Graduate Student Manual
Dear Graduate Student in Public Policy and International Affairs,
On behalf of the Political Science Department, I want to welcome you to a
unique and what we hope will be an intellectually exciting and professionally
rewarding experience as together we grapple with the many challenges that
face us as world citizens in the 21st century.
This Student Handbook, brings together most of the information that you
will need as you enter and move through the program. Information not
contained in this booklet may be found in the generic Graduate Student
Handbook produced by the Office of Graduate Admissions, as well as in the
Graduate Catalogue and on the University's website. Please read this handbook
thoroughly, so that you fully understand what is required of you as a
graduate student in Political Science.
You will find that our faculty are generally "user-friendly,"
and we hope that you will take advantage of both their personal mentoring
availability and their intellectual and professional expertise to make this
experience the best it can be for you. We also hope that you will take
advantage of the many opportunities that come with being a
"student" again to participate in the numerous intellectual and
cultural events on and off-campus that the university, and our department,
make available to you.
With best wishes for a successful graduate career!
Sincerely,
Sheila Collins, Graduate Director
Program in Public Policy and
International Affairs
Introduction to the Program in Public Policy and
International Affairs
Key Personnel
Graduate Faculty Biographies
Faculty Directory
Graduate Student Status
Forms on File in the Political Science Office
The Registration Process
Student Responsibilities
Graduate Assistantships
Program Objectives
Curriculum
Description of Courses
Degree Timeline
The Master's Thesis
Public Policy Email List
Policy Sciences Research Center
Graduate Colloquium
Practice-Oriented Workshops
Opportunities to Enlarge Your Learning
Graduation
Internships
Study Abroad Opportunities
The American Political Science Association
The David and Lorraine Cheng Library
The Writing Center
Career Services
Campus Map
The Program in Public Policy and International Affairs brings together in
one program sub-fields in the discipline of Political Science that have
traditionally been separated into two distinct types of programs.
Traditionally, public policy programs have focused on the technocratic
aspects of domestic policy formulation and evaluation, while the more
exciting world of international politics has been relegated to programs in
international relations. However, the intensified global integration of
production, management, investment, markets, labor, crime and culture make
this distinction increasingly artificial.
Thus, to be engaged in public policy today requires finding solutions to a
variety of challenges in a context of local, regional, national and
international interdependencies. Structural globalizing trends have produced
seven interrelated challenges to policy makers, whether domestically based or
internationally oriented: 1) rising levels of structural unemployment and
underemployment; 2) increasing income and wealth polarization; 3) an
accelerated pace of technological change and international information flows;
4) new threats to democratic institutions and processes as states shed
control over national economies giving greater scope to market dominance and
the influence of non-state actors; 5) environmental limits to spiraling human
demands upon our resource base; 6) new vulnerabilities to epidemics of
infectious diseases; and 7) the rise of terrorist networks and other
non-state actors (e.g. drug cartels and human traffickers) which threaten
political stability and international institutions. These structural
challenges, in turn, create new human conflicts: between the haves and the
have-nots; between traditional and non-Western cultures and Western cultural
imperatives; between social protection and market freedoms; between the needs
of present and future generations; and between national security and the
protection of civil liberties and human rights.
The goal of the Program in Public Policy and International Affairs is to
train creative, critically thinking and technologically prepared problem
solvers who can help contribute solutions to the many social, economic and
political problems that challenge this region, the nation, and the world. To
this end, we have designed a curriculum that integrates course content on
four levels: the interpersonal; local/regional; national; and international.
While some courses focus more on domestic issues and others on international
issues, each course attempts to examine the set of issues it is concerned
with in its global context.
As a discipline, Political Science "is characterized by a wide
variety of questions, methods, and borrowings from other disciplines"
that makes it "distinct from the crisp methodological individualism that
marks postwar neoclassical economics or analytical philosophy." (Ira
Katznelson and Helen V. Milner, "American Political Science: The
Discipline's State and the State of the Discipline," in Ira Katzenlson
and Helen V. Milner, eds., Political Science: The State of the Discipline
(New York/London: W.W. Norton & Co. & Washington DC: American
Political Science Association, 2002, p. 3.) This program is particularly
interdisciplinary, bringing together the sub-fields of applied politics and
policy, international relations and political economy with theoretical
groundings not only in American political institutions but in the relatively
new subfields of international institutions and regimes, civil society,
social movements, and comparative policy.
[All other campus offices, telephone numbers and email addresses can be
found on the university website. Click on
either ""Contact
Faculty and Staff" or "Where do I go
for?"]
Graduate Program Director
Dr. Sheila Collins is the Director of the Graduate Program. Dr. Collins
has been a faculty member of WPUNJ since 1990, a former department chair, and
a member of the committee that designed the graduate program. (For a complete
profile, see faculty biographies.)
Dr. Collins is the advisor for all students on matters of curriculum and
personal concerns regarding the program. All students should consult with her
in the first semester of their studies and the semester before you take POL
702, the Research Thesis Seminar. Please feel free to speak to her about any
suggestions or concerns you may have about the program or to consult her
about personal problems you may have in pursuing the degree. Dr. Collins can
direct you to professors with specializations in particular areas.
Dr. Collins is in Raubinger 434. She may be contacted by calling (973)
720-3424 (school); (914) 633-0456 (home); or by email at: collinss@wpunj.edu. Since her office
hours vary from semester to semester, please call or email her to make an
appointment. When you call, leave your name, telephone number and/or email
address where she may reach you.
Political Science Department Chair
Dr. Wartyna Davis is Chair of the Political Science Department. She is
located in Raubinger Hall, room 431; telephone: (973) 720-2188; email: davisw@wpunj.edu. In the event Dr. Collins
is not available to help, contact Dr. Davis.
Political Science Department Secretary
Mariandre Louis-Ferdinand is Secretary of the Political Science
Department. Her office is located in Raubinger Hall, room 433; telephone: 973
720-2183; email: louis-ferdinandm@wpunj.edu.
The Secretary's office hours are 8:30-4:30 with a break for lunch. Contact
her for information about the whereabouts of faculty, registration
information or other procedural rules and regulations.
Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dr. Isabel Tirado is Dean of the College of Humanities and Social
Sciences. She is located in the Atrium, room 262; extension 2413; email: tiradoi@wpunj.edu. Dean Tirado's approval
is needed on proposals for independent study projects.
MAYA CHADDA. Comparative
Foreign Policy, Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Asia and Gulf Region.
Ph.D., Graduate Faculty, The New
School for Social Research • Research Fellow, Southern Asian Institute,
Columbia University • member, Council on Foreign Relations • Editorial
Boards, Global Review of Ethnopolitics (UK) and Journal of South
Asian Development• Former positions: United Nations Development Program
and the United Nations Family Planning Agency; Review Board of the Woodrow
Wilson Center and the United States Institute for Peace; consultant to the
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation • Grants and honors:
Rockefeller Residency Fellowship at Bellagio, Italy; Excelsior award for
excellence in academic achievement, Association of Indians in America and the
Network of Indian Professionals • Selected Publications: Building
Democracy in South Asia: India, Pakistan and Nepal (2000); Ethnicity
Security and Separatism in South Asia (1997); Paradox of Power: The
United States Policy in Southwest Asia (1987); Indo-Soviet Relations
(1968); Frequent contributor to academic journals, newspapers and interviewed
on radio and TV on South Asia.
SHEILA D. COLLINS.
American government and politics, social policy, globalization,
social movements and civil society, environmental politics and policy.
