School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies

207-208 Arts and Sciences Building,
(307) 766-6484
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/sppais
School Head: Stephanie Anderson

Professors:

STEPHANIE B. ANDERSON, B.S.F.S. Georgetown University 1989; M.Sc. The London School of Economics and Political Science 1990; Ph.D. University of Cambridge 1996; Professor of Political Science 2017, 2005.

R. MCGREGGOR CAWLEY, B.A. Kearney State College 1971; M.A. Colorado State University 1974; Ph.D. 1981; Professor of Political Science 1997, 1987.

TEENA J. GABRIELSON, B.A. Macalester College 1992; M.A. University of California - Davis 1997; Ph.D. 2002; Professor of Political Science 2019, 2006.

JEAN A. GARRISON, B.A. University of Wyoming 1990; M.A. University of South Carolina 1992; Ph.D. 1996; Professor of Political Science, International Studies 2010, 2001.

JAMES D. KING, B.A. Michigan State University 1974; M.A. Western Michigan University 1977; Ph.D. University of MissouriColumbia 1983; Professor of Political Science 1999, 1992.

BRENT L. PICKETT, B.A. Wichita State University 1989; M.A. University of Colorado at Boulder 1991; Ph.D. 1995; Professor of Political Science - Casper 2010, 2005.

ROBERT A. SCHUHMANN, B.S. Appalachian State University 1987; M.P.A. 1989; Ph.D. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1995; Professor of Political Science 2013, 1995.

Associate Professors:

NEVIN AIKEN, B.A. University of Western Ontario 2003; M.A. 2004; Ph.D. University of British Columbia 2010; Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies 2016, 2010.

YI-LING CHEN, B.S. National Taiwan University 1989; M.S. 1992; Ph.D. Rutgers University 2000; Associate Professor of International Studies and Geography 2015, 2010.

ANDREW D. GARNER, B.S. Kennesaw State University 2002; Ph.D. University of Mississippi 2007; Associate Professor of Political Science 2014, 2008.

THOMAS R. SEITZ, B.S. University of the State of New York 1988; M.A. University of Kent at Canterbury 1989; Ph.D. University of Cambridge 1997; Associate Professor of International Studies 2015, 2009.

Assistant Professors:

NICHOLAS CRANE, B.A. The Ohio State University 2006; M.A. 2008; Ph.D. 2014; Assistant Professor of Geography and International Studies 2016.

JASON B. MCCONNELL, B.S. University of Wyoming 1998, MA 2003, J.D. 2005; Ph.D. Washington State University 2017; Assistant Professor of Political Science 2018.

ZOE PEARSON, B.A. University of California Los Angeles 2005; M.A. Ohio State University 2010; Ph.D. 2016; Assistant Professor of Geography and International Studies 2016.

JUSTIN T. PICCORELLI, B.A. Loyola Marymount University 2004; M.P.A. Cleveland State University 2009; Ph.D. 2014; Assistant Professor of Public Administration 2015.

GABEL C. TAGGART, B.S. Brigham Young University 2010; M.P.P. 2013; Ph.D. Arizona State University 2017; Assistant Professor of Public Administration 2018.

Senior Academic Lecturer:

ANNE ALEXANDER, B.B.A. New Mexico State University, 1991; M.S. 1993; Ph.D. University of Wyoming, 2001; Senior Academic Lecturer, 2019, 2013; Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs 2020.

Associate Lecturer:

RUTH BJÖRKENWALL, B.A. University of California at Berkeley, 1989; M.A. 2004; Associate Lecturer 2018, 2013.

Professors Emeriti:

Winberg Chai, Larry Hubbell, Garth Massey, Margaret M. Murdock, Stephen C. Ropp, Oliver Walter

Associate Professor Emeritus:

Alan E. Schenker

Adjunct Faculty

(see department section following name for academic credentials)

Tanja Börzel, political science, Freie Universitaet Berlin
Roger Coupal, agriculture and applied economics
Susan Dewey, gender and women’s studies
Michael Harkin, anthropology
Mark Peterson, management and marketing
Thomas Risse, political science, Freie Universitaet Berlin
Amy Roberts, elementary and early childhood education
Chris Rothfuss, international studies
Mona Schatz, social work
Ed Sherline, philosophy
J.J. Shinker, geography
Lilia Soto, American studies and latina/o studies
Jim Thurman, international studies, political science - Central Wyoming College

International Studies

Undergraduate Learning Outcomes

Goal 1. Students graduating with a BA in international studies will be able to recognize and appreciate the historical, political, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of international processes and issues, integrating these into an interdisciplinary perspective.

Goal 2. Students graduating with a BA in international studies will have the capability to critically read, write about, discuss, and engage in scholarly inquiry related to international processes and issues.

Goal 3. Students graduating with a BA in international studies will have a minimal level of fluency in a second language and are expected to experience a foreign locale in which to use the second language skills.

Goal 4. Students will be made aware of career and post-graduate opportunities suitable for an international studies major.

Graduate Learning Outcomes

All students who graduate with a Master’s degree in international studies will be able to:

Engage in independent empirical inquiry that makes an original contribution to the field of study;
Think critically and reason logically about a problem and the ways it can be answered;
Employ the best recognized methods appropriate to their research;
Effectively develop alternative explanations, use theories and concepts to guide the research project, and conduct the work in such a way that disproof is possible; and
Present their work intelligently, with both written and oral capability at a level of professional expectations.

