Political Science
PSCI 5V83 Independent Study (1-9 semester credit hours) Provides faculty supervision of student's individual study of a topic that is directly relevant to the student's Master's degree program and is agreed on by the student and the faculty supervisor. Pass/Fail only. May be repeated for credit (9 semester credit hours maximum). Instructor consent required. ([1-9]-0) R
PSCI 6301 Constitutional Law (3 semester credit hours) This class addresses the evolution of the American Constitution. The course will examine major constitutional concepts that are important to an understanding of American government. Additionally, major interpretations of the Constitution and the role of courts in the American legal system will be explored. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6302 (PPPE 6302) Conflict in Cyberspace (3 semester credit hours) Cyberspace is not an isolated concept. It expands beyond the conventional notions of networks. Indeed, despite its technical specificities, cyberspace is a domain of human interactions. While many security issues organizations and individuals face are highly technical, their underlying causes and systematic effects are inherently behavioral. Therefore, it makes little sense to approach cybersecurity from a narrow, purely technical perspective. Yet many courses focus on 'the mechanics' of cybersecurity at the expense of behavioral and political aspects. In contrast, this class considers cyberspace as a synergistic entity. First, it examines conflicts and violence in the pre-digital age. Next, it discusses the origins, organization, and evolution of cyberspace. Finally, it explores how cyberspace reshapes conventional conflicts and produces new ones. (3-0) R
PSCI 6303 (PPPE 6303) Cyber Security Policy (3 semester credit hours) This course introduces students to the public policy aspects of cybersecurity. Students will apply the tools of game theory, statistics, and causal inference to inform policy decision-making. The course is divided into four parts. The first introduces the basic concepts and definitions related to policy, governance, and threats. The second part exposes students to the modern policy analysis toolkit. The third part explores the impact of cyber policies on the private sector (topics include cyberpiracy, Dark Net markets, data breaches, deplatforming, and others). The fourth part of the course focuses on the state actors (topics include, electoral integrity, misinformation, digital repression, and others). (3-0) R
PSCI 6304 Internship in Constitutional Law Studies (3 semester credit hours) Students will gain practical legal experience by working as an intern in a law office, court, or in the office of a legal organization such as a district attorney's or public defender's office. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6305 Workshop in Constitutional Law Studies (3 semester credit hours) Students will undertake a major research topic on a law-related matter which will develop skills in legal research and writing, quantitative research, or field research. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6306 Human Rights and International Law (3 semester credit hours) This course explores international agreements and their effects on individual rights in a variety of contexts such as international conflicts, civil wars, and oppressive political regimes. (3-0) R
PSCI 6307 The Politics of European Integration (3 semester credit hours) This graduate seminar will focus on history, institutions, contemporary issues, and future of the European Union (EU). Students will first explore the normative and strategic foundations of the European Union through the various theoretical lenses provided in the scholarly literature. Then, students will learn about the interactions among the various institutions of the EU including the Commission, Council, and Court of Justice. Students will also engage with the scholarly literature on European monetary integration and discuss the merits and drawbacks of the euro. The seminar will additionally guide students through the ideologies of euroskepticism and contemporary democratic decline of some of the EU member states. The seminar will conclude by having the class confront the question of whether the EU is a suitable organization for the promotion of liberal democracy and whether the EU will continue to function well into the 21st century. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6308 (PPPE 6308) Governance and Auditing Essentials for Cyber Security (3 semester credit hours) The course will address topics such as Cyber Security Governance including the roles and responsibilities of the various individuals in the corporation as well as the corporate board. It will also discuss topics such as data classification and data ownership issues. This will be followed by a discussion of risk analysis and risk mitigation including cyber insurance. Various auditing techniques will also be discussed. Finally, an overview of various cyber governance frameworks will be provided. The ability to draft, strategize, and develop a cyber risk mitigation strategy will also be a major focus area. (3-0) R
PSCI 6309 International Political Economy (3 semester credit hours) An integration of the insights of international relations and international economics. Explores the politics of international trade and finance, or economic globalization; investigates the simultaneous pursuit of wealth and power in states and other international actors. (3-0) T