Ph.D., the Union Institute
Graduate School • recipient of Honorable Mention for "Innovations in the
Teaching of Political Science" Award, Rowman & Littlefield and APSA
• Co-Chair, Columbia University Seminar on Full Employment, Social Welfare
and Equity; Associate, Columbia University Seminar on Globalization and
Popular Struggles • Board of Trustees, Council on International and Public
Affairs • Board of Directors, United Nations Association of NJ • Book Series
Editor, Caucus for a New Political Science (APSA); Editorial Board, New
Political Science • Co-founder and Executive Board member, National Jobs
for All Coalition • Former positions: National Staff, Jesse Jackson for
President Campaign, 1984; Executive Director, Employment Research &
Policy Program, and Research Associate, Center for Advanced Study in
Education, City University of New York; Assistant Editor, Social Policy
Magazine; Director, United Methodist Voluntary Service • Selected Publications:
"Breaking the Mold? Venezuela's Defiance of the Neoliberal Agenda,"
New Political Science (2005); "War Without End: The Economic
Fallout of Empire, New Political Science (2004); co-author, Washington's
New Poor Law: Welfare Reform and the Roads Not Taken, 1935 to the Present
(2001); author, Let Them Eat Ketchup! The Politics of Poverty and
Inequality (1996); co-author, Jobs for All: A Plan for the
Revitalization of America (1994); author, The Rainbow Challenge: The
Jackson Campaign and the Future of U.S. Politics (1987) and numerous
articles and book chapters.
WARTYNA DAVIS. Research
Methods, U.S. Political Organizations, Race and Ethnic Politics.
Ph.D., Florida State University •
Grants: member of multi-ethnic research team, "Gender and Multi-cultural
Leadership: The Future of Governance," supported by the Ford Foundation
• Selected Publications: "Political Parties in American Politics"
in American Government, Policy, and Law (2002) and the "Art of
Representation: Testing Theories of Representation as They Apply to
African-American Women State Legislators" in African-American
Woman's Political Reader (Rutgers University Press, 2004).
DIANA M. JUDD. Ancient
and Medieval Political Philosophy, Early Modern and Modern Political Theory,
Religion and Politics, Philosophy of Science, American Government and
Politics.
Ph.D., Rutgers University •
Section Chair, Modern Political Theory, Northeastern Political Science
Association • Former positions: Assistant Professor of Political Science,
City University of New York, BMCC; Lecturer, Rutgers University • Selected
Publications: "Tearing Down the Wall: the Neoconservative Use and Abuse
of Religion in Politics," in Countering Neoconservatism
(forthcoming); "Ex-Education: Privatization, Commercialization and
Pedagogy," Inquirer, CUNY, (2005); Introduction to An
Advertisement Touching a Holy War by Francis Bacon. Logos (2002); and
several book reviews.
CHRISTINE KELLY. Political
and Social Theory, Political and Social Movements, American Institutions,
Civic Engagement, Education Policy, Media Policy, Labor and Gender Politics.
Ph.D., Rutgers University •
Director, American Democracy Project, WPU • Co-Chair, Caucus for a New
Political Science, American Political Science Association, 2005-2007 • Labor
Project of the American Political Science Association • Editorial Boards: New
Political Science; Labor and Social Policy, Contemporary
Issues in Political Theory, Book Series, University Press of Kentucky •
Selected Publications: Chimes of Freedom: Student Protest and the
Changing American University (under contract, Rowman & Littlefield);
Tangled Up in Red, White, and Blue: New Social Movements in America
(Rowman & Littlefield, 2001) and numerous articles, book chapters, and
reviews.
ARNOLD LEWIS. Public
Policy and Administration, Policy Analysis, Research Methods, State and Urban
Political Economy, Southern Political Economy, Race and Economic Development,
Legislative Affairs.
Ph.D. Florida State University •
NEH Fellow at the W.E.B. Dubois Institute for Afro-American Studies - Harvard
University, 1999 • Grants: M. L. King, Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change,
1999, and The North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development
(2003) for studies of race and southern political economy • Selected
Publications: "Theorizing about Public Agency and Accountability in
State Economic Development Policy: The Case of the Ohio Tax Credit
Authority" (2004); "Discerning Factors that 'Affirm' Black
Capitalism" (2003); "The Contextual Propriety of Regulating Race: A
Voting Rights Dilemma" (1999); "The Determinants of Black Caucus
Legislative Success in an Era of Increasing Republican Strength: The Case of
the Florida House 1985-1995" in Legislative Studies Quarterly (1997)
• Reviewer for the American Political Science Review.
JOHN MASON. Comparative
Politics and Policy (European Union, France, European Security Policy),
Modern Social Theory, Political Economy.
Ph.D., City University of New
York Graduate Center • Visiting Scholar, New York University Center for
European Studies • Visiting Professor at l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences
Sociales and member of l'Observatoire sur la Stratégie Américaine at the
Centre Inter-disciplinaire de Recherche de Paix et d'Etudes Stratégiques,
Paris • Collaborateur Exterieur for the Doctoral Program of l'Institut
d'Etudes Européennes at l'Université de Paris VIII • Board of Directors,
Institute for Transitions to Democracy in New York and Zagreb, Croatia •
recipient, Fulbright award for research in France • regular contributor to Politique
Etrangère and the RAMSES research team at the French Institute for
Foreign Relations (IFRI) • Selected Publications: "Guerre d'Irak et
guerre culturelle," Critique (2004); "Bush et le retour
des valeurs traditionnelles" in Démythifier l'universalité des
valeurs americaines, ed. Liberman (2004); "Gulliver on Trial,"
Politique Etrangère (2003); "Clinton et l'exceptionalisme
Americain," in Variations, ed. Gilbert Achcar (2001);
"Failed Nation States," Foreign Policy Association's Great
Decisions Annual (1996); regular contributor on U.S. politics and
strategy to the French review, Esprit • Frequently interviewed in
British, Canadian and French print and electronic media.
MICHAEL PRINCIPE.
International/Comparative Human Rights Policy & Law.
J.D. University of Washington,
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara • Visiting Scholar in
Comparative Constitutional Law, St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University
and Director, WPU Summer Program, St. Edmund's College, Cambridge •
Associate, Columbia University Seminar on Human Rights; recipient, Fulbright
award for dissertation research in New Zealand • Former positions: Visiting
Professor and Professor of the Year, the Salmon P. Chase College of Law;
Analyst, Affirmative Action Unit & Employee Grievances, City of Seattle
Personnel Department • Selected Publications: Bills of Rights: A
Comparative Constitutional Analysis (2000); editor, American
Government, Policy & Law (2000); "Albert Venn Dicey and the
Principles of the rule of Law: Is Justice Blind? A Comparative Analysis of
the United States and Great Britain," Loyola of L.A. International
and Comparative Law Review (2000); "A Reason for LatCrit
Unification: Reflections on Comparative Efforts to Curtail Political
Opposition and Terrorism," Harvard Latino Law Review (1998).
CHERNOH M. SESAY
International Relations, Comparative Foreign Policy, Comparative
Government and Politics, Development Administration, African Politics,
Political Economy, Public Administration and Public Policy, American
Government and Politics.
Ph. D., Carleton University,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Former positions: Provost and Executive Vice
President, Chief Academic and Student Affairs Officer, Chief Operating
Officer, William Paterson University; Provost and Vice President for Academic
Affairs, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, Chairman, Department of
Political Science and Economics, Director of International Programs, Chicago
State University; Director, Board of Governors Universities Legislative Staff
Internship Program, State of Illinois; Director of Research, Ottawa –
Carleton Review Commission, Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, Province
of Ontario, Toronto, Canada (Commission’s report led to the reorganization of
the local government system in Canada’s Capital Area); Research Officer,
Public Administration, Division of Social Sciences, International Development
Research Center, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of Canada
(conducted research on the performance of public enterprises in selected
Asian countries); Member, five-member research panel of international
scholars selected to study and report on the work ethics of UN staff members
for the Intergovernmental Cooperation Section of the United Nations
Secretariat, New York (1979-1982) • Selected professional conference
papers: “U.S. Trade and NAFTA: Implications for small U.S. Businesses;”
“The Need for Representative Bureaucracy in the Federal Administration;” “Big
Power Influence on Third World Political Development;” “The Domestic Sources
of U.S. Policy Toward South Africa;” “The Failure of Development
Administration as a Development Strategy in the Third World;” “The Ombudsman
Concept and Administrative Responsibility” • Awards: Distinguished Service
Award, United Way of Passaic County, New Jersey, 2000; Outstanding Service
Award, Student Government Association, William Paterson University, 1997/98;
American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship in Academic Administration,
1983-84; Faculty Merit Award for outstanding teaching performance, Chicago
State University, 1981 and 1982; Most Outstanding Faculty, Student Government
Association, Chicago State University, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1984/85 • Service:
Member, Board of Trustees, Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains, NJ;
Member, Mayor’s Committee on Human Relations, Township of Wayne, NJ.; Member,
Steering Committees, Economic Development and Public Policy Task Forces,
Board of Governors Universities, State of Illinois, 1986-90.
