The courses to be offered to the graduate students are designed to provide high quality graduate education for students to prepare them for mid-level careers either in the academic teaching and research fields or in non-academic positions in both the public and private sectors. Below is a list of graduate courses offered by the Department under the new curriculum (as of 2015).
Area I: Philippines Politics
Area II: Political Theory
Area III: Comparative Politics
Area IV: International Relations
Area V: Political Methodology
International Studies
Area I: Philippine Politics
Political Science 201: Theories and Approaches in the Study of Philippine Politics
Theories and approaches for analyzing Philippine politics and their applications in selected issue areas and themes.
Political Science 251: Philippine Political Institutions
Types of political institutions which evolved in the Philippines from the pre-Spanish period to the present.
Political Science 252: Contemporary Philippine Legislation
Issues in Philippine legislation and executive-legislative relations.
Political Science 254: Philippine Local Politics
Issues in the politics and administration of local government units and their relationships with the national government, with emphasis on the role of the local government units in socioeconomic development and democratization.
Political Science 255: Philippine Constitutional Law
Selected issues in Philippine constitutional law, with emphasis on current developments, theories and cases.
Political Science 258: Philippine National and Local Politics and Administration
Directed readings on the issues, trends and problems in national administration and central: local government relations.
Political Science 301: Issues in Philippine Politics
Prerequisite: POLSC 201
Stipulation: May be taken twice provided the issues are different.
Area II: Political Theory
Political Science 220: Issues in Political Theory
Major issues in normative political theory such as those that deal with political authority and obligation, democracy, justice and equality, and citizenship.
Political Science 221: Plato and Aristotle
The political theories of Plato and Aristotle: their influence on political science.
Political Science 222: Medieval Political Thought
The political philosophy of Western and Eastern thinkers.
Political Science 223: Political Obligation
Analysis of classic theories of political obligation – Hobbes’ Leviathan, Locke’s The Treatises of Civil Government and Rousseau’s Social Contract; critique of modern theories of political obligation.
Political Science 225: Socialist and Communist Political Theory
The development of socialist and communist political theories from Babeuf to present.
Political Science 226: The Political and Constitutional Ideas of the Philippine Revolution
Filipino political ideas from the propaganda period to the First Philippine Republic.
Political Science 227: Contemporary Political Thought
Political thought in the 20th century including aspects of critical theory, post-behavioralism, post-structuralism and post-modernism.
Political Science 228: Theories of Democracy
Contending theories of democracy and related concepts like constitutionalism, democratization, republicanism, etc.
Political Science 313: Seminar in the Politics of Revolution
Nature of, and conditions bringing about, revolutions: leadership and ideology; stages of development and impact of revolutions on political development.
Area III: Comparative Politics
Political Science 270: Theories of Comparative Politics
Theories, approaches, and methods in comparative politics.
Political Science 271: Latin American Politics
Comparative theoretical analysis of the politics in selected states and regions in Central and/or South America.
Political Science 272: West Asian Politics
Comparative theoretical analysis of the politics in selected states in West Asia.
Political Science 273: African Politics
Comparative theoretical analysis of the politics in selected African states.
Political Science 274: European Politics
Comparative theoretical analysis of the politics in selected European States.
Political Science 275: Political Parties, Elections and Interest Groups
Problems in Philippine political parties, elections, and interest groups, and their impact on the government.
Political Science 276: The Elite in Politics
The political elite and their role in the political system.
Political Science 277: Asian Politics
Comparative theoretical analysis of the politics in selected Asian countries, except West Asia.
Political Science 278: Gender and Politics
Key theories and assumptions in gender and politics and how they challenge the ways politics is understood, explained and studied, using empirical comparative examples.
Political Science 279: Local Politics in Asia
Issues in organization, administration, national-local relations and autonomy of local government units in selected Asian countries.
Political Science 320: Issues in Comparative Politics
Prerequisite: POLSC 270
Stipulation: May be taken twice provided the issues are different.
Political Science 323: Comparative Democratic Regimes
Approaches to the comparative study of democratic regimes worldwide with empirical cases.
Political Science 324: Socialist Political Systems
Theory and practice of major socialist political systems.
Political Science 325: The Developing States
The theory and practice of the government and politics of selected developing states.
Political Science 326: The Politics of the Developed States
A comparative investigation of political processes and institutions in selected developed states such as the United States, Japan, and Western Europe, particularly as these relate to political change.
Area IV: International Relations
Political Science 280: Philippine Foreign Relations
Selected issues in current Philippine foreign relations.
Political Science 282: Comparative Foreign Policy
The determinants, goals, techniques, problems and machinery in the formulation and conduct of foreign policy of selected countries.
Political Science 283: International Political Economy
International political and economic system, particularly the capitalist world system, as the framework and determinant of public policy and the economic performance.
Political Science 285: Issues in International Law
Selected issues in current international law.
Political Science 330: Seminar in the Foreign Policy of Major Powers
Major powers’ foreign policy issues, interests, actors, and processes.
Political Science 331: Special Problems in International Relations
Prerequisite: Intl Stud 290
Stipulation: May be taken twice provided the issues are different.
Political Science 332: Regional Organizations and World Security
Development and trends toward regional organization and integration; regional blocs and organization within the framework of world order and security.
Political Science 333: Seminar in International Organizations
Selected issues of the United Nations and other international organizations.
Area V: Political Methodology
Social Science 203: Advanced Quantitative Methods
Quantitative models and methods in social science.
Political Science 210: Advanced Political Analysis
Critical analysis of epistemological and methodological issues in the study of politics.
Political Science 211: Advanced Qualitative Methods in Political Science
Qualitative research designs, approaches and methods as applied in political science.
Political Science 299: Research in Political Science
Approaches to the study of politics and research proposal development.
Political Science 343: Special Problems in Political Theory and Method
Political Science 300: Master’s Thesis
Political Science 400: Dissertation
International Affairs
International Affairs 202: Foreign Policy Analysis.
Concepts and models in foreign policy analysis.
International Affairs 205: Evolution of the International System.
Survey of key events that have affected inter-state, trans-continental and cross-cultural relations since 1648.
International Affairs 290: Theories of International Relations.
An examination of key concepts and theories in International Relations.
International Affairs 203: The Geographical Context of International Affairs.
Theoretical perspectives in the interplay between geography and the different domains of international affairs.
International Affairs 209: Readings in International Affairs.
Disciplinary perspectives on international affairs through the study of key texts in the field.
International Affairs 261: Contemporary International Issues and Trends.
Ideas, issues and actions shaping contemporary international relations.
International Affairs 263: International Security.
Theoretical and empirical literature on international security.
International Affairs 264: Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.
Theoretical perspectives on peace and conflict.
International Affairs 267: Special Topics in International Affairs.
Emerging theoretical and policy research areas in the field of international affairs.
International Affairs 299: Research Methods in International Studies.
Advanced research design, approaches and methods in international affairs.