PSCI 6311 Proseminar in Law and Courts (3 semester credit hours) The purpose of this graduate seminar is to survey the different areas of empirical/quantitative research in the subfield of judicial politics. The course will assess the courts as political institutions and examine the interactions between the judiciary and other institutions. We will address the core theoretical debates and assess key methodological issues concerning judicial decision-making in the U.S. context. We will also place these debates within the growing body of comparative judicial behavior literature. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6315 (PPPE 6315) Legal Aspects of Cyber Security and Cyber Security Ethics (3 semester credit hours) Cyber security is a public good with ethical implications. The course explores how rapid change in technology interacts with the much slower pace of change in the law to better understand the role of government in regulating cyber security. We will explore the legal basis upon which governments may provide for cyber security as well as the ethical concerns raised by increasing government involvement in this area and privacy issues related to the collection of information. The course will also discuss the appropriate legal and compliance steps that need to be taken when responding to cyberattacks and reporting cyberattacks to law enforcement. Finally, the legal aspects of conducting cyber forensics as well as topics such as cyber espionage will also be discussed. (3-0) R
PSCI 6316 International Organizations (3 semester credit hours) An analysis of international intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Union. Topics include their historical development, internal political processes, and consequences for the international political system. (3-0) T
PSCI 6319 Proseminar in International Relations (3 semester credit hours) This course introduces graduate students to important theoretical perspectives and debates in the study of international relations. Works covered address different levels of analysis from the international system to domestic politics to individual leaders - and that span major theoretical paradigms, including Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism. The intellectual history of the discipline is discussed as well as cutting-edge contributions (3-0) T
PSCI 6321 Proseminar in Comparative Politics (3 semester credit hours) Comparative politics is the study of political institutions and processes around the world. This course examines various approaches to the study of comparative politics, including structural, cultural, economic, and institutional theories of government. Students will gain an understanding of major theoretical works in comparative politics as well as empirical applications. Substantive topics include state development, democracy and democratization, party systems, authoritarian governments, economic growth, and civil conflict. (3-0) T
PSCI 6322 (PPPE 6322) U.S. Energy Policy and Regulation (3 semester credit hours) This course covers energy policy and regulation in the United States at the national, state, and local levels. It is intended for students from a variety of disciplines and there are no prerequisites. We will start with an overview of different government institutions, and the roles of political parties, interest groups, and public opinion in public policy. We will then examine policies and regulations that affect the supply of energy from different sources, and the distribution of electricity through the electrical grid and local utilities. Finally, we will examine policies and regulations that affect the demand for energy such as vehicle mileage standards, infrastructure, carbon taxes or limits, and sustainable cities. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6323 Public Choice (3 semester credit hours) This course covers the application of economic reasoning to non-market decision-making in situations involving collective choice. Topics include market and government failure, collective action, properties of different voting rules, design of constitutions, and the behavior of candidates, elected officials, bureaucrats, and voters. Recommended prerequisites: PPPE 6321 or equivalent. (3-0) R
PSCI 6324 Local and State Government and Politics (3 semester credit hours) Examines public policy institutions and processes at the local and state levels in the United States, with particular attention to developments in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and the State of Texas. Addresses issues of policy convergence, divergence, and representation. (3-0) R
PSCI 6327 Protest and Social Movements (3 semester credit hours) This graduate seminar examines contentious politics and social movements. Topics include violent and non-violent dissent, transnational activism, political opportunity structures, state repression, and normative change. Students will discuss major theoretical debates as well as gain an understanding of key empirical studies of protest movements. (3-0) R
PSCI 6328 (PPPE 6328) Capstone in Cyber Security and Policy (3 semester credit hours) This is the culminating experience for graduating students. Students integrate knowledge from across the curriculum to participate in an experiential learning project or case studies. This capstone project can be a faculty-directed semester-long applied research project or a case study of a private organization or a public institution. In addition, students can work on comprehensive cyber policy or strategy, policy impact evaluation, commercial or open-source projects related to information security, cyber law assessment, or a cyber incident investigation. Finally, students present a concise report summarizing the project's results. (3-0) R
PSCI 6330 Campaigns and Elections (3 semester credit hours) This course surveys the state of the art research on campaigns and elections in American politics with a focus on Congressional and Presidential elections. (3-0) T
PSCI 6331 Executives, Legislatures and Public Policy (3 semester credit hours) An investigation of the role played by executives and legislatures in shaping public policy in the United States. (3-0) T
