Political Science

The M.A. program is a learning environment in which applicants may further develop their interests in exploring ideas and abilities to think critically. The structure of the program encourages scholarly inquiry and intellectual growth across a range of political themes. Upon completing an M.A., it is anticipated that the majority of students will enter careers in public service or for private organizations with greater analytical and critical faculties while some students will continue on with graduate work.

• POLS 110 Introduction to Political Science (3) Discussion of politics as an activity and of political problems, systems, ideologies, processes. DS
• POLS 120 Introduction to World Politics (3) Power and contemporary world politics since 1945 with emphasis on the U.S. role. DS
• POLS 130 Introduction to American Politics (3) American political processes and institutions, as seen through alternative interpretations. Emphasis on opportunities and limitations for practical political participation. DS
• POLS 150 Introduction to Global Politics (3) Foundations in global politics from political, historical, and multicultural perspectives. A-F only. FGB
• POLS 160 Introduction to International and Global Studies (3) Introduces undergraduate students to the major political, social, economic, cultural, technological, and historical dimensions of globalization. Special attention will be paid to globalization process that have impacted Hawai'i and the Asia-Pacific region. A-F only. (Cross-listed as SOCS 180) FGB
• POLS 170 Politics and Public Policy (3) Perspectives on the role of government in guiding economies and civil societies with particular emphasis on the recent U.S. DS
• POLS 171 Introduction to Political Futures (3) Introduction to political future studies. Using science fact and fiction, shows how past and present images of the future influence people's actions. DS
• POLS 190 Media and Politics (3) Influences and effects of media on politics. Setting public agendas, interpreting events, manipulating the political process, political learning through popular culture. DS
• POLS 200 Reading and Writing Politics (1) Develop skills needed to read and write political texts. Weigh competing views; read and analyze texts for what they do and do not say; craft and defend evidence-based arguments; practice writing mechanics and style. Repeatable two times. POLS majors only or consent. A-F only.
• POLS 201 Problems of War and Peace (3) Introduction to the problems individuals and political communities currently face with respect to war, peace, and international conflict. Includes questions of human nature, economy, morality, nuclear deterrence, arms control and disarmament, and alternatives to war. DS
• POLS 241 Political Design and Futuristics (3) Possible social and political alternatives for the future. Conditions likely if present trends continue, formulation of visions of better futures, means for their achievement. DS
• POLS 271 Race and Politics (3) Racial inequality in the U.S.; mechanisms of institutional racism in employment, education, criminal justice, electoral politics. DS
• POLS 301 Hawai'i Politics (3) Introduction to and critical study of institutions, governments, and political processes in Hawai'i. Attends to race, class, gender, sexuality, indigeneity and nationality. Grounded in Native Hawaiian perspectives, with an emphasis on comparative study and dialogue. Pre: any 100- or 200-level POLS course, or consent.DS
• POLS 302 Native Hawaiian Politics (3) Critical study of issues in contemporary Native Hawaiian politics, with an emphasis on application and active engagement. Pre: any 100- or 200-level POLS course or consent. DS
• POLS 303 (Alpha) Topics in Hawai'i Politics (3) Intensive examination of particular institutions, processes, and issues. (B) the military in Hawai'i; (C) political thought in Hawaiian; Taught in Hawaiian; (D) politics of food. A-F only for (D). Pre: HAW 302 (or concurrent) for (C) only, sophomore standing or higher or consent. ((C) Cross-listed as HAW 428) DS for (B), DH for (C)
• POLS 304 Indigenous Politics (3) Conceptualizing politics from the perspective of indigenous epistemologies, philosophies, language, and social and political movement. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 305 Global Politics/Comparative (3) Introduction to global politics with emphasis on concepts and theories developed from a comparative politics perspective. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 306 Comparative Politics of Developing Countries (3) Political, economic, and social development in the Third World. Repeatable one time. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 307 (Alpha) Topics in Comparative Politics: Country/Regional (3) Political, social, and economic processes in specific countries/regions. (B) Southeast Asia; (C) Pacific Islands; (F) Middle East; (G) Philippines; (H) Japan; (I) Europe; (J) India; (K) East Asia. Repeatable one time. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 308 Chinese Political Economy (3) Interdisciplinary review and analysis of the social and political issues in contemporary China, the interchange between state and society in national policies, the relationship between cultural tradition and technological modernization in the social transformation process. A-F only. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. (Cross-listed as ASAN 308). DS
• POLS 309 Politics of Indigenous Language Revitalization (3) Study of the importance and processes of language revitalization for indigenous peoples in Hawai'i, the Pacific, Asia, and North America. Pre: any 100 level POLS course. (Alt. years) DS
• POLS 315 Global Politics/International Relations (3) Introduction to global politics with emphasis on concepts and theories developed from an international relations perspective. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 316 International Relations (3) Decision-making behavior of international actors; strategies of peacemaking. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 317 International Law (3) Nature and function of international law in international politics. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 318 Current Issues in International Law, Organization, and Culture (3) Principles, norms, cases, and their interaction with culture and organization in international politics. Pre: any 100 level POLS course or consent. DS
• POLS 319 International Organization (3) International relations of governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 321 International Migration (3) Political-cultural economy of international migration: post-colonial populations, refugees, and immigrants. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent.
