Some courses may not be offered every year. Check with the college or department office for current information about when specific courses are offered.
For course syllabi, see the departmental website.
POS 110 AMERICAN POLITICS (3)
Basic introduction to American national government; constitutional foundations, the structures of government, courts, Congress, the presidency, interest groups, political parties, and major political issues facing the American people. This course satisfies state teacher certification for teachers in Arizona for federal constitution only. SPW
POS 120 WORLD POLITICS (3)
Studies the international system, its actors, and their capabilities; ends and means of foreign policy; international tension, conflict, and cooperation. CU
POS 159 NATURE AND POLITICS (3)
Introduces major issues and controversies in environmental policy and politics, focusing on Western natural resources and land use from local, tribal, regional, national, and global perspectives. SPW
POS 198 MODULAR LEARNING EXP (1-3)
POS 199 MODULAR LEARNING EXP (1-3)
POS 201 INTRO TO POLITICS (3)
Issues in contemporary political analysis, human values, and political goals; comparative study of how political systems differ; how nations influence one another. SPW
POS 210 AMER IND TRIBAL GOVT (3)
Provides overview of the development of modern tribal governments, their powers, and the historic and contemporary issues facing tribal governments. Crosslisted as AIS 210. CU
POS 220 FED & AZ CONSTIT (3)
Basic course in the national and Arizona government designed to meet the requirements for state teacher certification. Not available for credit to political science majors or minors or for liberal studies credit.
POS 224 PUBLIC ADMIN (3)
Overview of the organization and management of public organizations, with attention to the political setting in which government bureaucracies and public agencies operate. SPW
POS 230 CURRENT ISSUES POL (1-3)
Analyzes selected contemporary issues in national and international politics. May be repeated for up to 9 hours of credit with different content. SPW
POS 230H CURRENT ISSUES POL-HON (1-3)
Analyzes selected contemporary issues in national and international politics. May be repeated for up to 9 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: Honors Student Group SPW
POS 231 POL SCIENCE (3)
Analyzes contemporary issues in politics as they interrelate with the humanities. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. AHI
POS 241 STATE&LOCAL POLITICS (3)
Politics and administration of state and local government in the United States; problems, structures, and services. This course satisfies state teacher certification requirements for teachers in Arizona for Arizona constitution only. SPW
POS 250 INTRO PUBLIC POLICY (3)
Policy making in the United States and/or other countries in a political, social, economic, and cultural context. SPW
POS 254 POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES (3)
Political ideas and belief systems in theory and practice. Includes democracy, liberalism, conservatism, Marxism, democratic socialism, liberation, and green ideologies. SPW
POS 298 MODERN IDELOGY (3)
POS 299 MODULAR LEARNING EXP (1-3)
POS 301W TOPICS: POL SCIENCE (3)
Analyzes contemporary issues in national and international politics, incorporating extensive writing skill instruction. This course fulfills NAU's junior-level writing requirement. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisites: 6 hours POS coursework and 45 earned hours JWRT
POS 303 SOC SCI RESEARCH (3)
Basic techniques of research design, data collection and analysis; contemporary methodologies such as survey design; computer applications. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 313 AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND INTEREST GROUPS (3)
Examines the central role of political parties in American politics especially in elections, partisan identification, and governing.
POS 314 POLITICAL PARTICIPTN (3)
Examines theory and practice of political participation in the United States. Content includes elections, grassroots campaigns, protests, and social movements. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 315 AMERICAN PRESIDENCY (3)
Surveys the American presidency, including its historical development and current characteristics and functions; examines the executive bureaucracy. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 316 CONGRESS POLITICS (3)
Studies the U.S. Congress, emphasizing the structure and politics of the legislative process. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 317 JUDICIAL POLITICS (3)
Studies the role of courts in the political system. Special emphasis on the legal, philosophical, and political factors influencing judicial decision making. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 320 NAT AMER POLITICS (3)
Examines development of political and policy relationships between Native American nations and the U.S. government, using a political, social, economic, and cultural context. Crosslisted as AIS 320. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours CU
POS 321 AMERICAN PUBLIC LAW (3)
POS 325 PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADM (3)
Theories and practices of public personnel management, from recruitment and selection to retirement, including motivation, evaluation, promotion, career development, organizations and negotiation, grievances and termination. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 326 PUBLIC ORGAN THEORY (3)
Dynamics of decision making in modern, complex organizations including the structure of bureaucratic organization, incremental and rational approaches to decision making, the influence of bureaucratic routines, and various strategies for increasing organizational effectiveness. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 327 GOVERNMENT BUDGETING (3)
Organization, techniques, and politics of budget preparation; legislative appropriation and control systems in budget execution. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 335 POLITICAL ECONOMY (3)
Analyzes questions arising from the complex interaction between state and economy, such as problems of inequity, sustainable growth, globalization, and public accountability. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 or ECO 285
POS 344 ENVIRONMEN MOVEMENTS (3)
Examines the broad range of environmentalisms existing in the United States today. Covers varied experiences, motivations, social and political critiques, organizational models, and political tactics. SPW
POS 345 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (3)
Role of law in environmental management. Discusses major federal regulatory actions by examining legal cases.
POS 351 CLASS&MEDIEVAL PO TH (3)
Ideas of classical and medieval political philosophy. The natural law conception of politics is studied by examining selected philosophers' views of authority, justice, obligation, democracy, and other political issues.
POS 352 MODERN POL THOUGHT (3)
Origins and development of modern political ideas as expressed by major political theorists, including Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, and Marx.
