Political Science and International Relations Department

The Political Science and International Relations Department is one of eighteen academic departments at Knox. It offers two majors and three minors. The department is located on the second floor of GDH.

Department Faculty

Current

• L. Sue Hulett, Department Chair
• Andy Civettini, Assistant Professor
• Karen Kampwirth, Associate Professor
• James Nowlan, Adjunct Distinguished Professor of Public Policy
• Duane Oldfield, Associate Professor
• Robert Seibert, Robert W. Murphy Professor of Political Science
• Lane Sunderland, Chancie Ferris Booth Professor of Political Science

Former

• Sean Matheson, Assistant Professor
• Randall Smith, Visiting Instructor

Political Science

The political science program includes one major and two minors. Political science also happens to be the science of love, because it is the science of determining who gets what; when, where, and how!

Political Science (major)

See main page at Political Science

The political science major is often regarded to be among the easier majors, as it requires a relatively low number of credits compared to other disciplines, and has no capstone project or senior seminar. However, its defenders note that political science covers a wide range of different topics of politics and current events that makes it a diverse and challenging field of study.

• • • Anyone who has taken any PoliSci class knows that it is not easy....

Courses Required for the Political Science major

• All of the following:
  • PS 101 (American National Government)
  • PS 210 (Survey of International Relations)
  • PS 220 (Survey of Comparative Politics)
  • and PS 230 (Study of Politics)
• One of the following:
  • PS 245 (American Political Thought)
  • PS 341 (The Great Theorists)
  • or PS 342 (The Modern Theorists)
• Four elective credits within the department

American Politics (minor)

See main page at American Politics

This is similar to the Political Science major, except that it focuses entirely on American domestic politics.

Courses Required for the American Politics minor

• PS 101 (American National Government)
• Four other courses, at least two of which must be at the 300 level, chosen from the following
  • PS 230 (Study of Politics)
  • PS 235 (Introduction to American Public Policy)
  • PS 240 (Voting and Elections)
  • PS 241 (Social Movements)
  • PS 245 (American Political Thought)
  • PS 260 (Religion and Politics)
  • PS 305 (Political Communication)
  • PS 306 (American Presidency)
  • PS 307 (State and Local Government)
  • PS 308 (American Political Parties)
  • PS 309 (Congress)
  • PS 311 (Urban Politics)
  • PS 362 (American Constitutional Law I)
  • PS 363 (American Constitutional Law II)

Comparative Politics (minor)

See main page at Comparative Politics

This is similar to the Political Science and International Relations majors, focusing on the comparison of different systems of domestic politics.

Courses Required for the Comparative Politics minor

• PS 220 (Survey of Comparative Politics)
• Four other courses, at least two of which must be at the 300 level, chosen from the following
  • PS 210 (Survey of International Relations]]
  • PS 222 (Introduction to Latin American Politics)
  • PS 223 (Islam and Social Change)
  • PS 224 (Al-Qaeda)
  • PS 227 (Women and World Politics)
  • PS 301 (Democracy and Globalization)
  • PS 312 (International Organizations)
  • PS 314 (US-Latin American Relations)
  • PS 321 (European Governments)
  • PS 322 (Politics in India)
  • PS 323 (Comparative Politics in the Middle East)
  • PS 326 (Comparative Revolution)
  • PS 333 (Global Antifeminism)

International Relations

See main page at International Relations

The International Relations program includes one major and one minor.

International Relations (major)

International Relations, while perhaps a less prominent offering than political science, is very popular among students also majoring in a language or political science. It focuses on foreign relations and policies among countries and nations. It is slightly more demanding than the political science requirements, requiring ten instead of nine credits.

Courses Required for the International Relations major

• All of the following:
  • PS 210 (Survey of International Relations)
  • PS 220 (Survey of Comparative Politics)
  • PS 315 (Contemporary American Foreign Policy)
  • PS 317 (Advanced International Relations)
• One of the following:
  • PS 101 (American National Government)
  • PS 230 (Study of Politics)
  • PS 342 (The Modern Theorists)
• Two of the following:
  • PS 222 (Introduction to Latin American Politics)
  • PS 223 (Islam and Social Change)
  • PS 224 (Al-Qaeda)
  • PS 314 (US-Latin American Relations)
  • PS 321 (European Governments)
  • PS 322 (Politics in India)
  • PS 323 (Comparative Politics in the Middle East)
  • PS 326 (Comparative Revolution)
  • PS 399 (when the course is focused on areas outside of the United States)
• Three elective credits within the department

International Relations (minor)

This is a more basic version of the major.

Courses Required for the International Relations minor

• PS 210 (Survey of International Relations)
• Either
  • PS 220 (Survey of Comparative Politics), or
  • PS 317 (Advanced International Relations)
• Three other courses, at least two of which must be at the 300 level (one if PS 317 is taken), chosen from the following:
  • PS 220 (Survey of Comparative Politics)
  • PS 222 (Introduction to Latin American Politics)
  • PS 223 (Islam and Social Change)
  • PS 224 (Al-Qaeda)
  • PS 227 (Women and World Politics)
  • PS 301 (Democracy and Globalization)
  • PS 312 (International Organizations)
  • PS 314 (US-Latin American Relations)
  • PS 315 (Contemporary American Foreign Policy)
  • PS 316 (American Foreign Policy in the 21st Century)
  • PS 317 (Advanced International Relations)
  • PS 321 (European Governments)
  • PS 322 (Politics in India)
  • PS 323 (Comparative Politics in the Middle East)

Meeting the Competency Requirements

The department has designated several courses that meet Knox's Key Competency Requirements:

• Writing Requirement: PS 227, PS 245, PS 314, PS 315, PS 317, PS 326, PS 333, PS 342, PS 362, and PS 363
• Oral Requirement: PS 306, PS 315, PS 317, PS 362, and PS 363
• Information Literacy Requirement: PS 230 and PS 317 especially, along with most 200- and 300-level courses to some extent, are designed to develop the skills required.