nyu phd in politics

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Course Offerings

Politics (2022 - 2024), political theory.

Political Theory (core course) POL-UA 100 Offered every semester. 4 points. Alternative conceptions of political life are examined from both theoretical and historical perspectives. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, and Marx.

Topics in Premodern Political Philosophy POL-UA 110 Formerly Political Thought from Plato to Machiavelli. Identical to MEDI-UA 110. Offered periodically. 4 points. Intensive introduction to the major themes of Western political thought.

Topics in Modern Political Thought: 1500 to the Present POL-UA 120 Offered periodically. 4 points. Careful study of primary works. Authors include Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche.

Ethics, Politics, and Public Policy POL-UA 130 Offered periodically. 4 points. Under what conditions, if any, might we permit political actors to do bad in order to do good? What is it that we want the state to accomplish, and at what cost? Topics vary.

Theories of Justice POL-UA 138 Prerequisite: Political Theory (POL-UA 100). Offered every year. 4 points. A range of influential approaches, including those advocated by libertarians, utilitarians, egalitarians, feminists, communitarians, and Marxists. Examines and interrogates the underlying moral assumptions on which political convictions rest.

Socialist Theory POL-UA 140 Offered in the fall. 4 points. Concentrates on those socialist schools—Christian socialism, utopian socialism, Marxism, Fabianism, and anarchism—that have proved to be the most successful. Presents their major theories and examines the usefulness of such theories in helping us to understand the world in which we live.

Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict POL-UA 150 Prerequisite: Political Theory (POL-UA 100). Offered periodically. 4 points. Surveys the historical phases of nationalist development, from the early cases of Great Britain and the United States, through the later cases of Europe and Latin America, the anticolonial cases of Africa and much of Asia, and, finally, the often religiously based movements of the present era. Considers justifications of nationalism, both in the abstract and in particular cases.

Democracy and Dictatorship POL-UA 160 Offered periodically. 4 points. Institutional characteristics and legal foundations, with a focus on ideological and contextual factors. Challenges traditional distinctions between democracy and dictatorship.

American Political Thought POL-UA 170 Prerequisite: Political Theory (POL-UA 100). Offered periodically. 4 points. Topics: revolution and independence, the framing of the Constitution, Hamiltonian nationalism, Jeffersonian republicanism, Jacksonian democracy, pro-slavery and antislavery thought, Civil War and Reconstruction, social Darwinism and laissez-faire, the reformist thought of populism, progressivism and socialism, legal realism, the New Deal and 20th century liberalism, modern conservatism, civil rights, and anti-war protest.

Undergraduate Field Seminar: Political Theory POL-UA 195 Prerequisites: Political Theory (POL-UA 100) and three other politics courses, junior or senior standing, and a minimum 3.0 GPA, or permission of the instructor. Offered every semester. 4 points. Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors in political theory. Topics vary.

American Government and Politics

Power and Politics in America (core course) POL-UA 300 Offered every semester. 4 points. Surveys institutions and behavior and introduces a variety of analytical concepts and approaches. Topics: public goods and collective action; preference aggregation and the median voter theorem; delegation, representation, and accountability; agenda control; interbranch bargaining; and the mechanisms of private influence on public policy.

Public Policy POL-UA 306 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered in the fall. 4 points. How agendas are set and issues are processed in Washington. Covers Congress, the bureaucracy, program implementation, policy analysis, and budgeting. Close examination of an important current issue.

The Presidency POL-UA 310 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered periodically. 4 points. Examines presidential roles, including those of commander-in-chief; director of foreign policy; leader in legislation, administration, and party affairs; manager of the economy; and dispenser of social justice.

The Biology of Politics POL-UA 311 Offered every year. 4 points. How genetic differences may, at least in part, help to explain individual differences in political participation.

Controversies in Public Policy: Logic and Evidence POL-UA 315 Offered every year. 4 points. Applies sabermetrics (logic and evidence applied to baseball, as seen in the film  Moneyball ) to such issues as designing health policy and dealing with climate change.

