 credit hours
- POL 202
- or consent of the department chair
The art and science of public administration is introduced. Attention is given to the broad range of administrative functions, techniques, problems, and solutions confronting public sector managers.
3 credit hours
- POL 202
- or consent of the department chair
Both twentieth-century international organization and the place of evolving international law are considered with respect to the settlement of disputes and the maintenance of peace.
3 credit hours
- One 200-level political science course
- or consent of the department chair
Students develop skill in the preparation, analysis, and interpretation of data. Lecture and laboratory. Students cannot receive credit for both Political Science 304 and Sociology 404.
4 credit hours
- POL 300 or SOC 302
- or consent of the department chair
Students examine the political structures, processes, policies, and power distributions in state and local governments in the United States. Topics include intergovernmental relations, executive leadership, and legislative policy making.
3 credit hours
- POL 202
- or consent of the department chair
Through a comparative critical study of selected readings, students develop and practice behavior indicative of political culture, political socialization, organization and leadership, and stratification.
3 credit hours
- POL 202
Students learn the art and science of political analysis by critically reading and writing about political controversies currently in the news, while learning to use the tools and data available to political scientists.
4 credit hours
- POL 202
- POL 203
- POL 204
- or POL 202 and consent of department chair
Focus is on the increasing involvement of women in the politics and issues of contemporary America. The political socialization, voting behavior, and political role playing of women in government are also discussed.
3 credit hours
- One 200-level political science course
- or consent of the department chair
This is a comparative study of the development of English common law and continental European civil law, with emphasis on jurisprudence, legislation, law codes, and intellectual and economic trends. Students cannot receive credit for both Political Science 315 and History 315.
3 credit hours
- HIST 161
- or consent of the department chair
The ideas of major Western political thinkers are reviewed. Students cannot receive credit for both Political Science 316 and History 316. (Formerly Political Science 310: Political Thought and the Modern World.)
3 credit hours
- POL 204
- or consent of the department chair
Relationships of power and authority and their social foundations are examined. Students cannot receive credit for more than one of the following: Political Science 317, Sociology 317, History 317.
3 credit hours
- POL 204
- or consent of the department chair
Through field placements in the government of Rhode Island, students are able to integrate classroom theory with political reality. Included is a weekly lecture series involving the participation of appropriate political leaders and academics.
4 credit hours
- Recommendation of the Academic Advisory Committee to the State Internship Commission
Students are assigned to cooperating local, state, or national agencies, political parties, or interest groups. Assignments relate field experiences to academic concepts.
4 credit hours
- Consent of instructor
Students examine procedural law remedies of regulatory agencies, as well as rule making, adjudication, judicial review of administrative decisions, and the politics of regulation.
4 credit hours
- POL 301
- or consent of the department chair
Focus is on the role of the United States Supreme Court in policymaking. Through case analysis, attention is given to the impact of judicial policymaking on the presidency, federal policing, and other selected public policy areas.
4 credit hours
- One 200-level political science course, preferably POL 202
Traditional constitutional guarantees of civil liberty and due process in American life are examined. Included is an examination of legal decisions and the justifications offered for those decisions.
4 credit hours
- POL 202
Struggles for legal and political equality are examined, with primary focus on discrimination based on race, sex, and sexual orientation. Interactions among law, political institutions, interest groups, and social movements are also explored.
4 credit hours
- POL 202
- or consent of the department chair
The nature of law is examined through the analysis of selected theories of jurisprudence. Attention is given to judicial organization and process, judicial administration and politics, and judicial behavior at both the state and national levels.
3 credit hours
- One 200-level political science course
- or consent of the department chair
The origins of preindustrial non-Western states are examined as issues of power, class, statecraft, and empire. Students cannot receive credit for both Political Science 336 and Anthropology 336.
3 credit hours
- Any 200-level anthropology or political science course
- or consent of the department chair
Geographic and political analyses are used to study the growth of cities. Consideration is given to the role of cities on local, national, and world scales. Students cannot receive credit for both Geography 337 and Political Science 337.
3 credit hours
- Any 200-level geography or political science course
- or consent of the department chair
Emphasis is on theories of political development and the analysis of developmental problems, including terrorism, the role of the military, instability, and the alteration of political cultures.
3 credit hours
- POL 203
- or consent of the department chair
Fundamental changes in world politics and the international economy in recent years are examined. Topics include the integration of Western Europe and the rise of newly industrialized countries in Asia.
3 credit hours
- POL 203
- or consent of the department chair
The political structures, processes, and policies of the principal West European and Anglo-American postindustrial societies are compared and analyzed.
4 credit hours
- One 200-level political science course or
- or consent of the department chair
The roles of political parties, interest groups, election campaigns, and the media in the American political system are examined. Focus is on contemporary political behavior and participation.
3 credit hours
- POL 202
- or consent of the department chair
The constitutional and institutional evolution of the presidency is studied, including the demands and resources of the office. Students cannot receive credit for both History 332 and Political Science 357.
3 credit hours
- Any 200-level history or political science course
- or consent of the department chair
Students examine the development of Congress and assess its structure, the behavior of its members, and its role in American politics.
3 credit hours
- POL 202
- or consent of the department chair
The role media plays in politics is analyzed. Topics include media evolution and regulation and the relationship between media and political institutions/policy in the United States. (Formerly Political and Governmental Communications.)
4 credit hours
- POL 202
- or consent of the department chair
The student engages in independent readings.
3 credit hours
- Consent of advisor and instructor
- Major in political science
Page last updated: Monday, March 20, 2006
