Courses

Core Requirements

Code

Title 

Units 

PLSI 200

Intro to American Politics 

3

PLSI 250

Intro to Comparative Politics 

3

PLSI 275

Intro to Political Theory 

3

PLSI 302

GWAR Writing for Political Science 

4

PLSI 303

Fundamentals of Political Science 

2

PLSI 304

Scientific Inquiry in Political Science 

4

   

 

Here is the complete list of Political Science courses that satisfy general education requirements.

SF State GE Requirements – Political Science Courses

PLSI Title Fulfills

100

Understanding Politics (SJ)

LD: Area D: Social Sciences: D1: Social Sciences

106

Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy: Introduction to Political Economy (SJ)

LD: Area D: Social Sciences: D1: Social Sciences

 

150

Contemporary Moral/Political Issues (SJ)

LD: Area C: Arts & Humanities: C2: Humanities

 

200

American Politics

LD: Area D: Social Sciences: D3: U.S. and California Government

322

Latin American Policy Analysis (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

354

Politics, the Environment, and Social Changes (ES, SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

355

Politics and Ethics of Consumer Society (ES, SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

381

Political Theories of Sexuality (SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

386

Introduction to Critical Social Thought (SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

388

Politics and the Popular (SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

393

Anarchist Political Theory (SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

404

Politics of China (4) (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

407

Politics of Russia (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

408

Mexican Politics and Society (AERM, GP, SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

410

Middle East Politics (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

411

East Asian Politics (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

416

Ethnicity and Nationalism (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

419

Comparative Political Economy (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

430

Israeli Democracy: Politics, Institutions, and Society (GP)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

466

Race and American Democracy (AERM, SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

560

Urban Poverty and Policy (4) (SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

580

Housing Policy and Planning (AERM, GP, SJ)

UD: D: Social Sciences

 

 

SJ – Social Justice, GP – Global Perspectives, AERM – American Ethnic and Racial Minorities, ES – Environmental Sustainability

Which Courses Count for what Breadth Field?

*Please note that, if you have already fulfilled your breadth requirements, any additional breadth class listed here can be used to count towards PLSI elective units

Breadth Field: American Politics

  • PLSI/PA 400: Introduction to Public Policy (3 Units)
  • PLSI 460: Topics in American Politics* (4 Units)
  • PLSI 461: Voting Behavior, Campaigns, and Elections (4 Units)
  • PLSI 462: Applied Public Opinion Research (4 Units)
  • PLSI 463:The Politics of Immigration in the United States (4 Units)
  • PLSI 464: Race and American Politics (4 Units)
  • PLSI 465: Reason, Passion, and Political Behavior (4 Units)
  • PLSI 467: Politics and Community Organizing (4 Units)
  • PLSI 468: Women and American Politics (4 Units)
  • PLSI 469: Women’s Political Movements in the U.S. (4 Units)
  • PLSI 470: The Politics of Sex and Reproduction (4 Units)
  • PLSI 472: Civic and Political Engagement (4 Units)
  • PLSI 473: California Politics and Government (4 Units)
  • PLSI 475: San Francisco Political Issues (4 Units)
  • PLSI 476: The American Presidency (4 Units)
  • PLSI 477: Congress and the Presidency (4 Units)
  • PLSI 479: The United States Congress (4 Units)
  • PLSI 512: Urban Politics and Community Power (4 Units)
  • PLSI 603: Public Service Internships (3 Units)
  • PLSI 604: Internship Seminar (1 Unit)