Congress and Legislative Assemblies POL-UA 320 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered periodically. 4 points. Origin, structure, functions, and dynamics of legislatures in the United States. Although some attention is given to state legislatures and municipal lawmaking bodies, the major emphasis is on the Congress.

The American Constitution POL-UA 330 Offered every semester. 4 points. Close reading of Supreme Court opinions and consideration of their legal and philosophical content. Examines the distribution of constitutional power among Congress, the president, and the federal courts; between the national government and the states; and among the states. Constitutional law and American political and economic development.

Civil Liberties POL-UA 332 Offered periodically. 4 points. Interpretation of the Bill of Rights, the Civil War amendments, and other rights in the U.S. Constitution. Topics: freedom of speech and press; free exercise of religion and separation of church and state; the right of privacy; rights of the criminally accused; and equal protection of the law against race, gender, and other discrimination. Close reading of Supreme Court opinions and consideration of their legal and philosophical content.

The United States Supreme Court POL-UA 333 Prerequisite: The American Constitution (POL-UA 330) or Civil Liberties (POL-UA 332). Offered periodically. 4 points. The third branch of government as chief interpreter of the Constitution and reviewer of the work of government. Considers the structure, procedures, personnel, and informal organization of the court, along with the appointment process. Attention to the impact of the court’s decisions and to public opinion about the court. Emphasis on the court’s political role in a democratic polity.

American Law and Legal System POL-UA 334 Offered periodically. 4 points. Close reading of cases. Topics: the adjudication of conflict, the structure and functions of trial and appellate courts, civil and criminal procedure, judicial remedies, judicial decision making, and the limits of judicial relief. Uses tort, contract, property, divorce, and other law for illustration.

Law and Society POL-UA 335 Identical to LWSOC-UA 1, SCA-UA 722. Offered every year. 4 points. Critically examines the relationship between law and such political and social causes as the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and the labor and environmental movements. Emphasis on law as a political process, legal remedies for racial and gender discrimination, and class-action torts. The limits and possibilities of law as a process for social change.

Gender in Law POL-UA 336 Identical to SCA-UA 723. Offered every other year. 4 points. The relationship between gender politics, legal theory, and social policy. Studies legal constructions of gender identities. Analyzes major debates in feminist legal theory. Addresses sex discrimination in the workplace, feminization of the legal profession, and regulation of reproduction and of consensual sexual activity.

The Rule of Law POL-UA 337 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered every year. 4 points. Political conditions that promote the rule of law, as well as challenges to the rule of law in times of emergency. Topics: connection between law and morality, political foundation of the rule of law, rule of law in times of crisis, effects of emergency powers on rule of law, and rule of law and terrorism prevention.

Political Parties POL-UA 340 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered periodically. 4 points. Development of the two-party system from its origins to the present. Formal organization of parties on the national and state levels and control of the parties within the state. Party politics, political machines, ethnic politics, nominations for public office, and effects of pressure groups on the party system. The course of national elections.

Private Influence in Public Policy POL-UA 341 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered periodically. 4 points. Topics: analysis of mechanisms of influence (selection of sympathetic incumbents, the provision of incentives for public officials, and the provision of information); objects of influence (voter choices, legislative behavior, bureaucratic decisions); collective action; and organizational maintenance.

American Public Opinion POL-UA 342 Formerly American Public Opinion and Pressure Groups. Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered every year. 4 points. Attempts made to define, identify, survey, analyze, and evaluate the influence of public opinion, as well as how citizens unite in interest groups to influence or pressure government. These groups’ roles and methods and their relationship to political parties, elected and appointed officeholders, and the democratic process.

The Election Process POL-UA 344 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered every other year. 4 points. Utilizes different theoretical approaches to the study of campaigns and elections and the testing of empirical hypotheses. Analyzes campaign strategies of political candidates, the use of polls and media in campaigns, and the effects of issues and personalities on election outcomes. Evaluates the role of presidential primaries and elections in the functioning of a democracy.