STEPHEN R. SHALOM.
International Relations, U.S. Foreign Policy, Middle East, Southeast
Asia, Research Methods.
Ph.D., Boston University •
Selected as 2005 "Professor the Year," WPU Student Government
Association • Member, editorial boards of New Politics and Critical
Asian Studies • frequent contributor to Z Magazine and ZNet • Selected Publications: Perilous
Power: The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy. Dialogues on Terror,
Democracy, War, and Justice (editor) by Noam Chomsky and Gilbert Achcar
(2006); Which Side Are You On? An Introduction to Politics (2003);
co-editor, Bitter Flowers, Sweet Flowers: East Timor, Indonesia, and the
World Community (2001); Imperial Alibis: Rationalizing U.S.
Intervention After the Cold War (1993); co-editor, The Philippines
Reader (1987); editor, Socialist Visions (1984); The United
States and the Philippines: A Study of Neocolonialism (1981).
CAROLE SHEFFIELD.
Political Socialization, Political Theory, Feminist Theory, and
Sexual Violence.
Ph.D., Miami University.
Recipient of New Jersey Professor of the Year Award, Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching (1997); honored by the American Political Science
Association and Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honorary
Society, for outstanding teaching • Selected Publications: "Sexual
Terrorism," in Women: A Feminist Perspective, ed. Jo Freeman
(1994); "Hate-Violence in the U.S.," in Race, Class and Gender
in the United States: An Integrated Study ed. Paula Rothenberg (3rd.
ed., 1994); "The Invisible Intruder: Women's Experiences of Obscene
Phone Calls" in Violence Against Women: The Bloody Footprints,
ed. Pauline Bart and Eileen Moran (1993). "But Was He Smiling?" in
Sexual Harassment: Women Speak Out, eds. Amber Coverdale Sumrall and
Dena Taylor (1992).
AARON TESFAYE. International
Political Economy, Comparative Politics, Public Policy, African Politics.
Ph.D., Center for Politics and
Economics, Claremont Graduate University • Recipient, Fulbright award for
dissertation research at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia • Selected
Publications, Political Power and Ethnic Federalism: the Struggle for
Democracy in Ethiopia, (2000); "Hydropolitics and Regional
Stability in the Nile Basin," UCLA Globalization Research Center
publication (August 2006); "Identity Politics, Citizenship and
Democratization in Ethiopia," International Journal of Ethiopian
Studies, Vol. II, Nos. 1 & 2 (Fall 2006); The Political Economy
of the Nile Waters Regime (forthcoming) Edwin Mellen Press, 2009 •
Former positions: Lecturer, in the Department of Economics and the Department
of Political Science, California State University • Member: National
Association of Economic Educators, American Political Science Association,
African Studies Association.
MICHAEL J.
THOMPSON. Public Policy, Political Economy, Development Studies,
Globalization, American Politics, Political and Social Theory, Critical
Theory, Economic Inequality.
Ph.D., The Graduate Center, City
University of N.Y. • Founder and Editor, Logos: A Journal of Modern
Society & Culture • Visiting Research Fellow, Humboldt Universität,
Berlin • Selected Publications: The Politics of Inequality: A History of
the Idea of Economic Inequality in America (Columbia University Press,
2007); editor, Islam and the West: Critical Perspectives on Modernity
(Rowman & Littlefield, 2003); Confronting the New Conservatism: The
Rise of the New Right in America (NYU Press, 2006); co-editor, The
Logos Reader: Rational Radicalism and the Future of Politics (University
of Kentucky Press, 2006); scholarly articles have appeared in New
Political Science, Review of Radical Political Economics, Critical
Sociology, New Politics, Owl of Minerva, European
Journal of Social Theory, Philosophy and Literature • frequent
appearances on radio and television.
MARTIN WEINSTEIN.
Latin American Politics, U.S.-Latin American Relations (human rights,
drugs, immigration and trade policy), Caribbean Politics, Comparative
Politics.
Ph.D., New York University •
Recipient, Fulbright award to lecture in Argentina and Uruguay • Recipient of
"Outstanding Professor" award for teaching and service to students
from the WPU Greek Senate (2000) • Frequent lecturer at major universities
and policy centers in the United States and Latin America • Selected
Publications: "Uruguay," Encyclopedia Britannica (2006);
"Uruguay" and "Paraguay" in Oxford Companion to the
Countries of the World (2002); "Balancing Growth and Democracy in
Uruguay" in Latin American Politics and Development, Wiarda and
Cline eds. (2006); Uruguay: Democracy at the Crossroads (1988);
editor, Revolutionary Cuba in the World Arena (1979); Uruguay:
The Politics of Failure (1975).
[All extensions are at: (973) 720-]
Full-Time - A full-time graduate student has been formally admitted
and is registered for 9 or more credits per semester. Full-time students can
expect to graduate in two years.
Part-Time - A part-time graduate student has been formally admitted
and is registered for less than 9 credits per semester.
Matriculated - A matriculated graduate student has completed
her/his application and has been accepted by the Political Science Department
into the M.A. program.
Non-matriculated - A non-matriculated, or non-degree student has
earned a B.A. degree or higher and does not necessarily wish to pursue a
degree program. Admission on a non-degree basis does not imply eligibility
for matriculation. Some students may enter the program as non-degree students
but may wish to change their status to that of a matriculated student. In
this case, they may formally apply to the program before 9 credits are
completed. The departmental admissions committee may accept them on the basis
of their performance after having completed 9 credits in the department. The
credits undertaken as a non-degree student will then be credited toward the
graduation requirement.
Post-master's - A post-master's graduate student has earned an M.A.
degree. Students are allowed to earn up to thirty additional credits.
Leave of Absence - Students are eligible for a one-semester leave
of absence, regardless of status, if they are in good academic standing. One
additional semester of leave may be requested in writing citing reasons for
the extension request. A Leave of Absence Form must be completed and returned
to the Office of Graduate Studies by the deadlines listed in the Master
Schedule.
·
Application for Graduate Admission (matriculated)
·
Graduate Admissions Recommendation Form
·
Application for Graduate Admission (Non-Degree, Post Master's
and Visiting Students)
·
Change of Status Form
·
Application for Transfer of Graduate Credits
·
Application for Independent Study
·
Graduate Assistantship Application
·
Application for Leave of Absence
·
Application for Graduate Degree
·
Application for Withdrawal from Graduate Study
·
Foundation Scholarship Application
Where do I get information about courses, registration and other
information pertinent to my graduate studies?
·
Information about course schedules, registration instructions,
financial payments and other matters can be obtained by clicking on the link
to "Enrolled Students” from the WPU homepage. Registration is normally
done on the web.
How do I register?
- Registration must be done during the posted registration
"windows." You will be prohibited from registering if you have
a financial or academic obligation. Payment of all tuition and fees is
required to be considered enrolled and in good standing. All tuition and
fees must be paid by the deadline specified by the Bursar's Office.