Breadth Field: Comparative Politics

  • PLSI 307: Qualitative Methods in Political Science and International Relations (4 Units)
  • PLSI 328: Domestic and Foreign Policy: Post-Communist Regions (4 Units)
  • PLSI 403: Cases in Comparative Politics (4 Units) * Formerly PLSI 319
  • PLSI 404: Politics of China (4 Units)
  • PLSI 406: Radical Right Politics: Far-Right Parties in Contemporary Europe (4 Units)
  • PLSI 407: Politics in Russia (4 Units)
  • PLSI 408: Mexico Politics and Society (3 Units)
  • PLSI 409: Russia and World order (4 Units)
  • PLSI 410: Middle East Politics (4 Units)
  • PLSI 411: East Asian Politics (4 Units)
  • PLSI 412: South Asian Politics (4 Units)
  • PLSI 415: Politics of India (4 Units)
  • PLSI 416: Ethnicity and Nationalism (4 Units)
  • PLSI 417: Gender, Equality and Politics: A Comparative Perspective (4 Units)
  • PLSI 418: Political Transitions in East and Southeast Asia (4 Units)
  • PLSI 419: Comparative Political Economy (4 Units)
  • PLSI 420: State-Society Relations in the Middle East (4 Units)
  • PLSI 421: Social Movements in the Francophone World (In French) (4 Units)
  • PLSI 422: Law and Courts in Comparative Perspective (4 Units)
  • PLSI 423: Video Games, Politics, and The State (4 Units)
  • PLSI 424: Social Movements (4 Units)
  • PLSI 425: Imagining Power in the Middle East (4 Units)
  • PLSI 431: Constructing Kurdistan (4 Units)
  • PLSI 435: Politics of Global Finance and Crisis (4 Units)
  • PLSI 459: Refugees in Global Perspective (4 Units)

Breadth Field: Political Theory

  • PLSI 309: Methods and Approaches in Political Theory (4 Units)
  • PLSI 351: Political Theory: The Classical Tradition (4 Units)
  • PLSI 352: Political Theory: Reformation to the 19th Century (4 Units)
  • PLSI 353: Political Theory: The 20th Century (4 Units)
  • PLSI 354: Politics, the Environment, and Social Change (4 Units)
  • PLSI 355: Politics and Ethics of the Consumer Society (3 Units)
  • PLSI 356: Political Theories of Neoliberalism (4 Units)
  • PLSI 357: Political Movements:Lessons from Freedom Summer (4 Units)
  • PLSI 360: Development of American Political Thought (4 Units)
  • PLSI 371: Marxist Political Theory (4 Units)
  • PLSI 372: Critical Political Theory (4 Units)
  • PLSI 381: Political Theories of Sexuality (4 Units)
  • PLSI 382: Politics and Literature (4 Units)
  • PLSI 386: Introduction to Critical Social Thought (3 Units)
  • PLSI 387: Non-Western Comparative Political Thought (4 Units)
  • PLSI 388: Politics and the Popular (4 Units)
  • PLSI 389: Latin American Revolutionary Societies (4 Units)
  • PLSI 392: Latin American Political Thought (4 Units)
  • PLSI 393: Anarchist Political Theory (4 Units)
  • PLSI 394: Political Theories of Work, Labor and Free Time (4 Units)
  • PLSI 396: Fascism and Communism in 20th Century Europe (4 Units) * Formerly PLSI 405

Breadth Field: Public Law

(Note: PLSI 478 is a prerequisite for PLSI 554, 556, 557, 561 and 609)

  • PLSI 308: Research and Writing for Public Law (4 Units)
  • PLSI 478: Judicial Process (4 Units)
  • PLSI 481: Race and Public Law (4 Units)
  • PLSI 552: Individual Rights and the Constitution (4 Units)
  • PLSI 553: Legal Issues (4 Units)
  • PLSI 554: Separation of Powers and Federalism (4 Units)
  • PLSI 555: Moot Court* (4 Units)
  • PLSI 556: Constitutional Law: First Amendment (4 Units)
  • PLSI 557: Constitutional Law: Fourteenth Amendment (4 Units)
  • PLSI 561: Jurisprudence (4 Units)
  • PLSI 562: Jurisprudence Writing Workshop (2 Units)
  • PLSI 610: Judicial and Legal Internship (3 Units)
  • PLSI 611: Judicial and Legal Internship Seminar (1 Unit)

(610/611 must be taken concurrently)

*PLSI 555: Moot Court May be repeated once for credit, but only 4 units may be applied to breadth.

*Please note that, if you have already fulfilled your breadth and senior seminar requirements, any additional breadth or senior seminar class can be used to count towards PLSI elective units.