Bureaucracy and Public Policy POL-UA 350 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered periodically. 4 points. How have public bureaucracies evolved to their current form? Why do bureaucrats engage in behavior that many of us consider pathological or arbitrary? How can unelected government officials be made more accountable to their elected counterparts and to citizens? Draws on cases of government in action in a number of different public policy areas.

The Politics of Administrative Law POL-UA 354 Offered every year. 4 points. Examines legal, political, and economic issues in government regulation. Topics: the historical origins of regulation, the legal philosophy of administrative regulation, the relationship between courts and agencies, the political and social conflicts surrounding regulatory politics, and the role of law in state formation.

Urban Government and Politics POL-UA 360 Identical to SCA-UA 753. Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered every year. 4 points. Municipal governments profoundly impact the day-to-day life of citizens. Cities have substantial power over policy areas from education and public safety to transportation, and they also address basic needs: making sure trash gets taken out, water runs, and people are safe from crime. Explores patterns of city politics against the background of American social and cultural history, including the impulse toward reform and the effects of reform efforts on the distribution of power in the community.

Minority Representation in American Politics POL-UA 380 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered periodically. 4 points. Explores whether and how racial and ethnic minorities are able to organize effectively and press their demands through the American political system. Focuses on their relative strength and effect at the polls and in political office, the responsiveness of elected officials, and the legal and constitutional obstacles and instruments that contextualize and shape these phenomena.

The Politics of Poverty and Welfare POL-UA 382 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300). Offered periodically. 4 points. Concentrates on the causes of poverty and dependency among the working-age poor, the history of programs and policies meant to help them, and the impact of these issues on national politics.

Political Economy: The United States in Comparative Perspective POL-UA 385 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300) or Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Various aspects of the role of the American government in the economy. Also considers the political economies of several other advanced industrial nations. Explores institutional structures, with particular emphasis on government, business, and labor.

Undergraduate Field Seminar: American Politics POL-UA 395 Prerequisites: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300) and three other politics courses, junior or senior standing, and a minimum 3.0 GPA, or permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points. Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors. Topics vary.

Honors Seminar: Courts, Rights, and Politics POL-UA 396 Prerequisites: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300), three other politics courses, junior or senior standing, and a minimum 3.5 GPA. Offered periodically. 4 points. Reexamines the premise that independent courts have functioned as the best guarantor of civil rights and liberties, particularly against the supposed abuse of legislative majorities. Considers the record of rights protections both in the United States and more globally.

Honors Seminar: Politics and Finance POL-UA 396 Prerequisites: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300), three other politics courses, one course in economics, junior or senior standing, and a minimum 3.5 GPA. Offered periodically. 4 points. How legislation and regulation influence the structure of financial markets and how players in these markets intervene in the political process to create or modify legislative and regulatory outcomes. Takes a microeconomics-influenced approach to transactions occurring through voting institutions.

U.S. Foreign Policy POL-UA 710 Offered every semester. 4 points. See description below.

National Security POL-UA 712 Offered every year. 4 points. See description below.

Comparative Politics

Comparative Politics (core course) POL-UA 500  Offered every semester. 4 points. Classical theories and the recent behavioral revolution. Addresses personality, social structure, socialization, political culture, and political parties. Major approaches such as group theory, structural-functionalism, and systems analysis. Consideration of national character, elite and class analysis, and problems of conflict, violence, and internal war.

Elections and Voting POL-UA 505 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300) or Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. How cross-national differences in voting behavior, laws, and institutions can affect the electoral process.

Western European Politics POL-UA 510 Identical to EURO-UA 510. Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Study of the politics of Britain, Ireland, France, and Germany. Compares the historical origins of these systems and analyzes their institutions as manifestations of their social and political culture and traditions. Treats each country’s current politics and political trends.

Immigration and Politics in Western Europe POL-UA 511 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. From the 1960s to the present. Addresses the influence of public policy, notions of citizenship, and party politics, including the emergence of the extreme right and “identity politics.” Analyzes efforts by various states to exercise control over their frontiers and to incorporate immigrants into the national community.