While the Graduate Program Director and other
faculty will help in every way possible, graduate students are responsible
for complying with all policies, regulations procedures and deadlines
outlined in this manual, on the Registrar's webapge, and
in the most recent Graduate Catalogue.
All matriculated students are required to attend
the Orientation to the Masters Program that is held close to the start of
classes in the Fall and Spring semesters (if entering in the Spring).
New students should make an appointment with the
Graduate Program Director early during their first semester to discuss their
course of study. (Newly matriculating students are usually advised by mail
about which courses to take when they receive their letter of acceptance.)
The graduate student is responsible for
maintaining the required grade point average of 3.0. The cumulative
grade point average (G.P.A.) appears on each semester's grade report. Any
student whose G.P.A. falls below a 3.0 is automatically placed on probation
and cannot enroll for more than two additional courses. Students
whose G.P.A. does not reach 3.0 after completing these two courses will be
dismissed from the University.
All members of the William Paterson University
community are expected to adhere to the policies regarding academic
integrity. These policies can be found in most detail in the Graduate
Catalogue. Copies of the Graduate Catalogue can be found online
or in the Office of Graduate Admissions.
A student who submits work of any kind which is
not the work of that student and who fails to acknowledge the sources for
that work has committed plagiarism, a serious violation of academic integrity
and an ethical offense. Unintentional plagiarism results from carelessness
about or ignorance of conventions regarding the acknowledgement of outside
sources. Intentional plagiarism occurs when a student knowingly presents the
work of another person as his/her own. In either case, a student will receive
the grade of "F" for the plagiarized work, and /or the grade of
"F" for the graduate course itself, and may face expulsion from the
graduate program. Please consult the Graduate Catalogue for a full
explanation of plagiarism and for a description of the process for resolving
academic integrity policy violations.
Please note that if you fail to complete the work
for a course (because of illness or other unforeseen circumstances) and are
given an Incomplete (IN) by the professor, you must make up that work within
30 days after the end of the semester. If you fail to do so, the IN turns
into an F and you are automatically out of the program.
A Graduate Assistant is a full-time matriculated
graduate student employed in a work-scholarship program that carries a stipend
and a waiver of tuition and fees. The Political Science Department has a
limited number of Graduate Assistantships. However, there are usually a
number of Graduate Assistantships that are awarded to administrative offices
on campus, so that it may be possible for a Political Science student to get
a GA in one of these other offices. GAs are competitive and are awarded on
the basis of the following qualifications:
1.
A minimum of 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. or equivalent professional experience
2.
Submission of two letters of recommendation
3.
Experience in word processing and computer literacy
Graduate students in the Political Science
Department should be people who are interested in pursuing scholarly
activities and in refining their skills as researchers and writers. They
should work easily with others, be well-organized, and self-motivated.
Graduate Assistants are nominated by the
Political Science Graduate Committee and approved by the Dean for the period
of September 1-June 30. This is usually done in early June for the Fall
semester. In some cases, one-semester appointments may be made. Graduate
Assistants may apply for reappointment for a second year. The
deadline for application for the second year is April 1st. GAs work
with the Program Director and/or with other faculty or administration members
for a maximum of 20 hours per week in their assigned positions. They are
responsible for attending a Graduate Assistants' orientation and for
complying with all of the employment-related rules and regulations. A
graduate student may accept no additional on-campus employment during the
period of the assistantship without written permission from the Dean.
Graduate Assistants must maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0.
Graduate Assistants are assigned their own office,
which is Room 401, Raubinger Hall.
Applications are available in the Office of
Graduate Studies, Raubinger Hall, room 139, (973) 720-2237.
For further information, contact: Ms. Tinu
Adeniran, Office of Graduate Admissions, room 118. Tele: (973) 720-2764. She
is in charge of the Graduate Assistant program.
o
To enable students to analyze the institutions, processes
and theoretical paradigms involved in developing, implementing and evaluating
public policy, at the national and international levels.
As a result of taking this program, students
will: 1) understand the specific national and regional governmental systems
and international regimes which constitute the policy environment within
which the global markets and media operate; 2 ) understand how public policy
is developed, implemented and evaluated; 3) be conversant with the differing
theoretical paradigms that govern this field; 4 ) understand how public
policy affects and is affected by non-policy making actors and ordinary
citizens; 5) understand how new security challenges are reordering the international
system.
o
To provide an understanding of the emerging global systems
of markets and communications networks that cut across national frontiers and
link the major world areas.
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and
the constant shrinking of space/time/ distance, resulting from the revolution
in global communications and transport have produced an integrated economic
space in which the volume of exchange (between as well as within countries)
has increased geometrically over the past forty years. This has increased
general economic opportunity, but also competitive pressures on managers and
workers, service providers and educators, creating new social tensions
between losers and winners in the global competition for markets and jobs.
Globalization has created international chains of exchange and communication,
which have also created opportunities for criminal organizations as well as
legitimate transnational enterprises. Finally, rapid economic and population
growth has increased the demands placed on local and global ecosystems to the
point where critical biological and natural resources have been seriously
depleted, and regional bio-systems threatened by pollution overloads. All of
these issues related to globalization have challenged the capacity of
governments and intergovernmental organizations to monitor, let alone manage,
the volume of currency, product and information flows across their borders
and their social and environmental impacts. Some of these have also triggered
a dramatic reassertion of state power in areas of security policy, criminal
justice and immigration controls. Graduate students will learn how these
systems operate and study creative responses to their management.
o
To prepare students for careers in public affairs,
education, law, business, and health and human services with an understanding
of and sensitivity to the impact and inter-relationships of patterns of
institutional racism, sexism, heterosexism, and ethnic and class bias.
In the modern world, old prejudices, biases and
inequalities based on race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion,
and nationality continue to exist and are often reinforced by the existing
systems of production, distribution, finance and governance. Students of
public policy will learn how to recognize these sources of inequality and
injustice and discover how to devise policies and programs that will help to
bring about greater equity and justice.
o
To train effective policy developers, managers, and
problem-solvers, who will be equipped with critical thinking skills and
quantitative and qualitative methods necessary for effective engagement in
the public policy arena in a globalized and integrated world economy.
Such skills include: 1) cognitive
flexibility/critical thinking: the ability to absorb, assess and
assimilate new knowledge, to see the systemic connections among disparate
phenomena, and to abstract general patterns, categories and theories from
diverse phenomena. 2) Tools and methodologies of data collection and
evaluation: qualitative and quantitative methods in policy science; 3) democratic
decisionmaking skills: the art of active listening, negotiating,
compromising and consensus building; 4) skills necessary for effective
decisionmaking: prioritizing, developing evaluative criteria, choosing
among criteria, applying theory to practice and assessing outcomes.
36 credits
(All courses are three credits unless otherwise
specified. Courses without numbers are currently in process of being revised
or added.)
Required Courses - 21 credits
- POL 501 Public Policy in an Age of Globalization
- POL 503 Comparative Public Policy
- POL 624 Introduction to Research Design
- POL 625 Tools of Policy Analysis
- POL 632 International Political Economy
- POL 650 Internship (6 credits)
-- OR --
POL 702 Thesis Writing I
POL 703 Thesis Writing II
Electives - 15 credits
Track I Public Policy and Administration
- POL 505 American Citizenship in Global Perspective
- POL 599 Selected Topics [Topics not covered by an
existing course]
- POL 602 Critical Theory and Public Policy
- POL 604 The Gendered State and Public Policy
- POL 605 Labor, Labor Markets and the Welfare State
- POL 606 Ethnic Conflict and Nationalism
- POL 613 Women, Sexual Violence and Public Policy
- POL 620 Political Socialization, Communication and
Public Policy
- POL 621 American Welfare Policy in Global Perspective
- POL 622 Intermestic Policy in the Americas: Licit and
Illicit Flows: Immigration, Drugs and Money
- POL 623 Environmental Politics and Policy
- POL 626 Theory & Practice: Science, Politics and
Globalization
- POL ___ Public Budgeting & Finance
- POL ___ Human Resource Management
- POL ___ Policy Evaluation
- POL ___ Law and Public Policy: The Regulatory Framework
- POL ___ Non-profit, Non-Government Management
- POL ___ Religion, Politics and Policy
- POL 700 Independent Study [Students may arrange an
independent study under the guidance of a faculty member. A proposal
must be developed and approved by the faculty member, Graduate Director
and Dean.]