They will have a broad understanding of:

International affairs;
The diversity of national cultures and social structures;
Political and economic systems;
Major global trends and problems.

General Requirements for the International Studies Major

A student must complete 36 hours of course work and 16 hours of foreign language.

Concurrent Major

A concurrent major is a second major pursued alongside the primary major. The majors can be in one or more colleges. One degree is awarded from the college of the primary major. University Studies requirements need only be satisfied once.

Dual Degree

A dual degree is a second degree pursued either in the same college as the first degree or in another college. University Studies requirements need only be satisfied once. Students must meet all the college and major requirements for both majors. Students must complete at least 30 credit hours (minimum 12 upper-division hours) beyond the credit hours required for the degree with the smallest number of credit hours required. An academic advisor for each degree is required.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree must earn a minimum of 30 additional credit hours from UW, 12 of which must be upper-division. A student must also fulfill all of the college and major requirements, however, University Studies requirements only need to be met once if the first degree is from UW.

Undergraduate Minors

Students can minor in 3 areas by fulfilling one of the following sets of requirements:

Graduate Study

Students take the Plan A (thesis). Students must have a minimum of 26 hours of graded non-thesis coursework and 4 hours of thesis.

Program Specific Admission Requirements

Admission is open to all students holding a bachelor’s degree in any major. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and a minimum GRE score of 150 in Verbal and 141 in Quantitative. The GRE may be waived if the applicant already possesses a graduate degree. In addition, the LSAT or GMAT may be used in lieu of the GRE, and scores for alternative tests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Foreign students, who are non-native English speakers, must pass the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).

Political Science

Political Science is the study of how societies govern themselves and interact with one another. Courses of instruction in the Political Science major are offered in the following subfields: American politics, comparative government, international relations, political philosophy, public law, and public administration. Areas of focus include analysis of government structures and processes, citizens’ influence on government, policy content, philosophical concepts and traditions, political systems of other states, and resolution of conflicts between nations. By developing critical thinking and analytical skills, the major prepares students for effective participation in the political process, successful careers in the public and private sectors, and further study in law, political science, and public administration.

In 1925, the state legislature passed a law requiring the study of the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions by all University of Wyoming students. Political Science 1000 satisfies this requirement, but the requirement can also be satisfied by special examination given periodically by the School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies.

Learning Outcomes

We continuously and actively assess the Political Science undergraduate curriculum to ensure that the following learning outcomes are being met for each of our graduates:

Acquisition of a knowledge and understanding of the values, beliefs, and institutions that constitute governing processes;
Acquisition of an understanding of the disctinctions among the major subfields of the discipline including: American politics and law; international relations; comparative politics; and political theory;
Development of a knowledge and understanding of citizens’ roles within governing processes;
Acquisition of a knowledge of the theories and analytic skills necessary to evaluate conflicting arguments, assemble and present appropriate evidence, and make reasoned conclusions from the evidence available;
The ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in written form.

Undergraduate Minors

The school offers optional undergraduate minors in American politics, international relations and comparative government, public law, and political theory. Eighteen hours are required in each minor, including 9 hours of upper-division courses and one seminar. A maximum of 3 hours of internship credit may be applied towards the 18 hours required for the political science minor. At least 12 credit hours in a minor must be from courses not counted toward the student’s major. Information relating to specific courses fulfilling minor requirements may be obtained from the School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies: www.uwyo.edu/sppais.

Students can minor in 4 areas by fulfilling one of the sets of requirements presented below. At least 12 credit hours in a minor must be from courses not counted toward the requirements of a degree major. A maximum of 6 hours of internship credit can be applied to the requirements for a minor.

Teacher Education

The teacher certification program in Secondary Social Studies Education, with a concurrent major in Political Science is available through the College of Education. A minimum 2.500 UW grade point average and a 2.500 grade point average in Political Science and Social Studies content are required to change majors. Further information may be found under the College of Education section in this Catalog.

Major or Minor in Environment and Natural Resources

The Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) offers a second major or minor for students interested in interdisciplinary training in the policy, legal, economic, scientific, ethical, and other perspectives associated with ENR challenges. The Haub School uses problem-based learning and interdisciplinary team teaching. Students of all disciplines are welcome to take classes in ENR or add ENR to their degree program. Contact the Haub School at (307) 766-5080, senr@uwo.edu, or www.uwyo.edu/enr.

Graduate Study

The master of arts and the master of public administration are offered by the School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies. The school’s mission is to give graduate students an understanding of the theories and methods necessary for success in (1) research or in post-baccalaureate study in any of the subfields in political science, (2) high school teaching in social science, or (3) careers in policy analysis or public administration in local, state, or federal government, or international governmental or non-governmental organizations. Our graduate students have progressed to senior positions in government, the U.S. Foreign Service, and international organizations; they have pursued rewarding careers in education and the private sector; and they have advanced to Ph.D. programs in political science and related fields.

Program Specific Admission Requirements

Master of Arts in Political Science

Admission is open to all students holding a bachelor’s degree in any major. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Foreign students, who are non-native English speakers, must pass the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).

Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)

Admission is competitive and is open to all students holding a bachelor’s degree in any major. Applicants must have a minimum 3.00 GPA, 2 letters of recommendation, a letter of intent, and a short analytic writing sample. Foreign students, who are non-native English speakers, must also pass the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Only one class, POLS 5000, may be taken prior to full admission into the program with permission of the MPA director.