Undergraduate Courses

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Political Science offers a wide variety of courses, such as the following. Not all of these courses are offered each term, but you can search course offerings for current and up coming terms on our undergraduate catalogue.

A note on course numbers: Introductory course numbers start with a '0' and upper level course numbers start with a '1'. The second number in the four digit course number helps to indicate which field of study ( 2 = American, 3 = Comparative, 5 = International Relations, 6 = Political Theory, 7 = Research Methods).

American Politics (1200s)

  • PS 1201 Constitution and Civil Liberties
  • PS 1202 American Constitutional Law
  • PS 1204 Women in Politics
  • PS 1205 Race, Gender and Politics
  • PS 1211 Legislative Process
  • PS 1212 American Presidency
  • PS 1220 Sports and American Politics
  • PS 1221 Latina/o/x Politics
  • PS 1222 African American Politics
  • PS 1232 Political Attitudes and Public Opinion
  • PS 1233 Political Psychology
  • PS 1234 Electoral Behavior and Democratic Process*
  • PS 1240 Politics of Diversity
  • PS 1252 State Government
  • PS 1254 Politics of Appalachia
  • PS 1261 American Public Policy
  • PS 1263 Health Policy and Human Flourishing‡
  • PS 1264 American Politics through Film
  • PS 1275 Religion and American Politics
  • PS 1281 Capstone in American Politics*
  • PS 1291 Women in Politics - Analysis‡

 

Comparative Politics (1300s-1400s)

 

  • PS 1300 Capstone in REEES‡
  • PS 1303 Peace Movements and Education
  • PS 1309 Comparative Regionalism
  • PS 1311 Western European Gov’t and Politics*
  • PS 1316 Asian Politics
  • PS 1317 Politics of the European Union
  • PS 1321 Latin American Politics*
  • PS 1324 US-Latin American Relations*
  • PS 1326 East Asian Political Economy 1950-Present*
  • PS 1327 Politics of Revolution
  • PS 1332 Gov’t and Politics in Contemporary China*
  • PS 1333 Government and Politics of Japan
  • PS 1340 Democratization
  • PS 1341 Gov’t & Politics of the USSR & Russian Fed.*
  • PS 1345 Politics of Oceania
  • PS 1348 Xenophobia in Modern Europe
  • PS 1349 Transatlantic Governance and Policy
  • PS 1351 Government and Politics of the Middle East*
  • PS 1352 Introduction to African Politics*
  • PS 1367 Environmental Politics
  • PS 1371 Islam, Law and Politics
  • PS 1373 Comparative Political Economy
  • PS 1374 Politics of Global Inequality
  • PS 1378 Challenges to Democracy and Its Institutions*
  • PS 1381 Capstone in Comparative Politics*
  • PS 1387 Politics of Water*
  • PS 1398 EU Simulation‡
  • PS 1399 Analysis of Comparative Politics‡
  • PS 1412 Comparative Populism
  • PS 1442 Politics of East Central Europe

 

  • International Relations & Law (1500s)

 

  • PS 1501 Theory of International Relations
  • PS 1502 Int’l Law and Problems of World Order
  • PS 1503 International Organizations
  • PS 1504 Nationalism*
  • PS 1508 International Terrorism
  • PS 1509 Conflict and War Theory
  • PS 1511 American Foreign Policy
  • PS 1512 Politics of Migration
  • PS 1514 Political Strategy and Int’l Relations*
  • PS 1517 US Foreign Policy Toward the Middle East‡
  • PS 1521 Eastern Europe in World Politics*
  • PS 1531 National Security Policy
  • PS 1533 Political Violence and Revolution
  • PS 1534 Civil Wars*
  • PS 1536 Human Security
  • PS 1537 Peacemaking and Peacekeeping
  • PS 1550 Gender and Global Politics
  • PS 1581 Capstone in International Relations*
  • PS 1587 US Foreign Policy in Africa*
  • PS 1599 Analysis of International Relations‡

 

Political Theory (1600s)

  • PS 1602 States of Nature: Early Modern Political Thought in Context*
  • PS 1603 Contemporary Political Thought
  • PS 1607 American Political Thought*
  • PS 1613 Fascism and Its Discontents
  • PS 1614 Theories of Justice*
  • PS 1619 Democratic Theory
  • PS 1621 History of Feminist Political Thought
  • PS 1622 Outsider Politics: Anarchist, Queer, Punk Feminist Theories*
  • PS 1650 Processes of Identity Formation
  • PS 1675 Politics of Human Rights*
  • PS 1681 Capstone in Political Theory*
  • PS 1691 Myth Propaganda and the State - Analysis‡
  • PS 1693 Political Theory and the Future - Analysis‡

Additional Offerings

  • PS 1702 Visualizing and Understanding Social Data‡
  • PS 1900 Internship
  • PS 1901 Independent Study
  • PS 1902 Directed Reading
  • PS 1903 Directed Research
  • PS 1910 Institute of Politics Internship/Seminar

Note: Courses marked with an asterisk [*] may satisfy DSAS general education requirements. Please consult with an academic advisor about where these fit into your broader academic plan. 

Note: PS 1300 may not count as a PS major capstone.