Track II Public Policy and International
Affairs
- POL 599 Selected Topics [Topics not covered by an
existing course]
- POL 602 Critical Theory and Public Policy
- POL 605 Labor, Labor Markets and the Welfare State
- POL 606 Ethnic Conflict, Nationalism and the Future of
the Nation-State
- POL 613 Women, Sexual Violence and Public Policy
- POL 619 Globalization and International Trade: The View
from the Western Hemisphere
- POL 622 Intermestic Policy in the Americas: Licit and
Illicit Flows: Drugs, Money & Immigration
- POL 626 Theory & Practice: Science, Politics and
Globalization
- POL ___ International Development Policy
- POL ___ Non-profit, NGO Management & Development
- POL ___ Religion, Politics and Policy
- POL 623 Environmental Politics and Policy
- POL ___ Development Administration
- POL ___ International Institutions
- POL 633 U.S. Security Policy in the 21st Century
- POL 642 Democracy and International Human Rights
- POL 641 International Law and Public Policy
- POL 650 Internship (6 credits)
- POL 700 Independent Study [Students may arrange an
independent study under the guidance of a faculty member. A proposal
must be developed and approved by the faculty member, Graduate Director
and Dean.]
Up to two electives can be taken outside the
department. Suggested courses are:
Track I Non-Departmental Electives
- ECON 609 Economic Analysis
- COMS 601 Telecommunications Systems
- COMS 605 Language and Communication
- COMS 609 Leadership Processes and Group Conferencing
- COMS 611 Intercultural Communication
- MBA 616 Organizational Behavior & Communication
- MBA 640 Business, Government and Society
- NURS 570 Health Legislation & Health Policy
- SOC 510 Sociology of Cities
- SOC 521 Contemporary Issues in the Workplace
- SOC 661 Sociology of Complex Organizations
- SOC 566 Conflict & Conflict Management
- SOC 604 Social Problems
- SOC 613 Population
- SOC 614 Modern Industrial Societies
Track II Non-Departmental Electives
- AACS 506 Nation Building & Modernization in Africa
- AACS 606 Peoples & Cultures of Africa
- AACS 618 Third World Social & Political Thought
- COMS 611 Intercultural Communication
- COMS 621 Global Communication
- ECON 609 Economic Analysis
- HIST 560 Twentieth Century U.S. Foreign Relations
- HIST 565 Nuclear America
- HIST 633 Modern Britain
- HIST 634 Modern France
- HIST 650 Seminar on the Contemporary Middle East
- HIST 660 Seminar in Asian History & Culture
- HIST 661 Seminar in Japanese History & Culture
- HIST 665 Seminar in Chinese History & Culture
- HIST 670 Seminar in Latin American History
- HIST 683 Military History
REQUIRED COURSES - 21 CREDITS
POL 501 PUBLIC POLICY IN AN AGE OF GLOBALIZATION
This course provides a general introduction to
the major concepts, issues and theories involved in the study of public
policy. It examines the processes, institutions, and the intra- and
extra-governmental political forces, ideologies and values involved in the
origination, implementation and evaluation of public policy. While emphasis will
be on policy making at the national level, forces that are currently
impacting--and altering--the field will be of major concern. These include:
the pressure toward privatization; the drive toward devolution of authority;
globalization/international trade and currency flows; and environmental and
security crises. The course will employ case studies in specific policy areas
as illustrations of the central concepts and processes.
POL 503 COMPARATIVE PUBLIC POLICY
Why do nations differ markedly in their approach
to policy issues such as social welfare, education, health, national defense,
environmental protection, immigration, or the like? This course provides an
analytical perspective for understanding these differences across three types
of nation state systems: advanced industrial democracies; transitional or
Third Wave democracies; and developing authoritarian states. The influence of
culture, state and legal systems, party systems, economic elites, social
movements, and the international political economy on the evolution and
practice of public policies will be explored. Students will be required to
conduct a cross-national study of a particular public policy issue.
POL 624 INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH DESIGN
The course provides students with an introduction
to the epistemological foundations of social science research. Students will
explore the evolution of political science as a social science while they are
guided through a survey of various approaches to social scientific inquiry.
The approaches that will be covered in the course will include experimental,
quasi-experimental, and non-experimental research designs and methods.
Additionally, students will intensively study the essential components of any
research design and the typical challenges that social scientists must
confront when designing and implementing a research design. In the end,
students will become more capable of creatively and comprehensively designing
research projects based on the usage of social scientific research designs
and methods.
POL 625 TOOLS OF POLICY ANALYSIS
This course provides students with some of the
specific methodological tools of social statistics that they will need in
order to understand, evaluate, and construct research in political science
and public policy. Techniques for collecting quantitative data and for
analyzing and presenting it will be stressed.
POL 632 INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
This seminar is designed to introduce students to
key concepts in international political economy. Because of the wide scope of
topics that fall under this domain, the course will be a survey of the most
salient theories, cases and issue areas. The field links international
politics and international economics by examining systemic, national, and
sub-national variables including trade policies, industrial development,
capital market development, and institutional variables. The course examines
why some countries are so rich and others are so poor through development
strategies, currency regimes, and international financial flows. We will
address the issues raised by the growing power of multinational corporations
over nation states and labor movements within industrial and developing
countries as well as the environmental and human challenges created by the
global economy.
POL 650 INTERNSHIP (6 credits)
Students choosing this option may gain experience
in applied policy or administration by working for a minimum of 240 hours in
a public or non-profit, domestic or international organization that in some
way deals with public policy. Examples include: local, state or national
government agencies; legislative offices; law enforcement; legal firms;
interest groups; advocacy groups; community organizations; international
corporations. The internship can be taken in one semester, over the course of
a summer, or can be broken up into two separate semesters. Students choosing
the internship will be required to meet with the Internship Coordinator in
the semester prior to seeking the internship to discuss professional
interests and placement options. Internship students will be required to keep
a directed portfolio of their internship duties and experiences and to write
a substantial paper (at least 35 pages) at the end of the internship that
reflects on their internship experience using the concepts, frameworks and
theories they have studied in the classroom. The specific focus of the paper
will be worked out in discussions with the Internship Coordinator. On-site
Internship supervisors will be required to submit an evaluation of the intern
to the Internship Coordinator at the end of the internship.
POL 702 THESIS WRITING I
Working under the guidance of their Thesis
Advisor, students will choose a research topic, conduct a literature review,
develop a research thesis, and choose the appropriate methodology for
conducting their research. By the end of the semester they will have produced
a research Thesis Proposal.
POL 703 THESIS WRITING II
Students will receive 3 credits for writing their
Masters Thesis/Project. The thesis (which must be a minimum of 50 pages) must
demonstrate that students can develop and carry out an independent research
inquiry. They will work closely with faculty advisor(s)on the project and
will present their paper or findings at a Graduate Colloquium.
ELECTIVE COURSES (Offered on a rotating basis) -
15 CREDITS
POL 502 THE CITIZEN, THE STATE AND INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS
This course explores the nexus between the
citizen and policy making in an age of globalization across a range of
political systems. It seeks to find out how well this connection is working
and what variables are associated with effective citizen participation. The
first part of the course will provide an overview of these variables. In the
second part of the course, the citizen-policy connection will be explored through
the use of four case studies, one U.S., one foreign national and two
international cases that provide contrasting experiences of intergovernmental
organizations.