POS 353 CONTEMP POL THOUGHT (3)
Examines postmodern, liberal, communitarian, conservative, and feminist approaches. Centers on such philosophers as Friedrich Nietzsche, John Rawls, Michael Walzer, Allan Bloom, and Luce Irigaray.
POS 355 WOMEN,POWER&POLITICS (3)
Studies gender, politics, and power from historical, theoretical, comparative, and public-policy perspectives. Content varies. CU
POS 356 RACE,POWER,&POLITICS (3)
Studies race, politics, and power from historical, theoretical, comparative, and public-policy perspectives. Content varies. Crosslisted as ES 356. CU
POS 357 CULT DIVERS (3)
Analyzes contemporary issues in diversity as viewed in the political context. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit. CU
POS 359 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY (3)
Political aspects of environmental problems, policy responses to those issues, and their impact on the human and natural environment. SPW
POS 360 COMPARATIVE POLITICS (3)
Comparative analysis of selected foreign governments: democratic, totalitarian, and those in the process of developing. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 SPW
POS 361 POL OF DEV NATIONS (3)
Investigates the political dynamics of nations undergoing rapid social change and economic development. Focuses on problems endemic to the nations of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 SPW
POS 362 WEST EUROPEAN POL (3)
Structures and behavior of governmental institutions and political processes in selected countries of western Europe; the significance of the European Union. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 SPW
POS 364 RUS & CENT EURO POL (3)
Structures and behavior of governmental institutions and political processes in Russia and the central European states. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 SPW
POS 366 LATIN AMERICAN POL (3)
Historical and comparative perspectives on the political economies in Latin America. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 or POS 361 CU
POS 370 ASIAN POLITICS (3)
Cultural and historical backgrounds; traditional patterns in conflict with modernization; present forms of government. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 or POS 361 CU
POS 374 AFRICAN POLITICS (3)
Political, economic, and cultural analysis of selected African countries addressing internal national dynamics, regional relations, and foreign policies. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 or POS 361 CU
POS 376 NORTH AMERICAN POL (3)
Comparative perspectives on state systems and political-economic dynamics in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. May focus on national development, regional relations, multiculturalism, and contemporary political issues. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: POS 120 SPW
POS 380 ADVAN INTERNATL POL (3)
Analyzes international political relations emphasizing major theoretical approaches and their contributions to the search for solutions to particular issues and cases. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 SPW
POS 389 COOPERATIVE EDUC (1-12)
POS 398 MODULAR LEARNING EXP (1-3)
POS 399 MODULAR LEARNING EXP (1-3)
POS 408 FIELD WORK EXPER (1-12)
Individualized supervised field experience in an appropriate agency or organization. Pass-fail only.
POS 421C TOPICS:PUBLIC POLICY (3)
This capstone seminar analyzes selected contemporary policies and policy issues in national and international politics. Prerequisite: 75 earned hours CAP
POS 428 TOPICS: PUBLIC ADMIN (3)
Analyzes selected contemporary public administration issues in national and international politics. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 440 CAMPAIGN & ELECTIONS (3)
Role of polling and political parties and organizations in American political campaigns and elections. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 445 CON LAW: POWERS&FED (3)
Inquiry into the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution concerning the powers of the court, congress, and the president. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 446 CON LAW:CIVIL LIB&RT (3)
Examines Supreme Court decisions relating to the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. Prerequisite: 15 earned hours
POS 450 AMER POL THOUGHT (3)
Practical and theoretical development of American political thought from its English and colonial roots, through the founding of a new government, to current commentary and criticism.
POS 450H AMER POL THOUGHT - HONORS (3)
Practical and theoretical development of American political thought from its English and colonial roots, through the founding of a new government, to current commentary and criticism. Prerequisite: Honors Student Group
POS 453 TOPICS: POL THEORY (3)
Examines selected issues in contemporary political theory, such as power, identity/difference, pluralism, feminist theory, and political culture. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content.
POS 455 POLITICAL ECOLOGY (3)
Analyzes various green political theories and their positions on the nature of the ecological crisis, environmental ethics, ideology, policies, institutions, and political culture.
POS 466 LEGISLATIVE INTERN (1-12)
Supervised internship in the Arizona Legislature during spring semester. Students are selected on a competitive basis, and you must apply during the fall semester. (To be eligible, you must be a candidate for a bachelor's degree and have completed all lower-division requirements and attained senior status at the end of the fall semester preceding the internship.) Registration is handled by the associate provost for academic administration after the legislature has made its final selection. Pass-fail only.
POS 472 MIDDLE EAST POL (3)
Historical, cultural, and political patterns in Middle Eastern countries with special attention to the internal political dynamics of selected nations, regional tensions, and foreign policies of the region. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit with different content. Prerequisite: POS 120 or POS 201 or POS 361
POS 480 INTL ORGANIZATIONS (3)
Examines global and regional organizations with emphasis on their political contribution to world order. Prerequisite: POS 120
POS 482 AMERICAN FOREIGN POL (3)
Structure and functions of American foreign policy machinery; problems facing American foreign policy and prospects for their solution. Prerequisite: POS 110 or POS 120
POS 485 UNDERGRAD RESEARCH (1-6)
Original research under the supervision of a research adviser. Letter grade or pass-fail.
POS 497 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-6)
Individualized approach to selected topics by guided reading and critical evaluation. Letter grade or pass-fail.
POS 499 CONTEMP DEVELOPMENTS (1-3)
Examines recent trends and investigations in a selected area of a particular major field of study.