East European Government and Politics POL-UA 522 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Political, social, and economic developments during the post-Versailles period. Topics: the Communist takeover at the end of World War II, uprisings during the era of de-Stalinization, the collapse of Communism, and the process of democratization.

Politics of Latin America POL-UA 530 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered every year. 4 points. How political power relates to social structure, economic change, and international pressures in several nations at distinct levels of social modernization. Topics: the struggle for democracy, military interference in politics, and party competition.

The Politics of the Caribbean Nations POL-UA 532 Identical to SCA-UA 802. Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Analysis of the political culture and institutions of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Considers communities of Caribbean nationals in the United States when relevant to internal political processes.

Politics of the Near and Middle East POL-UA 540 Identical to MEIS-UA 750. Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. The impact of the West; religious and liberal reactions; conflict of nationalisms (Arab, Iranian, Turkish, and Zionist); and revolutionary socialism. Topics: the role of the military, the intelligentsia, the religious classes, the legitimization of power, urban-rural cleavages, bureaucracy, and political parties.

Politics and Society in Iran POL-UA 545 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. From the Constitutional Revolution (1906-1909) to the present. Topics: the rise and demise of the Pahlavi dynasty; the politics of oil nationalization; the Shah’s White Revolution and politics, culture, and economics in the 1960s and 1970s; the revolution of 1978-1979 and the establishment of the Islamic Republic; export of the revolution and the Iran-Iraq War; and Iran’s current regional and international role.

East Asian Politics: China and Japan POL-UA 560 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered every year. 4 points. Examines the impact of tradition, demands of modernization, ideology, the role of the elite, and social dynamics, as well as political institutions and processes. Compares the Chinese and the Japanese “models” of development and evaluates their relevance to other areas.

Comparative Politics of South Asia POL-UA 562 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Readings are chosen from across disciplines, including political science, anthropology, economics, and history. Also uses novels and films on South Asia to illustrate themes highlighted in the readings.

Political and Economic Development in Comparative Perspective POL-UA 570 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Classical and contemporary theories, ranging from neoclassical to structural to recent endogenous growth theories. Focuses on institutions and governance as conditions for growth and development. Examines the relationship between political and economic change in selected countries, as well as global patterns.

The Political Economy of Institutions POL-UA 575 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Examines the relationship between economic incentives and the creation and maintenance of political and economic institutions. Topics include the creation and assignment of property rights, the rule of law, and the creation of markets.

Collective Action: Social Movements and Revolutions POL-UA 580 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered periodically. 4 points. Surveys theoretical approaches and historical evolution. Case studies include the civil rights movement in the United States, revolutionary social movements in Central America and southern Africa, and the French and Chinese revolutions.

Contemporary African Politics POL-UA 584 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered every other year. 4 points. Key questions: Why are state institutions weaker in Africa than in other developing regions? What explains Africa’s slow economic growth? What can be done to improve political accountability on the continent? Why have some African countries been plagued by high levels of political violence while others have not? Can or should the West attempt to “save” Africa?

Undergraduate Field Seminar: Comparative Politics POL-UA 595 Prerequisites: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500) and three other politics courses, junior or senior standing, and a minimum 3.0 GPA. Offered every semester. 4 points. Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors. Topics vary.

Networks and Politics POL-UA 597 Prerequisite: Comparative Politics (POL-UA 500). Offered every fall. 4 points. Network analysis explains how objects of study are influenced by “neighboring” objects. Examines its application to social and political phenomena: segregation, the spread of ideas and learning, institutional design, the adoption of new technologies, migration, trade, and revolution.

International Politics

International Politics (core course) POL-UA 700 Offered every semester. 4 points. Emphasizes the issue of war and how and in what circumstances states engage in violence. Topics: different historical and possible future systems of international relations, imperialism, the Cold War, game theory and deterrents, national interests, and world organization.

U.S. Foreign Policy POL-UA 710 Offered every semester. 4 points. Analysis of the sources of U.S. foreign policy and the major international problems facing the United States today. Considers the role of national interest, ideology, and institutions.

