Political Science is the study of governments -- their procedures and policies -- and the political behavior of citizens and officials. Governments might include nation states, international organizations or the sub-units of government such as counties, states, provinces, etc. Power and conflict are frequent topics of study but so are the means used to make collective and policy decisions such as elections and legislative voting. In studying these topics, political scientists use philsophical, historical, legalistic and quantitative methods. Students also have an opportunity to prepare for careers in one of two areas of concentration: International Relations or Pre-Law.

International Relations

Recognizing the necessity of preparing students for life and work in an increasingly global society, we have created a concentration in International Relations. The focus of this interdisciplinary concentration is to develop a broad appreciation for the whole range of international politics, cultures, issues and influences. The program leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations.

Pre-Law

The program, which leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law, has been offered from the first days of the university and is the only curriculum in the university specifically designed with the pre-law student in mind. This program provides students interested in careers in law with a balanced and challenging course of study. The curriculum is designed to meet the Association of American Law Schools guidelines for prre-legal education and is coupled with sound career counseling and assistance with the law school admissions process.

The political science curriculum at UL Lafayette offers a variety of courses in political science, representing constitutional law, state and local government, world politics, public policy, political philosophy, campaigns and elections, public budgeting, congress, political behavior, judicial process, and research methods. In order to obtain this degree, students must take 30-33 hours (depending on area of concentration) in political science and must also earn an 18 hour "minor" in another field (such as English, history, and sociology, math, science or business) that is in some way related to political science or the student's career interests. The curriculum also requires courses in such areas as English, history, modern languages, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, communication, the arts, computer science and behavioral science. These courses, recognized as fundamental knowledge for all educated persons, provide a context for the specialized study of politics.

The pre-law curriculum follows the guidelines for pre-legal education suggested by the Association of American Law Schools. The program provides a rigorous, intellectually stimulating, and wide-ranging educational experience which emphasizes comprehension and expression in words, critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals, and creative power in thinking.

The International Relations curriculum combines coursework from political science, economics, geography, foreign languages and world history. In addition, students in this concentration will be steered, when choosing electives, into the wide variety of other internationally oriented courses offered by many departments and will be encouraged to minor in one of the allied fields of foreign languages, economics, geography or history.

A complete listing of course requirements is available in PDF.
(open PDF in free Adobe Reader to view or print course requirements)

International Relations

2005-2007 / 2007-2009

Political Science

2005-2007 / 2007-2009

Pre-Law

2005-2007 / 2007-2009

110.  American National Government. (3, 0, 3). An intensive study of the beginnings, structure, and functions of the United States Government.

111.  Honors American National Government.  (3, 0, 3).220.  World Politics. (3, 0, 3).  Selected political systems from among the Democratic states, the Communist (and former Communist) bloc, and the Third World.

221.  Honors World Politics.  (3, 0, 3). 305.  Issues in Politics.  (1, 0, 1).  Variable content.  May be repeated.  Subtitles will appear on transcript.  No limitations on repeating if content is different. Designed to acquaint students with a wide-range of short topics. 

314.  Congress.  (3, 0, 3).  Development, organization, and operations of the U. S. Congress, and its role in the American political system.

ems of states, counties, and municipalities. Special reference is made to state, parish, and municipal problems of Louisiana.

319.  The Presidency.  (3, 0, 3).  Development, organization and operations of the U. S. Presidency, and its role in the American political system.

330.  Political Parties. (3, 0, 3). A study of the nature, functions, development and operations of political parties in the United States.  Formerly POLS 308.

333. Politics and Media. (3, 0, 3). Role of mass media as an institution of United States democracy.

335.  Campaigns and Elections. (3, 0, 3). An examination of the nomination of candidates, election campaigns, and voting patterns in elections.  Formerly POLS 309.

340.  Public Administration. (3, 0, 3). The structure, functions, and organization of administrative bodies, dynamics of administration, fiscal and personnel management, federal-state administrative relations, and the control of administration.  Formerly POLS 386.