POL 505 AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP IN GLOBAL
PERSPECTIVE
The constitutional foundations, political
culture, and the institutions and processes of American government and
politics are examined in light of the principles and indicators of
representative democracy and in comparison to other democratic systems. The
role of the United States in the community of nations and the evolving
context of globalization are also analyzed. Selected public policy topics may
be covered.
POL 599 SELECTED TOPICS
Topics not covered by an existing course are
offered under this designation.
POL 602 CRITICAL THEORY AND PUBLIC POLICY
This course is designed to acquaint the student
with the approach to knowledge known as "critical theory," as well
as to prepare them to carry out real-world public policy analysis. To this
end, three themes serve as the focus of study: capitalism, democracy and
globalization. The relationship between all three and public policy serves as
the life-blood of the course. The required and suggested readings cross
disciplines, from political philosophy to economics to policy and gender
studies. The mélange reflects critical theory itself: interdisciplinary from
the start.
POL 604 THE GENDERED STATE AND PUBLIC POLICY
The world is shaped by gendered concepts,
practices, and institutions. How we perceive, understand, analyze, and
critique the world is profoundly shaped by our understandings of sex-gender
scripts, roles, and experiences. The nation-state is no exception. However,
liberal tradition presents the citizen and the nation-state as unsexed.
Feminist theory challenges that notion and argues that sex-gender
arrangements and structural political arrangements are inextricably linked,
and therefore, gendered power structures are an essential, irreducible aspect
of the state and public policy.
POL 605 LABOR, LABOR MARKETS AND THE WELFARE
STATE
This course examines the role of national and
state policies in regulating labor conditions, in creating and defending
workplace rights for the employed, and in providing and managing subsistence
rights and job training for the unemployed. It also examines the roles of
non-governmental actors who influence government policy, such as economic
theorists, employers, business and professional organizations, and
associations of self- employed workers. The ways in which labor markets
constitute systems of labor discipline as well as systems for the racial,
ethnic and gendered allocation of differential opportunities for economic
well-being are explored, as is the historical relationship between social
welfare and labor markets.
POL 606 ETHNIC CONFLICT AND NATIONALISM
The course studies the causes and consequences of
ethnic conflict and nationalism. Contested definitions of ethnicity and
nationalism are examined, as are the case studies of particular conflicts.
Topics covered include theories, social bases and ideologies of nationalism,
internal and external causes of ethnic strife, strategies for their
resolution and U.S. policy toward nationalist and ethnic conflicts.
POL 613 WOMEN, SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY
This course provides an overview of sexual
violence against women and girls in contemporary society. It defines the
scope and reality of sexual violence and examines the processes by which
sexual violence operates as a form of social control. The course focuses on
the intersection of sexual violence and public policy, with an emphasis on
education, law and health.
POL 619 GLOBALIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE:
THE VIEW FROM THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
This course will take an in-depth look at the
changing political economy of the Western Hemisphere, particularly at the
opening of markets and attitudes toward trade and economic integration as a
result of the collapse of Communism and the triumph of capitalism and the
"free market." It will also explore the implications of this
changing political economy for foreign and domestic U.S. policy.
POL 620 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION, COMMUNICATION
AND PUBLIC POLICY
Effective policy making requires an understanding
of how political socialization takes place and mastery of the means and
techniques of political communication. Policy agendas and the policies
themselves must be communicated to and legitimized with the public. This
course explores the ways in which such political communication and
legitimization operate through a study of the role of language in political
communication, the instrumentalities of political communication and specific
case studies.
POL 621 AMERICAN WELFARE POLICY IN A GLOBAL
PERSPECTIVE
This course provides an historical and
comparative examination of the role of Federal and State agencies and policy
makers in providing and managing subsistence rights, job training and social
benefits for the working poor, the unemployed and unemployable in the United
States. The goal of the course is to deepen students' understanding of the
origins, current function and future of social provision and to develop their
capacity to participate in the analysis and change of social welfare
policies.
POL 622 INTERMESTIC POLICY IN THE AMERICAS: LICIT
AND ILLICIT FLOWS - DRUGS, MONEY AND IMMIGRATION
This course views the issues raised by the
increased flow of goods, money, drugs and people between the United States
and Mexico, the Caribbean and South America as increasingly intermestic in
nature. Regardless of whether they are dealt with at the local, national or
international level, these issues have become a growing part of public policy
questions in the United States The course will specifically examine the
impact of drug and both legal and illegal immigration on policy choices in
the United States and for our neighbors.
POL 623 ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY
This course provides a critical evaluation of how
governments and international regimes attempt to manage the domestic and
global environment. The first part of the course examines the
conceptual/paradigmatic context of environmental decision making and the
history of how environmental protection became a public policy issue. The
second part of the course examines the domestic and international
institutions and processes involved in environmental policy making. In the
third part of the course case studies of specific environmental conflicts
illustrate the cultural, political, scientific, institutional and legal
issues that are involved in environmental decision making, both domestically
and globally.
POL 626 THEORY AND PRACTICE: SCIENCE, POLITICS
AND GLOBALIZATION
This course is designed to give the graduate
student an opportunity to study many of the issues surrounding the impact of
science and technology policy from a theoretical perspective in an
international context. Questions driving the course will include: what was
the political and social impact of modern science at its origin? What are
some of the major political issues surrounding international organizations
dedicated to the dissemination of science, health and technology policy? What
have been some of the positive and negative social consequences of these
policies? These questions and more will be addressed in terms of contemporary
issues such as famine and food production, the AIDS crisis in Africa,
cultural and religious backlash against western science in developing
countries, and international efforts to protect the environment.
POL 633 U.S. SECURITY POLICY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
A study of both the goals and implementation of
U.S. national security policy. Contested definitions of national security and
contending policy prescriptions are examined, as are the impact of domestic
factors and bureaucratic procedures. Topics covered include national security
strategy, strategic nuclear policy, limited wars, low-intensity conflict,
interventions, terrorism, and foreign economic policy insofar as it bears on
national security concerns. Case studies, both historical and contemporary,
are used.
POL 641 INTERNATIONAL LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY
This course examines the evolution and current
status of international law and public policy. In addition to studying the
nature and sources of international law and public policy, it explores such
topics as: a) treaty formation, performance, and cessation, b) the legal
personality of states, organizations, and individuals, c) international
jurisdiction, sovereignty, and diplomatic relations, d) arbitration and
adjudication, and e) international intervention, human rights, environment,
and economy.
POL 642 DEMOCRACY AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
The study of democratization and human rights,
their intellectual and conceptual history, the contemporary debates on
self-determination, globalization, intervention, the role of the U.N. and
other multilateral agencies in promoting democratic peace. These ideas are
examined in the context of civil and ethnic wars in former Yugoslavia, South
Africa, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East, as well as through
the evolution of various state rights documents.
POL 700 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-6
credits)
Independent study courses are designed to allow
matriculated students to earn credit for extensive readings, research,
practica, or other individualized learning projects in a specific area of
study. Students may wish to pursue a topic not covered by the curriculum or
to pursue an area in greater depth. Students may arrange an independent study
under the guidance of a faculty member who agrees to work with them. A
proposal form must be obtained from the Graduate Director and a proposal
developed in consultation with the Independent Study advisor. The proposal
must be approved by the advisor, the Graduate Program Director, and the Dean
of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. After completing the
proposal and getting the signatures of the advisor and Graduate Program
Director, the student must submit the proposal to the Dean. A letter of
approval from the Dean will constitute permission for the student to register
for the independent study. The completed application must be submitted by the
student to the Office of the Registrar no later than the late registration
period for the semester in which the independent study is to begin. This
deadline may be moved to an earlier time at the discretion of the department.
At the completion of the independent study project, students must:
- Present the completed study or written report to their
sponsoring faculty for evaluation.
- Submit the project to the Graduate Director for
approval.