PSCI 6333 Political and Civic Organizations (3 semester credit hours) An institutional perspective on political parties, interest groups, and other organizations such as labor unions and nonprofit organizations that are important actors in political and civic affairs. The emphasis is on internal operations of organizations, their strategic behavior, and interactions with government, including both regulation by the state and attempts to influence public decision makers. (3-0) T
PSCI 6334 American Political Economy (3 semester credit hours) This graduate seminar furnishes an analytical exploration into the symbiotic relationship between political and economic systems. Centered on a rigorous investigation of how governance structures impact economic policy, and vice versa, the course covers critical domains such as market regulation, income distribution, and institutional roles in economic development. The seminar is designed to provide graduate students with an in-depth understanding of the theoretical underpinnings and practical implications of political economy. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6335 (PPPE 6335) Institutions and Development (3 semester credit hours) An overview of leading theories, institutional perspectives, issues and policy debates concerning urban, regional, national and global development. Topics may include economic growth, technology and innovation, shifts in industrial structure, spatially imbalanced change, and their welfare consequences. (3-0) T
PSCI 6337 Comparative Institutions (3 semester credit hours) A comparative analysis of political and economic institutions in different settings. Includes a consideration of different theoretical approaches to the comparative study and design of institutions in the United States and elsewhere. (3-0) T
PSCI 6338 (PPPE 6338) Politics and Policy in China (3 semester credit hours) This course introduces the political and policy processes in China with a focus on economic reform and development. It will give comprehensive coverage of the political system in China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and how policy making processes evolve from a soviet style to market reform to state-market collaborations in many policy areas. The party-state system permeates every level of the policy process from central government to local agencies. Cases include one child policy, minority policy (Uyghurs and Tibet), foreign affairs regarding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, housing policy, fiscal and monetary policies, and bilateral relations with the United States. (3-0) R
PSCI 6339 Election Law and Electoral Systems (3 semester credit hours) An examination of election law in America from redistricting to ballot access to campaign finance. We also spend time looking at different electoral systems in the U.S. and around the world. (3-0) R
PSCI 6341 Texas Legislative Process (3 semester credit hours) This course examines the legislative process in the Texas Legislature. Students will learn the intricacies of passing legislation by examining the constitutional rules of Texas' lawmaking and the evolution of each chamber's parliamentary rules. Students will have the opportunity to examine specific case studies to illustrate the importance of legislative process in Texas. (3-0) R
PSCI 6342 Comparative Courts and Law (3 semester credit hours) The purpose of this graduate seminar is to survey the growing body of comparative research on courts, law and justice issues. The course will examine a selection of topics within this broadly defined field. The course will examine both qualitative and quantitative work. These examinations will span comparative politics, international relations, and the broader sub-field of public law. (3-0) R
PSCI 6343 Law and the Policy Process (3 semester credit hours) Provides the legal perspective on public policy and emphasizes the role of the judicial system in the recent evolution of public policy in selected problem areas. (3-0) T
PSCI 6345 Values and Ideologies in American Political Behavior (3 semester credit hours) In this graduate seminar, students will undertake a focused study on the role of values and ideologies in shaping political behavior in the United States. Beginning with an extensive review of Philip E. Converse's seminal 1964 study, the course transitions to explore multidisciplinary perspectives on the formation and impact of ideologies. The seminar culminates with a critical examination of the ways in which ideological frameworks intersect with democratic citizenship and societal well-being. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6346 (ECON 6346 and PPPE 6346) Economics of Climate Change (3 semester credit hours) Climate change is the biggest global environmental challenge of our time, posing unparalleled threats to the planet's ecosystems, economies, and the well-being of present and future generations. This course utilizes economic perspectives and methodologies to examine issues related to the effects of climate change, climate mitigation policies, and adoption strategies. It provides an overview of the science of climate change, discusses the theoretical models of climate impacts, and reviews the empirical literature on the impacts of climate change and shocks. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6347 (PPPE 6347) Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics (3 semester credit hours) Surveys the scholarly literature on major institutions associated with policymaking in the United States, including Congress, the Presidency, the bureaucracy, and interest groups. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6348 Social Network Analysis (SNA) : Introduction to the Application and Method in the Social Sciences (3 semester credit hours) Scholars have long been interested in the concept of interdependence - the reality that social entities (individuals, corporations, and foreign actors, etc.) are mutually dependent on one another for the share of information, goods, and cooperation, among other things. Social network analysis (SNA) focuses on understanding the relationships between social actors and incorporates the realities of an interdependent world; adolescents make decisions in relation to their peer group, world leaders consider the actions of others before engaging in conflict, voters utilize information about political candidates shared from their friends and family, and the spread of disease through physical contact. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6350 Logic, Methodology, and Scope of Political Science (3 semester credit hours) Promotes understanding of how and why research projects are conducted, and when and why research programs cease to contribute to knowledge production. Attention also is paid to major modes of analysis in political science, the state of the discipline, and future directions in field-specific, cross-field, and cross-disciplinary research. (3-0) T