• POLS 322 American Foreign Policy (3) Purposes, methods, strengths, obstacles, prospects; factors affecting American foreign policy; impact abroad and at home. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 323 Model United Nations (1) Simulation of United Nations organizations, especially General Assembly. Repeatable 4 times. Pre: 315 (or concurrent) or 319 (or concurrent), or instructor consent. DS
• POLS 324 Global Environmental Politics (3) Evolution of international politics, law and decision-making on a variety of environmental concerns; from endangered species to pollution to climate change. Interaction of population, development, and environment in global governance. DS
• POLS 325 Religion and Law in the U.S. (3) Surveys church-state jurisprudence since the 1940s, with special attention to difficulty of defining religion, and applies the religion clauses to current issues. A-F only. Pre: sophomore or higher standing, or consent. (Once a year) (Cross-listed as AMST 325) DH
• POLS 333 Advanced Topics in Global Politics (3) Studies of political development in the context of increasingly integrated and globalized political economies. Repeatable one time. Pre: any 100 level POLS course or consent. DS
• POLS 335 History of Political Thought (3) Theories, approaches, concepts, and issues developed or raised in history of political philosophy and thought. Pre: any 100- or 200-level POLS course, or consent. DS
• POLS 337 American Political Theory (3) Origins and development of American political thought. Pre: any 100 level POLS course or consent. DS
• POLS 338 (Alpha) Topics in Political Theory (3) Significant works, historical continuities, themes, and issues in political theory. (B) classical political philosophy; (F) revolution and utopia; (G) contemporary political theory; (I) Marxist philosophy. Pre: any 100- or 200- level POLS course; or consent. DS
• POLS 339 Feminist Theory (3) Contemporary debates in feminist theory concerning gender, race, and class; subjectivity and representation; gender and colonialism; bodies, sexualities and "nature." Pre: any 300 level POLS or WS course; or consent. (Cross-listed as WS 439) DS
• POLS 340 Korean Politics and Society Through Film (3) Examines modern Korean politics and society through films. Through movies and documentaries, students will learn major sociopolitical issues including military dictatorship, democratization, and globalization that Korea underwent for the last several decades. Repeatable one time. Sophomore standing or higher. A-F only. DS
• POLS 341 The Politics of Media (3) Study of the political manipulation of aural and verbal images. Exercises to increase media literacy. Pre: any 100 level POLS course, or consent. DS
• POLS 342 Political Design and Futuristics (3) Alternative future social and political possibilities; design of means of realization of desirable futures. Pre: any 100 level POLS course, or consent. DS
• POLS 343 The Politics of Film (3) Political, philosophical, and artistic dimensions of film; cross-cultural film genres; representational practices in films. Pre: any 100 level POLS course, or consent. DS
• POLS 344 Nâ Politika ma ka Nûhou Hawai'i - Politics in Hawaiian Language Media (3) Study of Hawaiian news media with emphasis on political content. Taught in Hawaiian. Pre: HAW 302 (or concurrent) and one of 110, 120, 130, 170, or 171; or consent. (Cross-listed as HAW 445) DH
• POLS 366 Advanced Topics in Theory, Media, and Method (3) Studies in political theory, media, and methods that analyze their interrelations in a globalized world. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 367 Disability Law and Politics (3) Introduction to the history and politics of U.S. disability law and activism. An analysis of disability politics as the result of the interaction between disability movement activism and the development of policy and law. A-F only. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. (Fall only) DS
• POLS 368 Gender, Justice and Law (3) Exploration of landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases related to sex and gender. Topics may include sex discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, privacy, and reproductive freedom. A-F only. Pre: one of WS 151, WS 175, WS 176, WS 202, WS 360, WS 381, or consent. (Cross-listed as AMST 436 and WS 436)DS
• POLS 372 Asian Women (3) History, culture, and contemporary reality of Asian women in Asia and the U.S. Includes critical analysis of American feminist methodology and theory. Pre: one of 339, AMST 310, AMST 316, AMST 318, AMST 373, AMST 455, WS 360, WS 361, WS 439; or consent. (Cross-listed as AMST 438 and WS 462) DS
