Political Science

Program Information
Chair: Paul Kramer
Assessment Coordinator: Barbara Headrick
Degrees Offered: B.A.
Department Web Site

Student Learning Outcomes

Required of all majors

American

1. Students should have a basic understanding of the institutions, influences and processes that make up American government and politics.

2. Students should have a basic understanding of the vital role citizen participation plays in American politics.

3. Student should have a basic understanding of the influence of the electoral system on American institutions and policies.

Public Administration/Public Policy

1. Students should have a basic understanding of influences of bureaucrats and bureaucratic institutions in American politics.

2. Students should have a basic understanding of the institutions, influences, and processes that affect policymaking in the United States.

3. Students should have a basic understanding of the interaction between institutional behavior and policy decisions.

Public Law

1. Students should have a basic understanding of the world's major legal families, institutions, theories, and philosophies.

2. Students should acquire knowledge of the Anglo-American legal system, including specific characteristics of private law, public law, and criminal law.

3. Students should have a basic understanding of roles of the various legal professionals and the effect of legal ethics on the practice of law.

International Relations/Comparative Politics

1. Students should have a basic knowledge of the processes and principles guiding relations between international actors.

2. Students should have a basic knowledge of the interaction between global economics and international and domestic politics.

3. Students should have a basic understanding of politics and political systems other than those of the United States.

Theory and Methodology

1. Students should have a basic understanding of the normative concepts and arguments that have been important in the study and practice of politics.

2. Students can understand and apply the principles of research design.

3. Students can use basic statistical methods for data analysis.

Skills

1. Students are capable of using the library and other resources.

2. Students demonstrate technical writing skills applying the APSA format.

3. Students can write engagingly and interestingly.

4. Students can make appropriate oral presentations.

Elective -- Student should have a more sophisticated understanding of knowledge and research in political science in at least one sub-field of the discipline.

American Politics

1. Students should be able to use their understanding of principles, theories and practices of institutions to analyze how policy is made in the United States.

2. Students should be able to analyze influences from political parties and interest groups on U.S. electoral and political systems.

3. Students should be able to apply knowledge of government institutions and the behavior of political actors to analyze current U.S. politics and policies.

Public Law

1. Students should have a sophisticated understanding of U.S. criminal law and procedure, including Constitutional protections for the criminally accused.

2. Students should have a sophisticated understanding of U.S. Constitutional law, including the development of the federal commerce power, the history of federalism, and current trends in civil rights and liberties.

International Relations/Comparative Politics

1. Students should have a knowledge of principles and theories of international relations.

2. Students should a a knowledge of principles and theories of comparative politics.

3. Students should be able to analyze evidence in international relations and comparative politics

4. Students should be able to apply knowledge in international relations and comparative politics to current world problems.

Theory and Methodology

1. Student should have a sophisticated understanding of the principles and challenges of establishing valid scientific conclusions.

2. Students should have a sophisticated understanding of the major philosophical and evaluative traditions of human political experience.

3. Students should demonstrate the ability to apply items 1 and 2 in their roles as citizens and students of politics.

Assessment Plans

• 2003 Plan

Assessment Reports

• 2008 Report

• 2007 Report / SLOAC Comments

• 2005 Report

• 2002 Report

• 1999 Report

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