Microsoft Word MU 2009-2010.doc - Methodist University

Washington D.C. InternshipsQualified Methodist University students can participate in internships and/or symposia inWashington D.C. with various sponsoring organizations, earning up to 15 s.h. for a semester’s internship.Washington interns gain valuable career experience and are exposed to national experts in academicseminars and lectures. Most agencies provide placement, housing, and full-time support services. See thePolitical Science Program Director for more information.Monarchs in D.C. ProgramEach spring semester, selected students who are majoring in Political Science spend three days inWashington D.C. involved in various activities. They met with members of Congress, interest groups,lobbyists, and government agencies to discuss the issues of importance for Cumberland County and NorthCarolina. As available, they attend congressional committee meetings, sessions of Congress, the SupremeCourt, and other gatherings.Professional PartnershipsThe Political Science program maintains institutional memberships with the American Political ScienceAssociation (APSA) and the North Carolina Political Science Association (NCPSA). Each year thePolitical Science program sponsors student attendance at the Student Conference on United States Affairs(SCUSA) at West Point, NY. The program also has an active chapter in Pi Sigma Alpha, the nationalPolitical Science honor society. Students and faculty benefit from a range of services and professionalopportunities through these and other partnerships.MissionTo educate students in American political thought, governance, and citizenship, and to inspire them toparticipate in the political process; to prepare Political Science majors for professional employment and/oradvanced study, and to stimulate them in anticipating their future careers.Program and General Education Core Student Learning GoalsTo achieve its mission, the Political Science program utilizes two student learning outcome goals that areassessed annually.1. Program Student Learning Goal: Students who graduate with a major in Political Science willdemonstrate essential knowledge in four sub-disciplines to include comparative government andinternational politics, normative and empirical theory, public administration, and the United Statesgovernment.2. General Education Core Student Learning Goal: Students who complete the PSC 151 AmericanGovernment course will meet the objectives of the General Education core requirement for social sciences.Students will demonstrate an understanding of the dimensions of social sciences to include constitutionalfoundations, political institutions, public policy, and politics and society.POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSESPSC 151 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT3 s.hThis general introduction to the study of American government and politics focuses on the national leveland on the actors and interests who contend for power and influence in Washington DC. Students will gainan understanding of the origins, structure, and operation of American government. Topics includeAmerican political culture, the framing of the Constitution, political parties, campaigns and elections,interest groups, the media, the Presidency, the Congress, the federal judiciary, and current issues of publicpolicy. This course is offered every semester.PSC 171-178 MODEL UNITED NATIONS/ARAB LEAGUE PRACTICUM1 s.h. eachThe Model United Nations/Arab League Practicum is a one hour course designed to prepare studentsparticipating in Model United Nations and Model Arab League conferences. Course of study includeseffective debate tactics, policy paper writing, resolution writing, parliamentary rules of procedures, the171