PO 106
Introduction to American Government (3)
This survey course is designed to help students understand major institutions and processes of government as a critical part of U.S. culture, as well as the underlying values inherent in the U.S. political system.
PO 115
Introduction to Law (3)
This course is designed to acquaint the student with the basic concepts in civil and criminal law and the workings of the judicial system. Class study begins with a reading of the U.S. Constitution, combined with a focus on the court system and limitations on its power. The class also studies the institutional sources of American law, procedural aspects of a trial, concepts and cases in family law, tort law (both intentional and unintentional), and judicial remedies in both equitable and common law.
PO 210
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (3)
This course offers a systematic treatment of leading Supreme Court decisions in such areas as freedom of speech, the press, and religion; the rights of criminal defendants; voting rights; the right to privacy; and discrimination on the grounds of race or sexual orientation, age, and economic class, or other unjust basis.
Prerequisite: Ursuline Studies Stage I anchors.
Ursuline Studies Stage II American Culture satellite (AM).
PO 220
Civic Engagement (3)
This course complements the study of public policy by empowering students with the tools needed to make a difference in society. Included are theories of political participation, case studies of effective civic engagement, and projects in which students devise and present a strategy to address an issue affecting contemporary society.
Prerequisite: PO 106
PO 230
International Relations (3)
This course is designed to help students understand and assess state actions in the realm of international relations, taking into consideration cultural, social, economic, political and philosophical/moral elements that influence a nation's decisions. Coursework also analyzes global issues affecting peace and examines the management of international conflict.
Prerequisites: Ursuline Studies Stage I anchors.
Ursuline Studies Stage II World Culture satellite (WO).
PO 250
Major Policy Issues (3)
This course anchors an examination of issues affecting contemporary U.S. society in five key areas: health, education, welfare, family, and cultural policy. Coursework introduces the student to various approaches to policy analysis, including cost-benefit and program evaluation.
Prerequisite: Ursuline Studies Stage I anchors.
Ursuline Studies Stage II American Culture satellite (AM).
PO 310/LS 310
Constitutional Law (3)
This course offers a comprehensive study and analysis of the United States Constitution; a study and review of court decisions which interpret the Constitution, especially decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States; an intensive analysis of the principles and theories which limit the authority and powers of state and local governments.
PO 340
Public Policymaking (3)
This course calls for a theoretical analysis of U.S. public policy and policymaking. Material includes a conceptual framework of various theories of public policymaking, applied to real-world political phenomena. Although grounded in the discipline of political science, the course draws on other social sciences, such as psychology, public relations, sociology, criminal justice, and public administration for a holistic study of the complex world of
U.S. public policymaking.
Prerequisites: Ursuline Studies Stage II anchors and PO 106.
PO 420
Political Science Research Methods (3)
This course examines how political scientists know what they know and what procedures they use to develop knowledge in the field. It is the "science" of "political science." Students study research design, measurement, sampling, and quantitative and qualitative analysis. The course is more conceptual than mathematical and more concerned with understanding, applying, and evaluating research than deriving statistical formulas.
Prerequisite: MAT 212 and senior standing or consent of instructor.
PO 430
Law and Public Policy Seminar (3)
This advanced course in public policy serves as capstone for both the Pre-Law and the Public Policy and Advocacy (PPA) concentrations. The class culminates in a mock trial in which Pre-Law students act as staff (judges, attorneys, etc.), while PPA students assume the roles of litigants, witnesses, or interest groups. The course offers a practical platform for reviewing and applying material from previous coursework through an exploration of the role of the court system, especially the U.S. Supreme Court, in the creation, interpretation, implementation, and evaluation of public policy throughout U.S. history.
Prerequisites: Senior standing with completion of all 100- to 300-level major requirements.
PO 475
Academic Internship (credit varies)
An off-campus learning experience to provide the student with the opportunity to relate academic and educational goals to learning experiences and situations beyond the limits of the classroom.
PO 288, 488
Special Topics (credit varies)
Topical study that expands the curriculum, with a focus determined by the faculty offering the course.
Prerequisites: to be determined by instructor.
PO 199, 299, 399, 499
External Learning Assessment (credit varies)
Measurable and verifiable learning that has occurred outside of the traditional classroom. Numerical designation indicates level of proficiency in the topic. Courses for which there is an exact Ursuline College equivalent are listed by the appropriate numerical designation. The "PL" is listed before all course titles for which credit is granted through external learning assessment.