350. Public Policy. (3, 0, 3).  A substantive examination of public policies in the United States.  Formerly POLS 302.

360.  International Politics. (3, 0, 3). Introduction to the study of international relations by providing a framework for the comprehensive theoretical study of international relations including such areas as actors in the political system, power, alliances, use of force and war, and conflict resolution and arms control.  Formerly POLS 312.

366.  United States Foreign Policy. (3, 0, 3).  Forces, processes, and contexts that shape United States foreign policy. 

370.  Political Philosophy: Major Thinkers. (3, 0, 3).  An examination of a selection of major thinkers in ancient and modern political philosophy. 

382.  Law and the Judicial Process. (3, 0, 3).  An introductory study of the theory and role of law in society and of the participants, institutions and processes of decision-making in the American judicial system.

387.  Constitutional Law. (3, 0, 3).  Major Supreme Court decisions interpreting constitutional limits on the powers of, and relations between, branches and levels of government in the U. S.

390.  Special Topics in Politics. (3, 0, 3). Variable content.  May be repeated.  Subtitles will appear on transcript.  No limitations on repeating if content is different.

395.  Research Methods. (3, 0, 3).  The use of scientific methods, research design and quantitative data analysis in political science.  Formerly POLS 301.

398.  Internship. (1-9). Supervised experience in government and government-related agencies under the guidance of agency personnel.  Emphasis on principles of administration, operation, and service in government and judicial environments at local, state, and federal levels.  Prereq:  Permission of instructor.  Formerly POLS 395.

To enroll in any 400-level course, students must be admitted to the Upper Division; to enroll in a 400(G)-level course in which there are graduate students, students must have junior or higher standing.

417(G).  Southern Politics. (3, 0, 3).  Politics in the southern U. S. with emphasis on continuity and change.

425(G).  Middle Eastern Politics. (3, 0, 3).  Selected general problems in the developing areas.  Focus on issues in the Middle East and North Africa.  Survey of individual political systems.  Formerly POLS 327.

428(G).  Comparative Political Leadership. (3, 0, 3).  Structure, composition, power, and behavior of leadership groups in selected political systems.

442(G).  Bureaucratic Politics. (3, 0, 3).  Public organizations as institutions of U.S. government.  Emphasis on the operational environment, organizational dynamics, and management as principal components in the administration of law-based government activities.  Formerly POLS 462.

452(G).  Environmental Policy. (3, 0, 3).   U.S. environmental policy focusing on formulation, legitimation, implementation, and evaluation.  Formerly POLS 402(G).

457(G).  Public Policy Analysis. (3, 0, 3)  Formal and informal processes of the development, administration, and evaluation of U.S. public policies.  Formerly POLS 487(G).

467(G). Ethics and Internationial Politics. (3, 0, 3). An examination of the various ethical and theoretical foundations of international relations, (e.g., classical, Christian, and/or modern).

470(G).  Political Philosophy: Major Themes. (3, 0, 3).  Enduring issues, such as the theological-political problem, moral virtue, relativism, and natural right and law.  Formerly POLS 371.

475(G).  American Political Thought. (3, 0, 3).  Political philosophy and ideology from colonial times to the beginning of the twentieth century.  Formerly POLS 450(G).

483(G).  Civil Liberties. (3, 0, 3). The philosophy and development of civil liberties and civil rights in the United States Concentration on the interpretation of constitutional guarantees by the Supreme Court.

497(G)-498(G).  Special Projects I, II. (3, 0, 3). Study and research in areas not covered by existing courses. 

Learn about potential career paths and prospective employers.

Department of Political Science
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
P. O. Box 41652
Lafayette, LA 70504-1652

Office located in Mouton Hall, Room 112
Phone: (337) 482-6171
Fax: (337) 482-6195
Email: pols@louisiana.edu

Web Site: http://pols.louisiana.edu/