The Politics of Human Rights POL-UA 711 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered every year. 4 points. Examines the political history of the international human rights regime; the causes of contemporary human rights problems; the economic, social, and political factors associated with human rights progress; and strategic approaches employed to improve human rights.

National Security POL-UA 712 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered every year. 4 points. How national security decisions are made in the U.S., as well as past and current military strategies used to carry out those decisions. Examines the particular national security concerns and policies of other nations. Queries whether international trade and competition, immigration, illegal drugs, and the environment should be considered national security issues.

American Primacy POL-UA 715 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered every year. 4 points. How did the United States become the world’s dominant nation? Does America differ from other countries in fundamental ways? Examines how American primacy builds on the earlier ascendancy of Britain and Western Europe and considers theories of dominance.

The Politics of International Law POL-UA 718 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered periodically. 4 points. Examines the impact of international politics on the nature, evolution, and impact of international law and the growing role that international law and institutions play in shaping both international relations and domestic politics.

Diplomacy and Negotiation POL-UA 720 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered periodically. 4 points. Special emphasis on bargaining strategies nations use to settle differences and avoid wars, including the use of mediators, arbitrators, and institutions like the United Nations. Applies game theory to the use of exaggeration, threats, and deception in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.

International Organization POL-UA 730 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered periodically. 4 points. Addresses the benefits of international cooperation, considers why states comply with their agreements when there is no authority to enforce them, and asks how those cooperative agreements are negotiated. Touches on empirical evidence for and against the theories discussed in class. Applications of theory include environmental and trade policy cooperation, human rights, and arms control.

Business and American Foreign Policy POL-UA 736 Prerequisite: Power and Politics in America (POL-UA 300), International Politics (POL-UA 700), or Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON-UA 10). Offered periodically. 4 points. Competing theories of the relationship between business and government in the conduct of foreign policy, and the applicability of these theories to East-West trade, the defense procurement process, intervention and development in the Third World, human rights, and the effect of trade and investment on the American economy.

International Law POL-UA 740 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered periodically. 4 points. Recognition of states and governments; continuity of states and state succession; jurisdiction over persons, land, sea, air, and outer space; international responsibility and the law of claims; diplomatic privileges and immunities; treaties; regulation of the use of force; and the challenges posed by new states to the established legal order.

War, Peace, and World Order POL-UA 741 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered every year. 4 points. The role and use of coercion in global affairs, with emphasis on attempts to substitute negotiation, bargaining, market forces, politics, and law for the resort to massive violence in moderating disputes.

Terrorism POL-UA 742 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered periodically. 4 points. Examines foundational issues and economic, psychological, strategic, and social theories, as well as the cessation of terrorist violence, government negotiation with terrorists, the relationship between terrorists and nonviolent political actors, and the internal political economy of terrorist organizations. Considers terror in the Middle East, nationalist terror, and Maoist revolutionary terror.

International Politics of the Middle East POL-UA 760 Identical to MEIS-UA 752. No prerequisite. Offered every year. 4 points. Emphasizes the period since World War II. Examines patterns of inter-Arab, Arab-Israeli, and great power politics, and the relationship between domestic and external politics. Topics: the Arab-Israeli conflict, the place and role of Turkey and Iran, and problems in the Persian Gulf.

International Relations of Asia POL-UA 770 Identical to EAST-UA 770. Offered every year. 4 points. Relations between Asian nations and between the Asian “subsystem” and the international system. Topics: traditional Asian concepts of transnational order, the impact of external interventions, modern ideological conflict and technological revolution, the emergent multilateral balance beyond Vietnam, and the U.S. role in Asia.

International Political Economy POL-UA 775 Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered periodically. 4 points. Familiarizes students with analytical tools that allow a better understanding of the current problems and opportunities facing actors in today’s international political economy.

