Course Offerings
I teach courses in American politics, research methods, political behavior, and special topics.
Introduction to American Politics
POLI 100
A comprehensive and critical introduction to the study of U.S. government from the perspective of political science research.
Political Science Research Methods
POLI 301
An introduction to the art and science of studying politics from an empirical perspective.
Media and Politics
POLI/MCS 326
A course, crosslisted with the Department of Media and Communication Studies, that introduces the field of media and politics.
Public Opinion
POLI 321
A deep dive into the theory, measurement, and practical applications of modern public opinion research.
Voting & Political Behavior
POLI 309
A course devoted to understanding the answers to a deceptively simple question: Why do people vote the way they do?
Quantitative Research Practicum
POLI 409
A seminar for advanced students that invites them to roleplay as statistical consultants. Students learn advanced research skills in partnership with a community organization.
Campaign Communication
POLI 309/
MCS 370
A course, crosslisted with the Department of Media and Communication Studies, that engages students in a semester-long roleplay exercise. Students work in teams to elect fictional candidates using communication techniques.
Independent Study
POLI 401/402
A tailored course, normally resulting in the completion of a specialized research project. Students propose the topic of study and work with the instructor to plan the research process.
Public Affairs Scholar Seminar
PUB 150H
A course only open to Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars, that introduces the field of public policy analysis and tasks students with addressing public problems.
Political Psychology
POLI 322
A deep dive into the theory, empirics, and practical applications of modern political psychology research.
Mentorship
Below, please find a list of recent graduate and undergraduate advisees, along with the titles of their research projects.
DISS denotes a Ph.D. dissertation project.
URCAD denotes presentations at the UMBC Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day.
UR denotes publication of the paper in the UMBC Review.
URA denotes receipt of the Undergraduate Research Award.
PSA denotes presentation of the project at UMBC’s Pi Sigma Alpha symposium.
H denotes honors theses in political science.
Carrie Cook
URCAD
“Terrorists or Freedom Fighters? Regional Media Portrayal of the Kurdish People”
Meghan Lynch
URCAD | H
“All the Single Ladies: The Effect of Marital Status and Partisanship on Voting Behavior”
Bradley Ingram
URCAD
“Social Ties and Receptivity to Online Media”
Tristan Mountcastle
URCAD | URA
“Political Evaluations of Gender Non-Conformity”
Jacob Street
URCAD | H | URA | UR
“Paying Dividends: Universal Basic Income, Income Inequality, and Public Opinion”
Nate Sharma
URCAD | PSA
“Cyber Civics: Gen Z’s political altruism and the digital evolution of democracy”