PSCI 6351 (PPPE 6351) Politics of East Asia (3 semester credit hours) This is a survey course to prepare students from multiple disciplines to comprehend, study, and connect with the Asian world. Specifically, this course focuses on China, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, North Korea, and South Korea, with emphasis on the role of the United States. It examines and compares the politics of the Asia nations in their political institutions, actors, and issues. The students will study extensively the history, political geography, political economy, development, and democratization of the countries in the region. (3-0) R
PSCI 6352 Empirical Democratic Theory (3 semester credit hours) This course covers major issues in normative democratic theory; seeks to understand how this theory has shaped empirical investigations in contemporary political science; and asks how the empirical realities of democracy in practice have contributed to normative theories and models of democracy. (3-0) T
PSCI 6355 Civil Resistance (3 semester credit hours) This graduate seminar explores cutting edge research on the origins, dynamics, and long-term outcomes of primarily nonviolent civil resistance movements, with a primary focus on movements in authoritarian regimes. Topics include the theoretical logic of nonviolent resistance, intersections of violent and nonviolent action, government repression, movements' success and failure, and impacts on democracy, public health, and social order. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6356 The Rise and Fall of Democracy (3 semester credit hours) This course examines and compares the major theories and empirical patterns in democratization and democratic backsliding in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Topics include sources of authoritarian and democratic fragility, connections between economic development and democratization, and competing elite and mass-based theories of both democratization and democratic breakdown. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6361 (PPPE 6361) Civil Conflict (3 semester credit hours) This course examines the range of contentious politics within states and the breakdown of political order. Topics include protests, riots, terrorist campaigns, insurgencies, and civil war. Students will develop an understanding of multiple theoretical perspectives and empirical approaches to the study of civil conflict. (3-0) T
PSCI 6362 (PPPE 6362) Political Development (3 semester credit hours) This course will survey different perspectives and theories of political development. Topics covered include the role of the state, democratization, political stability, civil society and environmental concerns, among others. (3-0) R
PSCI 6363 (PPPE 6363) Conflict and Development (3 semester credit hours) This module will explore the nexus between violent intrastate conflict and development. It will examine some of the key conceptual frameworks advanced to understand conflict and will explore specific themes that have occupied researchers and policy practitioners in recent years. In addition to assessing the economic costs of the conflicts, this course will also examine the traditional factors that have been purported to explain the prevalence of insurgency. (3-0) R
PSCI 6364 Public Opinion and Survey Research (3 semester credit hours) This course describes, explains and evaluates the conduct of survey research for the study of public opinion. Major topics include the guidelines, design, implementation and precision of survey projects, questions, interviews and data about the development, distributions and dynamics of public opinion, together with public attitudes, beliefs and values, about politics and society. Also considered are recent examples of how survey research on public opinion has informed governments' making of public policy. (3-0) T
PSCI 6365 U.S. and International Asylum and Refugee Law (3 semester credit hours) This course explores U.S. and international law and policy related to the issues of migration, asylum and refugees. We will examine development of the international refugee regime and a variety of topics issues related to the regime, including: the ethics of refugee protection, legal and institutional protection, problems of protection, the Cold War, post-Cold War, and post-Sept. 11th contexts, and related issues such as internally displaced persons. We will examine several related case studies. We will then move our focus to receiving states, examining policies and systems in a variety of states before moving to a more specific focus on the U.S. system, examining in detail U.S. asylum policy and the core domestic actors which implement this policy, examining the competing dominant theoretical perspectives. We will examine the growing body of systematic empirical work that addresses core questions related to asylum decision making in the U.S. and other receiving states through quantitative analysis. (3-0) Y