Inter-American Relations POL-UA 780 Formerly Latin America and the World. Prerequisite: International Politics (POL-UA 700). Offered periodically. 4 points. Focuses on the 20th century and provides a historical, sociological, and economic background of Latin American political development and the role of the United States. Regional revolutions and their effects on U.S.-Latin American relations are discussed, along with U.S. social, political, and military intervention in the region and its effect on strengthening and/or hindering democracy.

Undergraduate Field Seminar: International Relations POL-UA 795 Prerequisites: International Politics (POL-UA 700) and three other politics courses, junior or senior standing, and a minimum 3.0 GPA. Offered every semester. 4 points. Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors. Topics vary.

Honors Seminar: American Empire? POL-UA 796 Prerequisites: International Politics (POL-UA 700) and three other politics courses, junior or senior standing, and a minimum 3.5 GPA. Offered every year. 4 points. Considers whether America is creating an empire, or whether U.S. influence is simply a reflection of the wealth and military might that Americans command.

Analytical Politics

Political Engineering: The Design of Institutions POL-UA 810 Offered periodically. 4 points. The tools of economic theory, game theory, and social choice theory are applied to the rational choice analysis of political institutions, whose consequences for society are derived from assumptions about what individuals seek to maximize.

Introduction to Political Psychology POL-UA 812 Offered every year. 4 points. Personality, the dynamics of social groups, and the effect of emotion on decision making, as applied to the media and political advertising, race relations, the legitimacy of government institutions, and the formation of opinions and ideologies. Describes political psychology experimentation.

Introduction to Game Theory POL-UA 840 Offered every year. 4 points. Whenever choices made by two or more distinct decision makers reciprocally affect their outcomes, the strategic interaction between them is game-theoretic in nature. Widely applied to phenomena in economics and biology, game theory is used in political science to consider the allocation of and competition for such scarce goods as power and wealth.

Doing Political Economy: Approaches to Public Policy POL-UA 842 Offered every semester. 4 points. Political economy explains political and economic behavior by characterizing the incentives of actors and the context in which these actors make decisions and influence outcomes. Introduces students to these theoretical approaches and demonstrates their application to contemporary policy questions.

Games, Strategy, and Politics POL-UA 844 Offered every year. 4 points. Uses of strategy in defense and deterrence policies of nations, guerrilla warfare of revolutionaries and terrorists, bargaining and negotiation processes, coalitions and the enforcement of collective action, and voting in committees and elections. Secrecy and deception as political strategies and the uses of power.

Social Choice and Politics POL-UA 845 Offered periodically. 4 points. Individual choice, group choice, collective action, and institutions. Examines models of individuals’ voting behavior, the incentive structures of interest groups, and the role of institutions.

Experimental Methods in Political Science POL-UA 846 Prerequisite: Research Methods in Political Science (POL-UA 850) or equivalent. Offered periodically. 4 points. Emphasizes several different styles of laboratory experiments, with some attention to field and survey experiments.

Introduction to Research Methods for Politics POL-UA 850 Offered every semester. 4 points. Quantitative techniques and methods; designing research projects; how theory and data fit together; statistical software.

Undergraduate Field Seminar: Analytical Politics POL-UA 895 Prerequisites: junior or senior standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and four previous courses in politics, or permission of the instructor. Offered periodically. 4 points. Advanced seminar for juniors and seniors. Topics vary.

Honors, Internships, and Independent Study

Senior Honors I POL-UA 950 Prerequisite: admission to the honors program. Offered in the fall. 4 points. Provides students with the skills needed to design a feasible research project in political science and supports them in the development of a detailed research proposal for the senior thesis.

Senior Honors II POL-UA 951 Prerequisite: completion of Senior Honors I (POL-UA 950). Offered in the spring. 4 points. Supports students in the writing of their senior theses.

Internships in Politics and Government I, II POL-UA 970, 971 Restricted to junior and senior politics majors with a minimum 3.0 GPA who obtain permission of the director of internships. Do not count toward the major. Students are limited to a maximum of eight combined credits from Internships in Politics and Government (POL-UA 970, 971) and/or Readings and Research (POL-UA 990). Offered every semester. 2 to 4 points per term. Integration of part-time working experience in governmental agencies or other political offices and organizations with study of related problems in politics and political science.

