Course Structure and Duration
- All the 1st level courses are compulsory for candidates registered in the Department.
- In second year, students shall take a maximum of 4 courses, two in each semester.
- From the 3rd level onwards, a candidate may opt for any of the four degree options offered in the Faculty of Arts as detailed in the Faculty’s Regulations for Degree Programmes. That is one may opt to
a) Take political Science as the only Major (option 2) or
b) Take Political Science as one of two Majors (option 1) or
c) Take Political Science as a Major plus another discipline in the Faculty as a Minor (option 3) or
d) Take Political Science as one Major with other two disciplines in the Faculty as Minor (option 4).
- Whichever option the candidate chooses, the regulations governing each degree options and loading in the Faculty of Arts shall apply.
- The duration period for the programme is sixteen (16) semesters comprising two (2) semesters per academic year.
- Each semester shall last a period of 15 weeks.
- Each course under the programme shall be covered in 45 contact hours.
Course Outlines
Courses offered are clustered around the six sub-disciplines of the discipline of Political Science, that is, Political Theory, Political Sociology, Political Economy, International Relations, Comparative Politics and Public Administration. However, in First Year courses, introduce students to general issues in Political Science and are compulsory.
FIRST YEAR
First Semester
CPS 101: Introduction to Political Science
CPS 102: Politics and Government in Africa
Second Semester
CPS 103: Basic Concepts in Political Science
CPS 104: Politics and Government in Kenya
Second Year
In the second year, students shall choose two courses in each semester from the choices given below:
First Semester
CPS 201: Introduction to Political Theory
CPS 251: Introduction to Political Economy
CPS 241: Introduction to Public Administration
Second Semester
CPS 231: Introduction to International Relations
CPS 221: Introduction to Comparative Politics
CPS 211: Introduction to Political Sociology
THIRD YEAR
POLITICAL THEORY
CPS 303: Theory of Political Inquiry
CPS 304: Methods of Political Inquiry
*These courses are compulsory for all students who are majoring in Political Science under either Option One or Option Two of the B.A. degree programme in the Faculty of Arts.
Political Theory
CPS 301: Major Themes in African Political Thought
CPS 302: African Political Thought: Selected Works
CPS 305: Modern Political Theory
POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
CPS 311: Politics of Social Movements
CPS 312: Political Parties and Pressure Groups
COMPARATIVE POLITICS
CPS 321: Politics and Government in East Africa
CPS 322: Politics and Government of a Selected African Region
CPS 323: Politics and Government of a Selected Developing Region
CPS 324: COMPARATIVE POLITICS OF DEVELOPING AREAS
CPS 325: Comparative Politics of Industrial States
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
CPS 331: North-South Relations
CPS 332: South-South Relations
CPS 333: International Organization
CPS 334: Issues in International Relations
CPS 335: Relations Among African States
CPS 336: Africa and the Major Powers
CPS 337: Introduction to International Law
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
CPS 341: Comparative Administration Systems
CPS 342: Development Administration
CPS 343: Public Policy Analysis
CPS 344: Public Personnel Management
CPS 345: Comparative Local Government
CPS 346: Administrative Theory
POLITICAL ECONOMY
CPS 351: Politics of Agricultural Development
CPS 352: Politics of Industrialization in Africa
CPS 353: Women in the Political Economy of the Third World
CPS 354: Political Economy of African Development
FOURTH YEAR
Dissertation is compulsory for all students who are specializing in Political Science, that is those who have opted for option one Degree programme.
POLITICAL THEORY
CPS 401: Theory of Democracy
CPS 402: Seminar on Approaches to Political Science
CPS 403: Dissertation
POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
CPS 411: Urban Politics
CPS 412: Public Opinion and Voter Behaviour
CPS 413: Dissertation
COMPARATIVE POLITICS
CPS 421: Politics and Government in South Africa
CPS 422: The Military in the Politics of a Selected Region
CPS 423: Dissertation
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
CPS 431: Kenya’s Foreign Policy
CPS 432: Comparative Foreign Policies
CPS 433: Politics of Regional Cooperation and Conflict
CPS 434: Superpower Relations
CPS 435: Strategic and National Security Studies
CPS 436: International Law and the African States
CPS 437: Dissertation
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
CPS 441: Administration of Rural Development
CPS 442: Public Financial Administration
CPS 443: Administration of Public Enterprises
CPS 444: Public Administration in Kenya
CPS 445: Dissertation
POLITICAL ECONOMY
CPS 451: Politics of Multinational Corporations
CPS 452: Dependency and Development in the Third World
CPS 453: Dissertation
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