An interdisciplinary graduate seminar exploring Latin American society and culture through multiple academic lenses.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample Explore prerequisite map →
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The department at a glance
All recorded grades average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
How grades break down
Grades over time
Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison
About these statistics
GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.
Spring 2027
Recorded this termcourses with offerings
instructors recorded
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
Across course levels
Recorded this termNo released grades for this term.
Recorded offerings over time
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61 courses
Introductory survey of African society, culture, polity, and economy from prehistory to contemporary developments, covering nationalism and social change.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · James Delehanty
The workload included a heavy reading load, but exams and a five-page paper were considered manageable if students completed the assigned work.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026AFRICAN/AFROAMER/HISTORY/POLISCI 297
African and African-american Linkages: an Introduction
4 creditsIntroduction to African and African-American linkages, analyzing retention of African elements in culture and examining race and self-determination in Africa and North America.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2025–Fall 2025 · limited sampleAFRICAN/ANTHRO/ECON/GEOG/HISTORY/POLISCI 983
Interdepartmental Seminar in African Studies Topics
3 creditsInterdepartmental seminar in African studies topics involving interdisciplinary inquiry in African societies and cultures.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2025 · limited sampleAFROAMER/ANTHRO/C&ESOC/GEOG/HISTORY/LACIS/POLISCI/SOC/SPANISH 260
Latin America: an Introduction
3–4 creditsIntroduction to Latin American culture and society from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering historical developments from pre-Columbian times to the present.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kathryn Sanchez
Lectures delivered a lot of information quickly, requiring diligent note-taking to succeed on tests. One student noted that multiple-choice questions often targeted small details mentioned only once during class.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Multidisciplinary and historical survey of East Asian civilizations (China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, and Mongolia) from prehistory to the present, covering philosophy, economy, governance, social structure, kinship, and geography.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Anatoly Detwyler
Attendance was mandatory and a big factor in the grade. Quizzes were straightforward, testing whether students read the assigned material.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Examines the historical, social, political, economic, and cultural experiences of Latinos from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Benjamin Marquez
Success required taking good notes, reading books thoroughly, and forming study groups to prepare for exams.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2025–Fall 2025 · limited sampleExplores the ideology and practice of Athenian democracy, examining its values, institutions, rhetoric, and sociology to understand democracy in its ancient context.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026 · limited sampleFRENCH/GERMAN/HISTORY/POLISCI/SOC 804
Interdisciplinary Western European Area Studies Seminar
3 creditsOffering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleGender and Politics in Comparative Perspective examines the gendered nature of political institutions globally, focusing on women's exclusion, obstacles to participation, gains in leadership, and the differences women make in the political.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2023 · limited sampleInterdisciplinary survey of Russian civilization from its beginnings through the present day.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Manon van de Water
Students completed weekly pop quizzes on readings and were required to attend external CREECA lectures, adding specific attendance demands to the standard workload.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sampleExamines the role of communication in American politics, covering elite communication, media effects on political attitudes, regulation of political communication, and related policy issues.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2024 · limited sampleIntroduction to transitional justice in world politics, examining how local, domestic, and international institutions address the legacies of human rights abuses.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2025–Fall 2025 · limited sampleIntroduction to American politics covering basic institutions, constitutional structures, parties, interest groups, elections, and policy formation.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kenneth Mayer, John Coleman
The course involved a lot of reading, which one student found overwhelming, while another noted that the tests were really hard and advised taking the class with someone else.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Comparative Politics covering comparative analysis of political institutions, processes, and outcomes at the national level, including how governments work and power is organized.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Nils Ringe
The class was not easy, but students found it manageable if they attended lectures, paid attention, and completed the readings.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to International Relations covers post-WWII issues including war, trade, finance, globalization, and international organizations, developing analytical tools for world politics.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Andrew Kydd
There was no homework, and exams were noted to be much easier than AP exams, requiring only that students complete readings and attend lectures.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026POLISCI 160
Introduction to Political Theory
3–4 creditsExplores core problems of political life, including obligation, justice, and the relationship between equality and liberty, using ancient and modern sources.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Michelle Schwarze
The course is reading-heavy with dense texts, but exams are mostly multiple-choice and generally easy. Grades rely on two in-class essays and two exams, with essay revisions allowed to help manage the workload.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026POLISCI 199
Directed Study
2 creditsDirected study projects for freshmen and sophomores arranged with a faculty member. Requires consent of instructor and completion of at least one POLI SCI course.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
POLISCI 210
Left, Right, and Center
3–4 creditsExamines principles and arguments of conservatism, liberalism, and progressivism, focusing on sources of disagreement and internal conflicts within these traditions.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Nils Ringe
The course was described as very heavy on reading and lectures, with content that was challenging to understand for students struggling to keep up.
No recorded grade history
POLISCI 270
Political Data Science
3–4 creditsPolitical Data Science covers basics of applying data science to politics, focusing on computing/programming tools for managing and analyzing political data and conceptual foundations of analysis methods.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Jack Edelson
Reviewers felt the material was too difficult for an elementary level, with R concepts rushed and a final project requiring application of all taught material.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026POLISCI 272
Introduction to Public Policy
3–4 creditsIntroduction to public policy covering major issues in economic management, welfare, education, health, energy, and environment, plus constitutional provisions and policy-making approaches.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Introduction to race and ethnic politics in the U.S., examining mutual influence between race/ethnicity and the political system.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Marty Davidson
The class was term-heavy and repetitive, though students noted that the material became more interesting toward the end of the year.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Explores how U.S. public economic thinking shapes political choices, actions, and government participation, with some international context.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
POLISCI 315
Legislative Internship
3 creditsLegislative Internship provides practical experience in a legislative office, focusing on policy research and readings in legislative process.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Amy Gangl
Expect around 3 hours per week for assignments like discussion posts and occasional projects. One student noted the extra work added to their internship schedule.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to politics and governance in the Middle East, covering regional political economy, Islam and democracy, authoritarianism, and political Islam.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025POLISCI 324
Chinese Politics
3–4 creditsExamines Chinese politics through a comparative perspective, focusing on formal institutions in an authoritarian regime, the transition to a market economy, and government responses to social problems and threats to leadership.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Fall 2023 · limited samplePOLISCI 331
Threats to Democracy
3–4 creditsExamines threats to democracies worldwide, including weakened institutions, polarization, misinformation, and illiberal politics. Draws on global evidence to study democratic erosion.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
POLISCI 339
Non-democracies
3 creditsExamines formation, endurance, and collapse of non-democratic regimes globally, covering electoral behavior, political violence, and democratization theories.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2024 · limited sampleExamines the role of alliances in contemporary and historical international political systems, including formation, dissolution, and relations with war and political integration.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Examines causes and consequences of the Russian invasion and war on Ukraine using comparative politics and international relations concepts.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026