• POLS 373 American Politics (Elections) (3) Examination of voters and voting processes (participation, apathy, socialization, symbolic process, media, etc.); ideologies and belief systems. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 374 Law, Politics and Society (3) Relationships between law, politics, and society will be explored. Emphasis is placed on several dimensions of legality: legal "indeterminacy" and some of the many things that law does for us and to us; law's response to violence; the connections between law and social change; access to the law and its sociological dimensions; how/why law fails and what happens when it does. A-F only. Pre: a 100 level or 200 level POLS course or SOC 100 or any 200 level SOC course, or consent. (Cross-listed as SOC 374) DS
• POLS 375 Constitutional Law I: Institutional Power (3) Provides students with methods for interpreting U.S. Supreme Court decisions and analyzes the U.S. Supreme Court's jurisprudence on institutional authority, including the Judiciary, Executive, and Legislative branches and their relationships to power. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 376 Constitutional Law II: Rights and Liberties (3) Analyzes the U.S. Supreme Court's jurisprudence on civil rights and liberties. Pre: 375 or consent. DS
• POLS 377 Topics in Law and Politics (3) Current issues; recent research findings; practical research undertaken by student. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 378 Topics in American Politics (3) Specific institutions and processes of the American governmental system. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 379 Power in America (3) Analysis of sources of political, economic, and social power in the U.S. and the institutions through which it is exercised. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 380 Environmental Law and Politics (3) Focuses on theories, law, policies, and futures of U.S. environmental politics. Sophomore standing or higher. Pre: any 100 level POLS course, or consent. (Alt. years) DS
• POLS 381 Administration and Society (3) Historical emergence of modern bureaucracy; mutual impact of administrative forms on social life; relation of bureaucracy to capitalism and patriarchy; constitution of the administered individual. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 382 Political Leadership (3) Exploration of concepts and theories of political leadership, partly through biography, as preparation for public service or advanced scholarly inquiry. Pre: sophomore standing or higher, or consent. DS
• POLS 383 Politics and Public Policy II (3) Overview of the policy-making process in various political arenas (families, cities, nations, etc.); emphasis on conceptual and empirical analysis. Pre: any 100 level POLS course or consent. DS
• POLS 384 Women and Politics (3) Women's role in political institutions and processes in the U.S. and other countries. Female and male approaches to power; feminist political goals and actions. Pre: any 100 level POLS course (or concurrent), WS 151 (or concurrent), or WS 362 (or concurrent); or consent. (Cross-listed as WS 384) DS
• POLS 385 American Politics (3) Institutions (parties, interest groups, legislatures, executives, local government); policies (national defense, poverty, energy, etc.), politics (symbolism, inequality, race, and gender). DS
• POLS 386 Public Policy-Making (3) Students develop understanding of theory, practice, and ethical issues of public policy-making. Combines lecture/discussion and fieldtrips. Students develop policy analysis and strategic plans that identify issues, interests, and methods of influence. Repeatable one time. A-F only. Pre: HON 101 or HON 291, or departmental approval. (Cross-listed as HON 301)
• POLS 389 Health Politics (3) Examines the politics of health care. Focus on institutional models to health care, the politics of health care reform, and contemporary health care issues and controversies. Repeatable one time. Sophomore standing or higher. A-F only. Pre: any 100-level POLS course or consent. DS
• POLS 390 Political Inquiry and Analysis (3) Introductory survey and analysis of methods used in empirical research, policy analysis, and social criticism. DS
• POLS 393 Advanced Topics in Law, Policy, and Society (3) Studies integrating concerns of public law, public policy, public administration, and social movements. Pre: any 100- or 200-level POLS course, or consent. DS
• POLS 394 Democracy in Organizations (3) Theory and practice of democratic organizations: women's and feminist organizations; co-ops, communes, and collectives; indigenous people's organizations; workplace democracy and social change. A-F only. Pre: any 100- or 200-level POLS course or 390 (or concurrent) or WS 151, or consent. DS
• POLS 396 Nonviolent Political Alternatives (3) Exploration of scientific and cultural resources for nonviolent alternatives in politics. Pre: any 100- or 200-level POLS course, or consent. (Cross-listed as PACE 373) DS
• POLS 399 Directed Reading and Research (V) Pre: consent.
• POLS 401 Teaching Political Science (6) Practicum for majors who serve as undergraduate teaching assistants. Repeatable one time. Pre: 390 (or concurrent), senior standing; and consent.