Upon successful completion of the independent
study, the student will receive an appropriate grade or academic credit.
The following schedule assumes that the
student begins in the fall semester, goes full-time, and does not take summer
courses. Students may be able to finish in less than two years by taking
courses in the summer. Students who begin in the spring or who wish to go
part-time must work out a schedule of course sequencing in consultation with
the Graduate Program Director.
[Boldface courses are required. Students who opt
for the internship may either take it as 6 credits during one semester (or
over the summer) or as 3 credits in each of two semesters]
36 Credits
First Year
Fall
Semester
|
Code
|
Course
|
Credits
|
|
POL 501
|
Public Policy in an Age of Globalization
|
3
|
|
POL 624
|
Introduction to Research Design
|
3
|
|
|
Elective
|
3
|
Spring
Semester
|
Code
|
Course
|
Credits
|
|
POL 625
|
Tools of Policy Analysis
|
3
|
|
POL 632
|
International Political Economy
|
3
|
|
|
Elective
|
3
|
Second Year
Fall
Semester
|
Code
|
Course
|
Credits
|
|
POL 503
|
Comparative Public Policy
|
3
|
|
|
Elective
|
|
|
POL 702
|
Thesis Writing I
|
3
|
|
|
OR
|
|
|
POL 650
|
Internship
|
3-6
|
Spring
Semester
|
Code
|
Course
|
|
|
|
Elective
|
|
|
|
Elective
|
|
|
POL 703
|
Thesis Writing II
|
3
|
|
|
OR
|
|
|
POL 650
|
Internship
|
3-6
|
The Master’s Thesis
The Thesis Committee
Students who opt for writing a thesis rather than
doing a 6-credit internship should start thinking about a research topic
during their first year in the program. Students will be required to choose
a major Thesis Advisor by the end of the spring semester of their first
year—and no later than the beginning of classes in the fall-- as they will
begin working with this advisor as soon as classes start in the fall. They
will also register for POL 702, Thesis Writing I, at the beginning of the
fall semester of the second year, or after they have completed 18 credits,
which must include the following required courses: POL 501, 624, 625, 632.
In consultation with their thesis advisor and/or the Program Director, they
will also choose two other members of their thesis committee from the
faculty, one of which must be a methodologist. In certain cases, which must
be approved by the Thesis advisor, students may choose one member of their
committee from outside the department or university whose expertise is
relevant to their research topic. Students must submit a list of their
Thesis committee members to the Graduate Director as soon as they have been confirmed.
The Thesis Advisor will provide students with detailed guidelines for writing
and formatting the thesis. Working with their Thesis Advisor students will
gain help in choosing a research topic, designing a research question/thesis,
doing a literature review, and writing a proposal on how they will carry out
the writing of the Thesis, which will be completed by the end of the spring
semester of the second year.
No student may advance to POL 703 (guided
writing of the Thesis) until his/her proposal has been approved by the Thesis Advisor and Program
Director.
Writing the Thesis
Students whose Proposals have been approved will
then register for POL 703, Thesis Writing. This will normally happen at the
beginning of the full-time student's last semester. During the semester, the
student will conduct the research and write the Thesis under the guidance of
the student's major Thesis Advisor who will schedule a series of meetings
with the student. At the end of the semester (or before), the thesis will be
presented in triplicate to the Thesis Advisor and the two other committee
members for approval. The grade for the Thesis will become the grade on the
student's transcript for POL 703. At the end of the semester, a Graduate
Colloquium will be held at which students with completed or near-completed
Theses will present their research to an audience composed of faculty,
administration, relatives and friends. A reception with light refreshments
will follow the presentations.
Note for Graduate Assistants: Thesis Writing
II (POL 703), which is taken in the spring semester of the second year is
worth 3 credits. Students serving as Graduate Assistants are required by the
university to be in full-time status in order to continue eligibility for the
G.A. Thus, graduate assistants are advised to register for POL 703 and for a
6-credit Independent Study (POL 700) during their final semester in the
program. The Independent Study will be the Thesis Proposal that is developed
during the previous semester. This proposal must accompany a form that is
signed by the major advisor, the Graduate Director and the Dean. These forms
are in the Department office before you can register for the “Independent
Study.”
Public Policy
Email List
At the beginning of your program of study you
will be given a university email account. Your address will generally consist
of your last name, first initial and the words @student.wpunj.edu. You should
regularly consult this account, as notices important to your course of study
at WPU, including university events and deadlines will be posted to it.
In addition, students in the program on Public
Policy and International Affairs must subscribe to a specialized email list
entitled polgrad. The purpose of this list is for you to receive
announcements that are critical to the Public Policy program and for you to
post announcements of events and resources that you think may be of interest
to other students. Examples of notices posted to this list are announcements
of lectures, seminars, conferences, opportunities to present papers,
internships, jobs, deadlines, interesting or important websites, books, etc.
To subscribe to the list, send an email to: list@list.wpunj.edu.
Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message, type: subscribe
polgrad-l. To send a message to the list, address it to:
polgrad-l@list.wpunj.edu. Since the list will not be archived, you should
download to your own computer any messages that you want to keep for further
reference.
Raubinger
Hall, Room 203
The Policy Sciences Research Center houses a
state-of-the-art facility that faculty and students (both graduate and
undergraduate) of the Department of Political Science utilize to fulfill the
methodological and general research based-instructional objectives of the
department. The lab is utilized and available for use from Monday through
Friday throughout the semester. Presently, the lab houses 20 Desk-top PC
stations, a laser printer, a PC station dedicated for instructors only, and a
dry-erase white board for instructional use. The PCs contain the more
well-known software packages in word processing, database, and spreadsheet
applications. Also, they contain internet browsers, simulations and
statistical packages, and specialized Political Science-related databases
that are available to students. In addition to the normal instructional use
of the lab, upon consulting with and gaining the approval of the coordinator,
Political Science students may be allowed to access the facility to pursue
independent work on more time-consuming projects. Furthermore, on occasion
the lab serves as a site for Information-Technology based workshops designed
to enhance student skill development in various technical/research based
areas.
For more information, contact the coordinator:
Prof. Arnold Lewis, at 973-720-3873 lewisar@wpunj.edu.
The Graduate Colloquium in Public Policy and
International Affairs is scheduled in early May. The Colloquium provides
graduate students with the opportunity to present their M.A. Thesis and to
celebrate their achievements with faculty, members of the administration,
other graduate students, prospective students, and guests of the graduating
students. At the end of the presentations, M.A. candidates may take questions
from the audience, the thesis advisor, and the Research Thesis Seminar
leader. A light supper is served.
The event is held in Hobart Manor, an elegant,
Tudor-style mansion located in a hollow at the southeastern end of the
University's main campus.
In addition to course work, the Graduate Program
in Public Policy and International Affairs may from time to time offer
optional workshops for graduate students in areas that may not be covered in
the courses, for example in research grants and writing funding proposals, in
leadership skills, time management, budgeting, or lobbying legislators. The
Graduate Program Director assesses the interests and time schedules of
graduate students in order to arrange the workshops. Workshops on conducting
research and on using the library's data bases or computer programs are also
offered frequently by the library. Notices of workshops will be sent via the
polgrad email list. Graduate students who may have specific skills/experience
in particular areas may also volunteer to run a workshop. Please contact the
Program Director if interested. This kind of cross-fertilization is
encouraged!
Other Public Events Throughout
the year, the Graduate Program, the Political Science Department, and the
university host educational conferences or guest lectureships on campus.
Graduate students are encouraged to attend these events as part of your
educational training and exposure. Because of our faculty's strong
international connections, many of the speakers at these events are from
abroad. Graduate students will be notified via the email listserv about these
events.