  • PLSI 100: Understanding Politics (3 Units)
  • PLSI 105: Principles of Government and Politics (3 Units)
  • PLSI 106: Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy: Intro to Political Economy (3 Units)
  • PLSI 150: Contemporary Moral/Political Issues (3 Units)
  • PLSI 276: Public Lecture Series in Politics (2 Units) (Credit/No Credit)
  • PLSI 318: Modern Citizenship: Pundits, Podcasts, and Political Know-How in the 21st Century (2 Units)
  • PLSI 320: Political Forum: Current Topics* (2 Units)
  • PLSI 321: Development and Foreign Policy: Africa (4 Units)
  • PLSI 322: Latin American Policy Analysis (4 Units)
  • PLSI 325: Chinese Foreign Policy (4 Units)
  • PLSI 329: U.S.-Japan Politics (4 Units)
  • PLSI 342: Strategy and War (4 Units)
  • PLSI 362: Domestic and Transnational Sources of U.S. Foreign Policy (4 Units)
  • PLSI 373: Essentials of California Politics (1 Unit)
  • PLSI 395: Political Theory of Pedagogy (3 Units)
  • PLSI 402/PA 402: Introduction to Public Administration (3 Units)
  • PLSI 430: Israeli Democracy: Politics, Institutions and Society (3 Units)
  • PLSI 492: Research Methods (4 Units)
  • PLSI 493: Data Analysis (4 Units)
  • PLSI 500: Labor and Government (3 Units)
  • PLSI 544: Women in the World (4 Units)
  • PLSI 560: Urban Poverty and Policy (4 Units)
  • PLSI 570: Urban Health Policy (3 Units)
  • PLSI 580: Housing Policy and Planning (3 Units)
  • PLSI 660: The Roles of Nonprofit Organizations in Urban Life (3 Units)
  • PLSI 685: Projects in the Teaching of Political Science (1 - 4 Units)
  • PLSI 699: Independent Study (by petition and consent of instructor) (1 - 4 Units)

Political Science (M.A.) — Minimum 30 units

Core Requirements (12 units)

Course List
Code Title Units
PLSI 700 Research Methods 3
PLSI 740 Seminar in American Politics 3
PLSI 760 Seminar in Comparative Politics 3
PLSI 780 Seminar in Political Theory 3

Elective Requirements (6–9 units)

Students choosing to do a thesis should take at least two courses; those opting for comprehensive examinations should select three courses from the following:

  • Topics in American Politics – Any political science course with a number in the range of 741 to 759
  • Topics in Comparative Politics – Any political science course with a number in the range of 761 to 779
  • Topics in Political Theory – Any political science course with a number in the range of 781 to 797
  • or graduate seminar (3–4 units) in a related field upon advisement and approval

Related Courses (9 units)

Graduate seminars and/or upper division undergraduate courses in political science or related fields upon advisement and approval of the graduate coordinator.

Culminating Requirement (0–3 units)

Course List
Code Title Units
PLSI 896EXM Culminating Experience Examination 0
or PLSI 898 Master's Thesis

Students who want to enroll in a course of independent study (PLSI 899) must have a GPA of at least 3.25.

Senior Seminar: Culminating Experience (3-4 units)

Course List
Code Title Units
PLSI 602 Senior Seminar: Politics as Story  3
PLSI 605 Senior Seminar: Student's Choice Empirical Research Project 4
PLSI 606 Senior Seminar in American Politics 3
PLSI 607 Senior Seminar in Comparative Politics 3
PLSI 608 Senior Seminar in Political Theory 3
PLSI 609 Senior Seminar in Public Law: Legal Issues 3
PLSI 613 Senior Seminar: The Politics of Harry Potter  3
PLSI 614 Senior Seminar: The Politics of Abortion in the United States  3

 

The Political Science Department partners with many other depts to offer courses with a PLSI prefix but are primarily taught and managed by other "Home" Departments. See below for a list of cross-listed PLSI courses. 

Cross-listed Courses Housed in the PLSI Dept.