PSCI 6366 Ethnic Politics (3 semester credit hours) This course focuses on how ethnicity and inter-ethnic relations affect political processes around the world. Key themes include the development of ethnic and national identities; political stability and conflict in multiethnic societies; prospects for democratic stability; and public policy. Students will explore both the theoretical literature on ethnic politics and core empirical works in the field. (3-0) R
PSCI 6374 (PPPE 6374) U.S. Global Security and Public Opinion (3 semester credit hours) This course focuses on description, explanation and assessment of the sources, distribution, dynamics and consequences of public opinion about economic, political and social security events involving the United States and other countries. Emphasis is placed on how these events and leaders choices about them, including but not limited to economic crisis, poverty, social conflict, terrorism and war, affect public opinion; on how public opinion affects choices and events; and on how survey research can advance description, explanation and assessment of these effects. (3-0) T
PSCI 6V42 Legislative Affairs Internship (1-6 semester credit hours) Students will work with the professor to identify with a relevant government office approved by the professor. Students will be asked to participate in the daily operations of that office and learn the intricacies of staffing from a first-hand perspective. May be repeated for credit (6 semester credit hours maximum). Instructor consent required. ([1-6]-0) S
PSCI 6V97 Internship (1-6 semester credit hours) Provides faculty supervision for a student's internship. Internships must be related to the student's coursework. Pass/Fail only. May be repeated for credit (9 semester credit hours maximum). Instructor consent required. ([1-6]-0) R
PSCI 7313 (PPPE 7313) Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency (3 semester credit hours) In this discussion-based seminar, we will examine the different policy responses to terrorism and insurgency. Additionally, we will discuss issues of policing and efforts to prevent radicalization. We will explore different approaches (quantitative, qualitative, and formal) and will take advantage of literature from multiple disciplines. (3-0) R
PSCI 7318 Conflict Management (3 semester credit hours) Examines the conditions that influence the processes and outcomes of conflict management between and within nation-states. Assesses various approaches used in conflict management research with a special emphasis on the relationship between conflict management and theories of IR. (3-0) R
PSCI 7330 International Conflict (3 semester credit hours) This course examines the scientific research on international conflict with a particular emphasis on the causes of conflict and conditions for peace. Among other factors, students will study the effects of domestic politics, regime types, interdependence, power, the environment, non-state actors, and conflict diffusion. Readings will come from every level of analysis (individual, national, dyadic, and systematic) and will be primarily quantitative. (3-0) T
PSCI 7335 Theories of International Relations (3 semester credit hours) An examination of major theories of international relations. Includes coverage of the dominant realist, liberal, and constructivist approaches, as well as coverage of more specific topics, such as norms and international society, pluralist theories of foreign policy, theories of sovereignty, political psychology, bargaining and international institutions, and network theories. (3-0) T
PSCI 7350 Institutions and Citizen Behavior (3 semester credit hours) Examines the major theories, concepts and models associated with relationships between public institutions and citizen behavior, particularly how such institutions as elections, interest groups, political parties and social movements mobilize behavior and how behavior, in turn, influences institutional processes and outcomes. (3-0) T
PSCI 7372 Game Theory for Political Scientists (3 semester credit hours) An introduction to formal models with more than one decision-maker, this course will cover basic solution concepts in game theory. The course will pay particular attention to applications in political science, rather than the foundational models in economics. (3-0) R
PSCI 7380 Political Psychology (3 semester credit hours) This course is designed to be a broad overview of the field of political psychology. Political psychology is both a 'field' in and of itself, as well as a family of approaches used in every other field of political science. At its core, political psychology is concerned with the causes, dynamics, and consequences of human thinking and action in the context of politics. The goal of the course will be to review, discuss and evaluate historically important classics in political psychology as well as contemporary contributions and controversies. (3-0) Y
PSCI 7381 Special Topics in Political Science (3 semester credit hours) Topics vary semester to semester and are rotated typically among the three fields of the program. May be repeated for credit (9 semester credit hours maximum). (3-0) R
PSCI 7V83 Independent Study (1-9 semester credit hours) Provides faculty supervision of student's individual study of a topic that is directly relevant to dissertation or practicum research and is agreed on by the student and the faculty supervisor. Pass/Fail only. May be repeated for credit. Instructor consent required ([1-9]-0) R
PSCI 8381 Research Seminar in Political Science (3 semester credit hours) Promotes faculty-student research collaboration and students' dissertation or practicum and professional development. Pass/Fail only. May be repeated for credit. (3-0) Y
PSCI 8V99 Dissertation or Practicum (1-9 semester credit hours) Provides faculty supervision of a student's dissertation research. Pass/Fail only. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Open to PhD students only and instructor consent required. ([1-9]-0) S