POLI 250 - Applied Methods in Political Science

(3 credits)
Prerequisite: One core curriculum requirement in Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning
This course is designed to help students understand applied methods in political science. It begins with a preliminary exploration of applied qualitative methods in political science with topics varying by semester depending on the emphasis of the instructor. The majority of the course will focus on quantitative applications of methods including developing skills for collecting, analyzing and presenting quantitative data in political science. It will expand the student’s ability to reason quantitatively while exploring some of the critical statistical techniques that are the cornerstones of empirical analysis conducted by political scientists. Students will also acquire a working knowledge of how to input and analyze data with computer software technology. Topics include descriptive statistics, analyzing crosstabs, making controlled comparisons, making inferences from sample means, Chi-square, measures of association, linear regression analysis and graphic presentation of data. Offered fall and spring semester. (Formerly POLI 350) (CQUR; CSOC)