Course

Home Department/Program  

PLSI 386/CST 300: Intro to Critical Social Thought

Political Science 

PLSI 372/HUM 372/ IR 372: Critical Political Theory 

Political Science 

PLSI 394/LABR 394: Political Theories of Work/Labor 

Political Science 

PLSI 396/IR 357: Fascism & Communism in Europe  

Political Science 

PLSI 400/PA 400: Introduction to Public Policy Political Science

PLSI 404/IR 404: Politics of China 

Political Science 

PLSI 407/IR 407: Politics of Russia 

Political Science 

PLSI 411/IR 411: East Asian Politics 

Political Science 

PLSI 412/IR 412: South Asian Politics 

Political Science 

PLSI 416/IR 416: Ethnicity & Nationalism

Political Science 

PLSI 422/IR 422: Comparative Law & Courts

Political Science 

PLSI 424/SOC 424/IR 424: Social Movements 

Political Science 

PLSI 425/IR 425: Imagining Power in the Middle East 

Political Science 

PLSI 431/MEIS 431: Constructing Kurdistan

Political Science 

PLSI 435/IR 435/FIN 435: Politics of the Global Financial Crisis

Political Science 

PLSI 470/SXS 470/WGS 470: Politics of Sex & Reproduction

Political Science 

PLSI 475/USP 485: SF Political Issues

Political Science 

PLSI 603/604/USP 603/604: Public Service Internships & Seminar

Political Science 

PLSI 786/GER 786/HUM 725: Great Theorists: Benjamin

Political Science 

Cross-listed Courses Housed Outside the PLSI Dept.

Course

Home Department/Program  

FR 421/PLSI 421: Mouvements Sociaux 

Modern Languages & Literatures 

GER 514/PLSI 514/HIST 514/IR 514/JS 514: Terrorism & Germany in English

Modern Languages & Literatures 

HIST 308/PLSI 451: Engaging Democracy

History 

IR 321/PLSI 321: Development and Foreign Policy: Africa 

International Relations 

IR 322/PLSI 322: Latin American Policy Analysis

International Relations 

IR 325/PLSI 325: Chinese Foreign Policy 

International Relations 

IR 327/PLSI 327: Europe: Forming a Union

International Relations 

IR 328/PLSI 328: Domestic & Foreign Policy: Post-Communist Regimes 

International Relations 

IR 329/PLSI 329: US-Japan Politics 

International Relations 

IR 337/PLSI 432: Intro to European Union 

International Relations 

IR 342/PLSI 342: Modern Conflict & Hybrid War

International Relations 

IR 362/PLSI 462/CR 362: Politics & US Foreign Policy 

International Relations 

IR 409/PLSI 409: Russia & the World Order

International Relations 

IR 459/PLSI 459: Refugees in Global Perspective 

International Relations 

IR 544/PLSI 544: Women in the World 

International Relations 

IR 417/PLSI 417: Gender Equality & Politics: Comparative Perspective 

International Relations 

JS 430/PLSI 430/IR 430: Israel Democracy & Society 

Jewish Studies 

LABR 500/PLSI 500: Labor & Government 

Labor & Employment Studies 

LTNS 670/PLSI 408: Mexican Politics & Society

Latina/Latino Studies 

PLSI 150/PHIL 150: Contemporary Political & Moral Issues 

Philosophy 

PHIL 355/PLSI 355: Politics and Ethics of Consumer Society 

Philosophy 

SOC 485/PLSI 485: Political Sociology 

Sociology & Sexuality Studies  

USP 513/PLSI 513/GEOG 668: Politics & Law in Urban Environments 

Urban Studies & Planning 

USP 560/PLSI 560: Urban Poverty & Policy 

Urban Studies & Planning 

USP 570/PLSI 570/LABR 570: Urban Health Policy

Urban Studies & Planning 

USP 580/PLSI 580: Housing Policy & Planning 

Urban Studies & Planning 

 

Cross-Listed Courses that the PLSI Dept. Shares with Other Departments/Programs

Course

Home Department/Program  

PLSI 112/LCA 112/HIST 112/PHIL 112: Civic Engagement 

N/A

PLSI 307/I R 307: Qualitative Methods in PLSI/IR

N/A

PLSI 434/HUM 434/JS 414/PHIL 414: Ardent & Heidegger

N/A

PLSI 480/USP 480: Intro to Urban Politics & Analysis 

N/A

PLSI 492/USP 492: Research Methods 

N/A

PLSI 493/USP 493: Data Analysis 

N/A

PLSI 512/USP 512: Urban Politics & Community Power 

N/A