For students of political science, Stetson offers a diverse array of courses taught in small-class settings. Courses range from traditional introductory subjects of American Government and Comparative Politics to more specialized classes and seminars in such topics as Russian Foreign Policy and Religion and Politics. Class size in the Department varies from 8 to 30 students.

The requirements for the political science major are designed to allow students to follow their special interests in the discipline while insuring that they obtain a broad education in political science. To achieve this end, majors are required to take five designated courses (including a senior seminar the fall semester of their senior year) and to research and write a senior thesis. The remaining courses in the major are electives. Beginning with the class of 1996, students must complete a total of 35 semester hours of required and elective courses (32 hours for current students).

To give their major added cohesion and to prepare themselves for the writing of the senior thesis, political science majors may choose to concentrate their elective courses in one or two of the four major areas of the discipline-- American government , comparative politics , international relations , or political theory . Students may also wish to seek out courses in other departments that relate to their particular interests in political science. Those interested in Latin American politics, for example, should consider enrolling in appropriate language and culture courses at Stetson. And all political science majors should seriously consider taking a year of economics (macro and micro) and some history. By graduation, majors should understand the outlinesof modern world history and have a detailed knowledge of 20th century history in their area of concentration (United States, Latin America, Russia, etc.).

To assist students in designing their major, the following is political science curriculum at Stetson divided by area specialty:

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

PE100 Local Government Field Experience
PE101 American National Government
PE102 Florida Politics
PE300 Political Internship
PE306 Law and Society
PE312 Practical Politics
PE314 Public Administration
PE315 American Health Care Policy
PE316 Environmental Politics
PE320 Congress
PE322 The American Judicial Process
PE415 American Constitutional Law
PE418 The American Presidency
PE426 American Political Thought

COMPARATIVE POLITICS

PE145 Politics of the Developing World
PE235 Comparative Politics
PE335 Comparative Public Politics
PE340 Russian Politics
PE346 Latin American Politics
PE430 Ethnicity and Politics

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

PE301 International Relations
PE304 Russian Foreign Policy
PE338 Central Asia: Politics and Society in the Russian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern Borderlands
PE353 International Law
PE451 Politics of International Trade and Finance

POLITICAL THEORY AND METHODOLOGY

PE105 Introduction to Politics
PE323 Western Political Thought: Classical to Medieval
PE324 Western Political Thought: Modern to Contemporary
PE325 Political Analysis
PE380 Political Forum
PE390 Special Topics
PE425 Contemprary Political Thought
PE427 Democracy and Political Participation
PE485 Independent Study
PE490 Senior Research