• POLS 402 Legislative Internship (V) Field placement at the Hawai'i Legislature integrated with academic study of political institutions and practices. A-F only. Pre: consent. Recommended: 390. (Spring only) DS
• POLS 403 Community Internship (V) Field placement integrated with academic study of political institutions and community organizations. Repeatable one time. Pre: consent. Recommended: 390. DS
• POLS 404 Senior Thesis (3) Independent research and thesis writing with supervision of senior advisor. Pre: 390 (or concurrent) and consent.
• POLS 405 Executive Internship (V) Open to students awarded a Mânoa Undergraduate Political Fellowship for placement in the Governor's or Lt. Governor's Office, Prosecuting Attorney's Office, or Public Defender's Office. Field placement, integrated with academic study. A-F only. Recommended: 385, 390.
• POLS 406 Senior Seminar in Political Science (3) Discussion of issues and questions of concern to graduating seniors in political science, including substantial research project. Pre: 390 (or concurrent) or senior standing or consent. DS
• POLS 408 Manoa Undergraduate Congressional Fellowship Internship Seminar (6) Hawai'i Undergraduate Political Internship's Congressional Fellowship. Award includes stipend and internship experience in a Hawai'i congressional office. Students review policy processes, House and Senate procedures and produce a final paper. Restricted to fellowship awardees only. Junior and senior standing only. A-F only. Co-requisite: 386.
• POLS 500 Master's Plan B/C Studies (1) Enrollment for degree completion. Pre: master's Plan B or C candidate and consent.
• POLS 600 Scope and Methods of Political Science (3) Main concepts delineating boundaries of discipline; approaches to knowledge employed by political scientists; empirical and normative theory; problems in theory-building; validity and reliability in research design; philosophy of science applied to political science.
• POLS 601 Political Analysis and Theory Building (3) Survey of theory-building, approaches and validation techniques.
• POLS 602 Research Techniques and Analytic Methods (3) Quantitative models and statistical inference techniques.
• POLS 605 Topics in Methodology (3) Specific methodological techniques and practices introduced in 601 and 602. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• POLS 610 Political Theory and Analysis (3) Major contemporary approaches and styles in political theory, philosophy, and analysis.
• POLS 611 Tradition of Political Philosophy (3) Discussion of texts and themes in the Western political tradition from Plato to Nietzsche. Repeatable one time.
• POLS 612 Hawaiian Political Thought: Theory and Method/Na Mana'o Politika Hawai'i (3) Study of Hawaiian political thought in writing from ca. 1825 to the present, with emphasis on theory and research methods. Pre: 303, HAW 402 and HAW 428; or consent. (Cross-listed as HAW 612)
• POLS 615 (Alpha) Topics in Political Thought (3) Specific traditions and individuals, or particular issues and problems. (C) feminist theory. Pre: graduate standing or consent. ((C) Cross-listed as WS 615)
• POLS 620 Introduction to Indigenous Politics (3) Historical treatment of the contact between state and indigenous peoples and a survey of contemporary indigenous political initiatives: social movements, media, indigenous studies programs, and events.
• POLS 621 Politics of Indigenous Representation (3) Politics of indigenous representations in media, literature, and academic scholarship.
• POLS 630 International Relations (3) Analysis of theories: actors, decisions, systems, conflict, integration, alternative approaches to validation. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• POLS 633 International Conflict Resolution (3) Analysis of international conflict and conflict resolution. Theory and practice of negotiation, mediation, conciliation, facilitation, and other "third-party" methods of peaceful settlement. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• POLS 635 (Alpha) Topics in International Relations (3) (B) international relations and war; (E) international organization; (F) modeling international systems. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• POLS 640 Comparative Politics (3) Emphasis on Asia, theories of development, and comparative methods. At least one section a semester.
• POLS 642 Indigenous Peoples and Western Imperialism (3) Historical examination of U.S. and European imperialisms, including national narratives, politics, and impacts upon indigenous peoples in the Americas, Pacific, and Asia. Repeatable one time.
• POLS 645 (Alpha) Politics and Development: Regional (3) Politics of particular regions; particular development processes. (C) China. ((C) cross-listed as ASAN 608 and PLAN 608)
• POLS 646 (Alpha) Politics and Development: Topical (3) (F) political ecology and development.
• POLS 647 American Political Institutions in Comparative Perspective (3) Consideration of American political institutions and development relative to American philosophical foundations and non-American political forms. Federalism as an expansive devise will be emphasized, as will American influence and penetration abroad. A-F only. Pre: graduate standing or consent. (Once a year)
• POLS 650 Public Administrative Theory (3) Focus varies among theoretical, comparative and developmental approaches to study of administration. One section each semester.
