2011-2012 CATALOG

This is an archived copy of the 2011-2012 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.miracosta.edu

Political Science

Political science is the study of the processes, principles, and structure of government and political institutions. Students take courses to prepare for a political science major or to fulfill general education requirements. Graduates with a bachelor's degree in political science pursue careers in education; federal, state, and local government (in areas such as intelligence, foreign affairs, environmental protection); national, state, and local legislation; law; and marketing research.

Contact Information

Department Chair: Herschel Stern

Dean: Carlos Lopez

www.miracosta.edu/PLSC

Department: Social Science

Office: Building 3100, 760.795.6871

Full-Time Faculty

John Phillips

Associate Degree

Associate in Arts Degree

Political Science

The Political Science Program offers lower-division preparation for students who plan on transferring to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science. Students planning to transfer and/or earn this associate degree may also need to complete additional requirements or electives required by the transfer institution, as many CSUs and UCs have unique admissions and preparation-for-the-major requirements. Students should meet with a MiraCosta College counselor to identify required courses and to develop a written plan for their targeted university.

Required courses:
PLSC 101	Introduction to Political Science	3
PLSC 102	American Institutions and History	4
PLSC 103	Comparative Government	3
Select at least three courses from the following:		10-15
CHNS 101	Elementary Chinese (First Semester)
CHNS 102	Elementary Chinese (Second Semester)
FREN 101	Elementary French (First Semester)
FREN 102	Elementary French (Second Semester)
FREN 201	Intermediate French (Third Semester)
FREN 202	Intermediate French (Fourth Semester)
GRMN 101	Elementary German (First Semester)
GRMN 102	Elementary German (Second Semester)
GRMN 201	Intermediate German (Third Semester)
ITAL 101	Elementary Italian (First Semester)
ITAL 102	Elementary Italian (Second Semester)
ITAL 201	Intermediate Italian (Third Semester)
JAPN 101	Elementary Japanese (First Semester)
JAPN 102	Elementary Japanese (Second Semester)
JAPN 201	Intermediate Japanese (Third Semester)
JAPN 202	Intermediate Japanese (Fourth Semester)
SPAN 101	Elementary Spanish (First Semester)
SPAN 102	Elementary Spanish (Second Semester)
SPAN 201	Intermediate Spanish (Third Semester)
SPAN 202	Intermediate Spanish (Fourth Semester)
Total Units		20-25

How to Read Course Descriptions

Courses listed in this catalog apply to the fall 2011, spring 2012, and summer 2012 terms. Courses are numbered numerically within alphabetically arranged subject areas.

The bolded first line begins with a capitalized abbreviation that designates the subject area. This subject-area designator is followed by the official course number and a descriptive title. The next lines indicate the course's unit value, prerequisites, corequisites, advisories, repeatability rules, enrollment limitations, UC/CSU credit acceptance, and lecture and lab hours followed by a Taxonomy of Program number in parentheses.

Prerequisites: This is a requirement that must be met before a student can enroll in the course.
Corequisites: This is a course the student must take in the same semester.
Advisories: This is recommended preparation the student is advised but not required to have before or in conjunction with the course.
Repeatability Rules: When a course belongs to a group of related courses, students can complete one course or a combination of courses within the group for a maximum of four completions.
Enrollment Limitations: Some courses place limitations on enrollment. These limitations prevent students from duplicating course work or from enrolling in two sections of the same course in any given semester.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU means the course is accepted for transfer at any California State University (CSU) campus; UC means it is accepted for transfer at any University of California (UC) campus. Some courses can be used to satisfy general education or major requirements while others transfer as elective credit. UC Credit Limitation means credit for the course may have UC transfer restrictions; these restrictions are identified at the end of the course description.
Lecture and Lab Hours: These are the number of hours the course meets for lecture and/or lab per week.
Taxonomy of Program (TOP) Number: The TOP number is identified in parentheses after the lecture and lab hours. This number serves an administrative purpose and is not intended for student use.

The course description summarizes the purpose and key topical areas of the course, and it includes special requirements if any exist. Some course descriptions end with information about whether the course was "formerly" another course, how many times the course may be repeated, if the course is offered pass/no pass, or what the UC credit limitation is.

How to Read Course Descriptions

Courses

PLSC 101: Introduction to Political Science

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours. (2207.00)

Intended not only to introduce students to political science but also to introduce them to politics itself. Principle elements studied are society, the law, government, the state, and contemporary ideologies (e.g., Anarchism, Conservatism, Liberalism, Democracy, Fascism, and Marxism). Explores the social, historical, cultural, and economic context in which they develop and exist.

PLSC 102: American Institutions and History

Units: 4
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 4 hours. (2207.00)

This course is designed specifically to satisfy the American Institutions and History requirement. It studies basic concepts in the American and California political and historical traditions. It analyzes the evolution of national, state, and local political institutions from colonial times to the present. The course also examines the evolution of concepts and ideas that are fundamental to our political culture, including liberty, diversity, equality, democracy, industrialization, political economies, and superpower status. The course emphasizes the concepts citizens should understand in order to vote intelligently and otherwise effectively participate in the political process. Students should refer to the American Institutions and History Requirement and Examination sections of the catalog.

PLSC 103: Comparative Government

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours. (2207.00)

Theories and principles of government with special attention to the problems created by modern industrialism and population pressures. Comparative survey of selected foreign governments: their constitutional principles, political institutions, and governmental problems.

PLSC 150: Introduction to International Relations

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours. (2207.00)

This course will introduce students to the fundamental analytical skills and techniques pertinent to the study of international relations and it will examine the practical political problems encountered in foreign affairs by selected nation states.

PLSC 292: Internship Studies

Units: 0.5-3
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 60 non-paid or 75 paid hours of work per unit.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
(2207.00)

This course provides students the opportunity to apply the theories and techniques of their discipline in an internship position in a professional setting under the instruction of a faculty-mentor and site supervisor. It introduces students to aspects of the roles and responsibilities of professionals employed in the field of study. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students must develop new learning objectives and/or intern at a new site upon each repetition. Students may not earn more than 16 units in any combination of cooperative work experience (general or occupational) and/or internship studies during community college attendance.

PLSC 298: Directed Study in Political Science

Units: 1-3
Prerequisites: None
Enrollment Limitation: Instructor and department chair approval and successful completion of 12 units of college work with at least a 3.0 grade-point average.
Repeatability Rule: May be taken for a total of 3 units.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Laboratory 3 hours.
Laboratory 6 hours.
Laboratory 9 hours. (2207.00)

This course allows students to pursue a special area of interest in order to achieve specific goals beyond the scope of existing courses within the discipline. Students work independently and interact directly with an instructor on an individual basis and as prescribed by the Directed Study Agreement.