Political Science Program Requirements

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Faculty

  • Michael Zarkin (Chair)

view Political Science Courses

Program Goals

  • To develop effective verbal and written communication skills
  • To develop the ability to critique and conduct research
  • To demonstrate collaborative problem solving skills
  • To develop critical thinking skills
  • To develop practices of global responsibility

Objectives

Political Science offers an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts academic major. With political science as its core focus, the major includes relevant courses from a number of disciplines. The curriculum stresses student mastery of a variety of allied subjects to enhance understanding of the global and domestic contexts of politics. The major prepares students for further study in law or graduate school; to enter public service careers in government or international organizations; to work in nongovernmental organizations; to work in the private sector, the policy arena, the political/legislative process; to work in domestic, transnational, or international/global civil society organizations, movements, or activism; or to conduct research.

The Political Science minor offers non-majors a flexible academic program for exploring politics in both the domestic and global contexts.  The curriculum can be designed to fit the needs of students pursuing a variety of careers including public service,  civil society organizations,  law, global affairs, business, education and mass communication. Students should work with their minor advisor to choose appropriate coursework.

Program Requirements

Students must maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA in courses required to complete the major. Additional recommended coursework may be taken in a number of disciplines, depending upon approved student interests. Students choosing a double major or minor in any of the fields included within the political science major may not apply a course to more than one major or minor. It is strongly recommended that students take DATA 220 (Introduction to Statistics). Moreover, while the Political Science major requires only 8 credit hours of a world language, students are strongly advised to take up to 16 hours (two full years, four semesters, or equivalent preparation) of a world language.

Students must meet the university-wide graduation requirements in addition to the Political Science major:

  • 124 total hours
  • 30 upper division hours
  • WCore or Honors College requirements

Political Science Major

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. World Language Requirement 8  
Political Studies majors must complete eight credit hours in a single world language.
II. Lower Division Courses 7  
PLSC 106 Explorations in Politics 4  
PLSC 203 Courts, Law, and Social Justice 3  
III. Upper Division Courses 24  
The following four classes are required: 12  
PLSC 316 Issues in Global Politics 4  
PLSC 367 Democratic Theory & Practice 4  
PLSC 390 Research Methods  4  
PLSC 490 Senior Capstone 4  
Take two of the following courses: 8  
PLSC 348 Congress and the Presidency 4  
PLSC 355 Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties 4  
PLSC 359 Law, Politics, and Bureaucracy 4  
Take two of the following courses: 8  
IV. Electives 15-16  
COMM 101 Disinformation in the USA 4  
COMM 336 Public Relations Principles 4  
DATA 150 Data and Society 4  
ECON 253 Elementary Macroeconomics 3 MATH 101 or above
ECON 263 Elementary Microeconomics 3 MATH 101 or above
ENVI 351  The Global Environment 4 ENVI 101
JUST 221 Community Justice 3  
JUST 325 Justice in Everyday Life 4  
PHIL 102 Critical Thinking 4  
PHIL 303 Formal Logic 4 PHIL 102
PHIL 312 Applied Ethics 4 PHIL 102
PLSC 300 Special Topics in Political Science 1-4  
PLSC 327 Environmental Politics and Policy 4  
PLSC 401 Directed Studies 1-4  
PLSC 440 Internship 1-8  
PUBH 250 Global Health 4  
SOC 205 Social Problems 4  
SOC 372 Race, Ethnicity, and Class 4  
Total Hours for the Political Science Major 54-55  

 

Recommended Plan of Study for Political Science Major

Fall Semester Spring Semester
Year 1 PLSC 106
Language I		 PLSC 203
Language II
Year 2 PLSC 316 or 367
PLSC 348 or 359
Major elective		 PLSC 355
Major elective
Year 3 PLSC 316 or 367
Major elective		 Major elective
Year 4 PLSC 390 PLSC 490

Political Science Minor

Students must maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA in courses required for the political science minor. Students choosing a double major or minor may not apply a class to more than one major or minor except in the case of core requirements. For course prerequisites, please refer to the course description.

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
I. Required Courses 12  
PLSC 106 Explorations in Politics 4  
PLSC 315 Theories of Global Politics 4  
PLSC 355 Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties 4  
II. Elective Courses 8  
Eight additional hours of 300 or 400-level PLSC courses
Total Hours for the Political Science Minor 20  

Recommended Plan of Study for Political Science Minor

Fall Semester Spring Semester
Year 1   PLSC 106
Year 2 Four (4) hours upper division PLSC coursework  
Year 3 Four (4) hours upper division PLSC coursework Four (4) hours upper division PLSC coursework
Year 4 Four (4) hours upper division PLSC coursework