• POLS 651 Political Leadership (3) Exploration of political leadership as a focus for research, teaching, and applied political science.
• POLS 660 Public Law and Judicial Systems (3) Law, courts, and rights as a political resource; analyses of public law (including court decisions), other forms of dispute management, and judicial behavior and policy-making. Pre: 110.
• POLS 665 (Alpha) Topics in Public Law and Judicial System (3) Recent issues and practices in public law; particular judicial systems. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• POLS 670 Introduction to Public Policy (3) Perspectives on policy analysis; basic approaches to the study of public policy, political economy, and policy evaluation. (Cross-listed as PLAN 607)
• POLS 672 Politics of the Future (3) Introduction to political futures studies; images of future, theories of social change, methods of social forecasting and designing preferred futures. Pre: graduate standing.
• POLS 673 The Future of Political Systems (3) Normative and descriptive forecasts of political institutions, systems, subsystems, and behaviors. Design of preferred systems.
• POLS 675 Topics in Public Policy (3) Particular political processes, specific political institutions, or particular policy area. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• POLS 680 Asian and/or Pacific Politics (3) Political development, international relations, decision-making processes, and systems of political thought in all or part of Asia and/or the Pacific. Repeatable three times.
• POLS 684 Contemporary Native Hawaiian Politics (3) Study of political and social movements, political status, national and cultural identities, and issues of representation of Native Hawaiians.
• POLS 685 (Alpha) Topics in Asian and/or Pacific Politics (3) (C) Korean politics. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• POLS 686 Politics of Hawai'i (3) Examinations from several perspectives of the political, economic, and cultural forces that historically formed Hawai'i and contemporary political themes, issues, and processes. Pre: graduate standing.
• POLS 695 Colloquium (3) Specialized subjects in political science.
• POLS 696 Graduate Intern Seminar (3) Seminar for those seeking internship experience. Repeatable one time. A-F only. Pre: 672 and 673 or consent for the alternative futures option; 620 or consent for the indigenous politics option; consent of advisor for all other options.
• POLS 699 Directed Reading and Research (V) Repeatable unlimited times. Pre: consent.
• POLS 700 Thesis Research (V) Repeatable unlimited times.
• POLS 702 Seminar: Research Methods (3) Conceptual strategies, data collection approaches, and data analysis techniques appropriate to political inquiries. Repeatable unlimited times.
• POLS 703 Writing Politics (3) Seminar on the politics of writing, grammar, translation, argument, genre, and style with significant content on indigenous issues of oral traditions, alternative modes of writing and argument, and language continuance.
• POLS 710 Seminar: Political Thought (3) Pre-announced topics. Repeatable unlimited times. At least one section a year.
• POLS 720 Seminar: Indigenous Theory (3) Pre-announced topics may include gender and sexuality studies, postcolonial theory, colonial discourse analysis, globalization, historiography; emphasis on indigenous epistemologies and the work of native scholars. Repeatable one time.
• POLS 730 Seminar: International Relations (3) Pre-announced problems of both international organization and politics. Repeatable unlimited times. At least one section a semester.
• POLS 740 Seminar: Comparative Government and Politics (3) Pre-announced topics. Repeatable unlimited times. At least one section a semester.
• POLS 770 Seminar: Public Policy (3) Pre-announced topics. Repeatable three times. Pre: consent of instructor. At least one section a year.
• POLS 776 Indigenous Nations and the Problems of Sovereignty (3) Examines intersections of sovereignty and indigenity from comparative and critical perspectives. Engages indigenous studies of sovereignty and of alternative political frameworks. Repeatable one time. (Alt. years)
• POLS 777 Decolonial Futures (3) Topic engages probable and preferable futures of indigenous struggles and resistances. Emphasis placed on the ethics and responsibilities used to move towards those futures.
• POLS 780 Seminar: Politics of Regions (3) Analysis of political development, international relations, decision-making processes, and systems of political thought in regions and subregions of the world. Repeatable.
• POLS 800 Dissertation Research (V) Repeatable unlimited times.

Requirements

1. Application form;
2. One official copy of transcripts directly from the registrar of each institution attended;
3. Official GRE (GEN) scores (required of all doctoral applicants; strongly recommended for M.S. applicants);
4. Official TOEFL score report (Foreign applicants); and
5. Application fee $100
6. Interest statement;
7. Three letters of recommendation from former professors or employers;
8. Curriculum vitae (one page).

Scholarships

• Graduate Assistantships
• Achievement Scholarships