In addition to your experience in the classroom, there
are numerous opportunities to enlarge your learning through the graduate
program. Throughout the year, for example, the Graduate Program, the
Political Science Department, and the university host educational conferences
or guest lectureships on campus. Graduate students are encouraged to attend
these events as part of their educational training and exposure. The program
in Public Policy and International Affairs sometimes hosts a major conference
on a topic relevant to the program, inviting nationally and internationally
recognized speakers. Graduate students may be involved in the planning and
implementation of such conferences and may be invited to participate on a
panel or roundtable.
In addition to events on campus, the Graduate
Program Director makes available via the polgrad listserv announcements of
numerous academic and political conferences that take place throughout the
New York metropolitan area. Many of our faculty also belong to academic
research institutes and colloquia outside William Paterson which graduate
students are encouraged to attend.
Students planning to graduate must fill out an
Application to Graduate form and return it to the Graduate Office according
to the following deadlines:
- TO GRADUATE IN JANUARY
- Return the application by October 1
- TO GRADUATE IN MAY
- Return the application by February 1
- TO GRADUATE IN AUGUST
- Return the application by June 19
Approximately 60 days before the end of the
semester, the university's graduation committee sends graduate students
information about how to obtain a cap, gown and Master's hood.
Students not opting to write a
thesis are required to take a 6-credit internship in order to graduate.
Internships can be a way to enhance your skills and knowledge, gain
experience in a new sector of the labor market, and network for future job
possibilities. Opportunities for internships are available in a variety of
settings in local/regional, state, federal and international organizations
both locally and abroad. See the "PPIA Internship
Resource List" for some available opportunities. Atudents choosing
this option must consult with the Internship Coordinator, Prof. Arnold Lewis
no later than the end of the first semester. Prof. Lewis will guide the
student in the internship process and the paper that is required. Students
choosing this option will register for the Internship course, POL 650.
Students interested in
internships may arrange their own or may ask the Internship Coordinator to
help them locate one. Placements are generally based on the needs and
interests of the student as well as the needs of the host organization.
Please be advised that many internships require a 6-month lead time for
applications, so you should plan well in advance.
Students interested in internships with the
United Nations should be advised that these are extremely competitive and
usually require the intern to have specialized professional skills and
facility in more than one language. They also require a 7-month application
deadline.
Both William Paterson University and the
Political Science Graduate Faculty have many ties with institutions that
offer opportunities for foreign study and internships.
- William Paterson University has signed an exchange
agreement with the MICEFA in France that allows for American students
and faculty to study at the various campuses of the University of
Paris. Through Prof. John Mason, our department has an especially close
relationship with the Institute for European Studies and the Political
Science Department of the University of Paris VIII located outside
Paris in the multi-racial. multi-national suburb of Saint Denis. Prof.
Mason also works closely with the CIRPES Research Seminar at the
prestigious Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and ATHENA at
Institut de Sciences Politiques de Paris. These offer opportunities for
research, graduate study and short internships for French speaking
students.
- Prof. Michael Principe conducts an undergraduate summer
program at St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University, where he is a
Fellow. Graduate students have the opportunity of doing an independent
study with Prof. Principe at St. Edmund's, which is one of Cambridge's
graduate colleges.
- Prof. Martin Weinstein has ties to the Universidad de
la Republica in Montivideo, Uruguay, and to other institutions in Latin
America.
A variety of other short-and-longer term study
abroad experiences are offered by other WPU faculty. Students interested in
the possibilities should look at WPU's Center for International Education's website or visit their office
in Wayne Hall, room 216. Telephone: (973) 720-2976; Fax: (973) 720-2336.
Other semester, year-long or short-term study,
work or volunteer programs in both the industrialized and developing world
are listed on the following websites.
The American Political Science Association (APSA)
is the discipline's professional organization. It's website: http://www.apsanet.org contains a wealth of
information for students of Political Science. Student membership is $39 and
comes with a number of benefits, such as subscriptions to APSA's journals,
reduced-cost subscriptions to over 100 other journals of interest to
political scientiest, notices of APSA's annual meetings and regional
Political Science conferences, archives of past journals, scholarship opportunities
and career advice, invitations to professional conferences and opportunities
to present papers, national directories of APSA members, Political Science
departments and personnel, the Personnel Directory of teaching jobs,
electronic notification of reseach news, instructional resources, software
and more.
Students are encouraged to become members and to
attend the annual ASPA conventions which are held at the end of August,
usually alternating between a city on the East and West coast. The conference
brings together scholars in Political Science from all over the country and
from abroad, university search committees looking for new faculty, book and
software publishers. Hundreds of workshops and panels are held on every
subfield in Political Science, and papers are available for purchase. It is
an excellent place to network, especially if you intend to go on for a Ph.D.
Students will be notified via the polgrad listserv of regional Political
Science conferences they may wish to attend. Students are encouraged to
submit papers to some of these regional conferences. Faculty members can work
with you in getting a paper you may have done for a class prepared as a
conference paper.
Students are also encouraged to
obtain a copy of the APSA's Style Manual for Political Science from
the Program Director or it can be ordered from the Political Science
Association's website. This style
manual will be needed for writing all of the papers that will be required
during your course of study.
Another good source of information on the general
field of higher education is the Chronicle of Higher Education, available
online through the WPU library. This is the premier newspaper for gaining an
understanding of the latest developments and trends in higher education and
in various disciplines. It also contains job listings in higher education.
·
Please consult the library's many resources, available from the
university homepage, for a schedule of operating hours, lending rules and
other pertinent information. Graduate students should also consult "Graduate Student Services"
available as a link on the left side of the library's homepage. While the Cheng
Library does not have the volume of a major research university library,
students can access almost anything they need through the Library’s
interlibrary loan program as well as through the Library’s extensive
electronic databases.
The Online Catalog is available from the Library
Webpage and can be used to simultaneously search the catalogs of other area
libraries and library networks.
Among other facilities, the library houses study
carrels specifically designated for graduate students on a first-come,
first-served basis; group study rooms equipped with white boards and network
connections to provide space for students working on team projects; and an
Adaptive Technology Room with access to two workstations with scanning,
reading and screen magnification software. The Library's 33-station
Electronic Resource Center (ERC) provides access to online databases and
research materials in addition to Microsoft Office and other applications. Other
workstations located throughout the Library's first floor provide the same
access to resources and applications. Assistance in the ERC is provided by
reference librarians and by student technology consultants from the
University's Instruction and Research Technology Unit. There are wireless
laptops available for use within the Library. Technology support is provided
by the Library Information Systems staff with the added assistance of staff
from the University's Information Systems Unit.
As graduate students, you will be making a great
deal of use of our library's resources. All students taking the introductory
course, POL 501 will be given a period of library instruction by library
personnel. Other faculty may schedule additional sessions for their students.
Please examine the Graduate Student's section of
the library's website to learn about the resources that are available to
you.
The William Paterson University Writing Center,
located in Atrium 128, provides one-on-one tutoring for anyone in the
university community working on a writing project in any stage of
development. Tutorial sessions typically take thirty minutes to an hour.
Writing Center staff talk about style, logic, voice, transition, grammar, and
organization. Students also learn techniques of proofreading and editing
their own work. Writing Center staff do not discuss grades, or proofread
students' work. They work on issues that are going to contribute to students'
long-term growth as writers.
Please check the Writing Center's
webpage for hours of
operation or contact the Center's Director, Dr. Stephen Newton at: newtons@wpunj.edu.
Student Center, Room 301, University Commons, 300
Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470
http://ww2.wpunj.edu/career/
In addition to career-related workshops that the
Program in Public Policy and International Affairs may host, students should
become acquainted with the University's Career Development Center. The Center
provides a comprehensive career development program designed to assist
students in making appropriate career choices and in developing plans to
achieve their goals. Individualized guidance is available and group workshops
are held throughout the year. The Center contains a comprehensive electronic
listing of employers and internships. To maximize their potential and
marketability, students are encouraged to take advantage of their services
early and often throughout their graduate careers.
Updated 9/8/08