Readings and Research POL-UA 990 Prerequisite: written approval of student’s departmental adviser, the instructor, and the director of undergraduate studies. Does not count toward the major. Students are limited to a maximum of eight combined credits from Internships in Politics and Government (POL-UA 970, 971) and/or Readings and Research (POL-UA 990). Offered every semester. 2 or 4 points. Individual readings and research under the direction of faculty supervisor for students with a minimum 3.0 GPA in at least three previous politics courses. Only regular politics faculty members may direct this independent study.

Topics POL-UA 994 Prerequisite: core course in relevant field or permission of the instructor. Offered every semester. 4 points. Accommodates faculty who wish to give a one-time or experimental course, often taught seminar-style, on subject areas or issues not in the permanent course offerings.

Graduate Courses Open to Undergraduates

Courses at the 1000 and 2000 levels are open to exceptional undergraduates with an adequate background in politics. Requires written permission of the instructor or, in the instructor’s absence, the director of graduate studies.

Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy (MA)

Program description.

This Master of Arts program prepares students who want to work toward social and education equity through leadership, politics and policy, and advocacy positions. Graduates work in child, youth, and community advocacy organizations; policy and research centers; public, private, charter, and independent schools; and international and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

The curriculum offers students considerable flexibility in creating a program of study that will best serve each student’s purposes and goals. Students can pursue multiple paths toward analyzing and critically assessing issues of leadership and policy at the federal, state, and local levels and learn to employ multiple approaches to inquiry and research.

The program of study consists of 36 units of coursework and continuous field-based experience. Each course is grounded in multiple theoretical perspectives; themes of advancing equity and social justice; a focus on the needs and experiences of low-income children and youth; and implications for leadership within and outside of educational settings. All students participate in an internship in community-based advocacy organizations, schools, or research centers. Placements take into consideration each student’s interests and additional field-based opportunities are also embedded in coursework throughout the program.

Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:

• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• Proficiency in English

See  NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website  for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.

See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 36 credits, comprised of the following:

Concentration choices should reflect areas that will expand competencies in areas of Educational  Leadership, Politics & Advocacy that reflect your specific interests and potential career pathways. Students also have the option of taking a second semester of internship towards their elective credit.

Sample Plan of Study

Taken once in any semester of the second year.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Critically analyze issues of educational leadership, policy, and advocacy.
• Apply knowledge gained from analysis to inform decision making and strategy.
• Communicate effectively and clearly in writing and orally to a wide variety of audiences, stakeholders, and potential clients.
• Participate and contribute to multicultural school and/or educational organizational settings.

NYU Policies

Steinhardt academic policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Additional academic policies can be found the  Steinhardt academic policies page . 

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Excerpt from  Fortune  --  “'I think getting an MBA in general, and certainly more now, is about being adaptable, being able to be able to learn, being able to figure out what’s next for you all the time,' explains J.P. Eggers, vice dean for MBA and graduate programs at NYU’s Stern School of Business."

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Phd student receives artist of exceptional merit designation.

Luna Beller-Tadiar in the studio.

The Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) announced in May that it had named Media, Culture, and Communication doctoral student Luna Beller-Tadiar a 2024 Jadin Wong Artist of Exceptional Merit.

This recognition is made in tribute to the life and work of Chinese American actress, dancer, and comedienne Jadin Wong (1913–2010) — "a pioneer and innovator of Asian American performing arts," writes A4.

Luna Beller-Tadiar (she/they) is a Manila-born, US-raised, queer mixed-Filipinx multi-media artist who works in choreography, video, text, and comics. Her work across artistic media investigates socio-historical forces at the level of the body, especially as they touch gender, colonialism, diaspora, and new media. In making choreographic work Luna draws on an eclectic mix of movement education that includes capoeira, Argentine tango, Aikido, new media research, the study of gesture, and an ongoing investigation into embodied mimicry and malleability.

