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Professor Robert B. Albritton, Chair
116 Deupree Hall
Professors Geller, Quarles, and Winkle
Associate Professors Brown, Cooper, Overby, Smith, and Stuckey
Assistant Professors Bruce, Landry, Nordstrom, Orey, Palmer, and Reynolds
MASTER OF ARTS
The Master of Arts (M.A.) is designed to provide students with an intensive
experience in political science. There are two programs: one, which requires
a written thesis, is for students primarily interested in political science
research; the other, which replaces the thesis with a written comprehensive
examination, is for students who are more concerned with the practical
application of their political science expertise.
Admission
All applicants should hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited
institution, have a competitive undergraduate grade-point average, and
have earned competitive scores on the verbal and quantitative sections
of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants for whom English
is not the native language must demonstrate linguistic proficiency suitable
for graduate-level study by achieving a minimum score of 550 on the Test
of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants also must submit
three letters of recommendation, a writing sample, and a brief essay outlining
their substantive interests in political science (for example, American
politics and judicial politics) and the career goals for which a graduate
degree will prepare them. Fulfilling the minimum standard is not a guarantee
of admission.
Requirements: Thesis Option
Thirty graduate-level semester hours, including 6 hours of methods/tools
courses (POL 651, 653) and a thesis carrying 6 credit hours constitute
the minimum requirement. Each candidate for the M.A. must pass an oral
examination after the other requirements for the degree have been fulfilled.
The examination may include the student's course work as well as the thesis.
All requirements for the M.A. degree normally must be completed within
four years from the date of enrollment.
Requirements: Nonthesis Option
Thirty graduate-level semester hours, including 6 hours of methods/tools
courses (POL 651, 653) and a written comprehensive examination in the
student's major subfield constitute the minimum requirement. Each candidate
for the M.A. must pass an oral examination after the other requirements
for the degree have been fulfilled. The examination may include the student's
course work as well as the written examination. All requirements for the
M.A. degree normally must be completed within four years from the date
of enrollment.
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DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is designed to prepare students for
a career in teaching and academic research.
Admission
Applicants to the Ph.D. program must submit three letters of recommendation,
a statement of purpose outlining their substantive interests in political
science (for example, comparative politics and developing nations), and
a writing sample. They also must hold at least a bachelor's degree from
an accredited institution, have a competitive grade point average and
have earned competitive scores on the verbal and quantitative sections
of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). All students for whom English
is not the native language must demonstrate proficiency in English by
achieving a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL). Fulfilling the minimum admission standards is not a guarantee
of admission.
Requirements
A student enrolled in the doctoral program will be admitted to candidacy
when the following requirements have been satisfied: (1) a minimum of
60 semester hours of graduate-level course work in political science have
been completed, including course work for the M.A. (done at The University
of Mississippi or elsewhere), but excluding credit for the thesis or internship,
(2) the methodology requirement has been met; and (3) the written and
oral portions of the comprehensive examination have been passed.
Each student working for the Ph.D. is required to complete three semesters
of methods/tools courses, including POL 651 and POL 653 and other options
approved by the graduate director.
Each student working for the Ph.D. is required to take a comprehensive
examination consisting of two parts, one written and one oral. The written
examinations shall cover both the student's major field and minor field.
The oral portion of the examination will be a rigorous, comprehensive
test of the student's knowledge of the discipline of political science
with special emphasis on the selected subfields.
Both a dissertation prospectus and a dissertation exhibiting original
research and demonstrating mature scholarship and critical judgment, as
well as familiarity with the tools and methods of research, are required.
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Course Descriptions
American Government and
Politics
600. SEMINAR IN AMERICAN POLITICS. An orientation to the major
literature on American politics that introduces students to the major
conceptual and theoretical issues in the field. (3).
601. SEMINAR IN JUDICIAL BEHAVIOR. An analysis of judicial decision
making, its influences and impact, in trial and appellate courts in state
and federal systems. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (3).
602. SEMINAR IN JUDICIAL POLITICS. Problems in constitutional
law; theories of judicial activism versus restraint; legal and political
philosophies of Supreme Court justices; methods of judicial rationalization;
judicial elitism. (3).
603. SEMINAR IN AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE POLITICS. An examination
of the academic literature on the U.S. Congress, focusing on classic studies
and advanced methods, with an emphasis on preparing students for original
research in the field. Prerequisite: POL 651 or 653 or consent of instructor.
(3).
604. SEMINAR IN EXECUTIVE POLITICS. Examination of the presidency
and other chief executive offices analyzing functions, powers, and relations
with other political institutions; both historical and comparative analysis.
(3).
606. SEMINAR IN MEDIA POLITICS. An examination of the role and
function of the media in American national politics, the theories used
to explain that role, and the methodologies used to test those theories.
Prerequisite: POL 651 or 653 or consent of instructor. (3).
609. SEMINAR IN SOUTHERN POLITICS. Analysis of Southern politics
that focuses on the region's unique political history, its transformation
during the 20th century, and its importance to national politics. (3).
612. SEMINAR IN AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES. An examination of
issues related to the study of political parties, especially as linkage
institutions between citizens and elites. (3).
613. SEMINAR IN STATE POLITICS AND POLICY. An examination of issues
related to the study of state politics and policy in the United States
with a focus on the study of states as laboratories for public policy
and for the empirical examination of political institutions and behavior.
(3).
614. SEMINAR IN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND VOTING. An examination
of the determinants of mass political behavior. Primary focus on the act
of voting and forces shaping the vote decision. (3).
615. SEMINAR IN PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY. An examination
of the key concepts and literature in the broad and multidisciplinary
field of public opinion. (3).
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Comparative Government
and Politics
620. SEMINAR IN ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES. Major theories
and issues concerning politics in advanced industrial societies, including
Western Europe, Japan, Australia, the U.S., and Canada. (3).
621. SEMINAR IN EUROPEAN COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT. Theories and
problems in European comparative government. (3).
622. SEMINAR IN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE. Intensive examination
of the provocative concepts and theories in the area of political development
and change. (3).
623. CONCEPTS AND THEORIES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICAL ANALYSIS.
Examination of the major empirical concepts of comparative politics and
their use in theory construction for the analysis of politics within societies.
(3).
624. SEMINAR IN ASIAN GOVERNMENT. Theories and problems specific
to Asian societies and politics. (3).
625. REFORM AND CHANGE IN [POST] COMMUNIST POLITICAL SYSTEMS.
This course examines the theoretical foundations of Communist systems
both as political entities and as a subfield in Comparative Politics.
(3).
626. COMPARATIVE BUREAUCRACIES. A comparative look at state structures
and relationships, focusing on the policy process and bureaucracy. Prerequisite:
POL 623. (3).
627. COMPARATIVE LEGISLATURES. Comparative study of some of the
important structures, functions, and processes of legislatures and legislative-like
institutions in both Western and non-Western societies. Prerequisite:
consent of instructor. (3).
628. SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE PARTIES AND ELECTIONS. An examination
of political parties, party systems, and elections worldwide. (3).
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International Relations
631. SEMINAR IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. Theories and problems
in international relations.(3).
632. QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. Mathematical
techniques currently applied to the study of international politics. Statistical
and game-theoretic models will be explored, with special emphasis on quantitative
cross-national foreign policy analysis. (3).
633. GLOBAL STRATEGY AND ALLIANCES. Examination of block behavior
and alliances in international politics. (3).
634. FORMULATION OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY. The mechanisms and
institutions involved in foreign policy formulation, including the impact
and interaction of both governmental and nongovernmental groups. Covers
the various modes of influence utilized in foreign policy and the current
behavioral literature relevant to the policy-making process. (3).
635. INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT IN THE NUCLEAR AGE. Analysis of constraints
and options regarding the use of military force in the nuclear era. Subjects
include possible forms of nuclear and limited war, escalation models,
and coercive bargaining techniques. (3).
636. INTERNATIONAL SECURITY LAW AND POLICY. This course explores
the complexities of the international law of conflict management and the
legal structure for resolving international disputes. (Same as LAW 658).
(3).
637. SEMINAR IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY. An introduction
to the major theoretical, historical, and current policy issues in international
political economy, including the politics of international trade, monetary,
and investment relations. (3).
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Methodology
651. EMPIRICAL POLITICAL ANALYSIS. An introduction to the study
of politics, philosophy of science, research designs, and hypothesis formulation.
(3).
652. ANALYTICAL ADMINISTRATIVE RESEARCH. Applied quantitative
analysis of administrative behavior through operations research techniques
and systems analysis. (3).
653. APPLIED POLITICAL RESEARCH. Application of quantitative research
techniques to political science and public administration. (3).
654. FORMAL MODELS OF POLITICS. An introduction to formal models
of politics, including topics such as individual rationality and introductory
game theory, collective choice theory, spatial models, voting games and
coalitional rationality. (3).
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Honors, Internships, Colloquia,
and Individual Study
598. SPECIAL TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Study of specialized
topics in the discipline. May be repeated once for credit. (3).
691. SEMINAR IN TEACHING. Description of pedagogy of Political
Science. The first part of the course deals with philosophical issues,
goals, and approaches. The second part focuses on mechanics of good teaching.
(1). (Z grade).
696. ADVANCED READINGS. Self-directed readings for senior graduate
students. (3).
698. SPECIAL TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Study of specialized
topics in the discipline. May be repeated for credit. (3).
699. READINGS AND RESEARCH IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Independent research.
Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. May be repeated once for credit.
(3).
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Thesis and Dissertation
697. THESIS. (1-12).
797. DISSERTATION. (1-18).
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