In pursuing a doctorate in Media, Culture, and Communication, Luna is researching the body as one of many media "platforms," and the way kinesthetic forms constitute their own kind of knowledge and circulation.

Luna’s choreography-performance work has been twice supported by the Mark Morris Dance Center; the 92NY’s Future Dance Festival; American Dance Festival’s Movies by Movers film festival; in New Haven, Durham, NYC, Buenos Aires, and La Union (Philippines). Her video work has been exhibited in installation form at Duke; shown at CICA Museum; and featured in Alon: Journal for Filipinx American and Diasporic Studies. Her work with queer Argentine tango has received support from Yale; McGill; and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

Watch  video clips of Beller-Tadiar's work.

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A scientist, a leftist and a former Mexico City mayor. Who is Claudia Sheinbaum?

Who is Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s future first female president?

Ruling party presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum greets supporters after the National Electoral Institute announced she held an irreversible lead in the election in Mexico City, early Monday, June 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

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Presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum arrives at her closing campaign rally at the Zocalo in Mexico City, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A supporter of presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum takes a selfie with a campaign poster during Sheinbaum’s closing campaign rally at the Zocalo in Mexico City, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Ruling party presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum leaves the polling station where she voted during general elections in Mexico City, Sunday, June 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Ruling party presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum shows her ID as she leaves a polling station where she voted during general elections in Mexico City, Sunday, June 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Claudia Sheinbaum, who will be Mexico’s first woman leader in the nation’s more than 200 years of independence, captured the presidency by promising continuity.

The 61-year-old former Mexico City mayor and lifelong leftist ran a disciplined campaign capitalizing on her predecessor’s popularity before emerging victorious in Sunday’s vote, according to an official quick count. But with her victory now in hand, Mexicans will look to see how Sheinbaum, a very different personality from mentor and current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , will assert herself.

While she hewed close to López Obrador politically and shares many of his ideas about the government’s role in addressing inequality, she is viewed as less combative and more data driven.

Sheinbaum’s background is in science. She has a Ph.D. in energy engineering. Her brother is a physicist. In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, Sheinbaum said, “I believe in science.”

Observers say that grounding showed itself in Sheinbaum’s actions as mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her city of some 9 million people took a different approach from what López Obrador espoused at the national level.

While the federal government was downplaying the importance of coronavirus testing, Mexico City expanded its testing regimen. Sheinbaum set limits on businesses’ hours and capacity when the virus was rapidly spreading, even though López Obrador wanted to avoid any measures that would hurt the economy. And she publicly wore protective masks and urged social distancing while the president was still lunging into crowds.

Over 50 countries go to the polls in 2024

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• Keep track of the latest AP elections coverage from around the world here.

Mexico’s persistently high levels of violence will be one of her most immediate challenges after she takes office Oct. 1. On the campaign trail she said little more than that she would expand the quasi-military National Guard created by López Obrador and continue his strategy of targeting social ills that make so many young Mexicans easy targets for cartel recruitment.

“Let it be clear, it doesn’t mean an iron fist, wars or authoritarianism,” Sheinbaum said of her approach to tackling criminal gangs, during her final campaign event. “We will promote a strategy of addressing the causes and continue moving toward zero impunity.”

Sheinbaum has praised López Obrador profusely and said little that the president hasn’t said himself. She blamed neoliberal economic policies for condemning millions to poverty, promised a strong welfare state and praised Mexico’s large state-owned oil company, Pemex, while also promising to emphasize clean energy.

“For me, being from the left has to do with that, with guaranteeing the minimum rights to all residents,” Sheinbaum told the AP last year.

In contrast to López Obrador, who seemed to relish his highly public battles with other branches of the government and also the news media, Sheinbaum is expected by many observers to be less combative or at least more selective in picking her fights.

“It appears she’s going to go in a different direction,” said Ivonne Acuña Murillo, a political scientist at Iberoamerican University. “I don’t know how much.”

Sheinbaum will also be the first person from a Jewish background to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country.

Follow the AP’s coverage of global elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/

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