Political Science - B.S.
The Political Science major enables students to develop skills in both theoretical and practical analysis, understanding, and evaluation of the changing nature, form, and function of governing arrangements, political processes, and the civil-social order. The major is designed to prepare students for one of the numerous careers in domestic government service and political organizations. Additionally, the Political Science major offers preparation toward teaching, research and graduate study for advanced degrees in political science and law (see Political Science Pre-Law section). (Political Science majors desiring to teach in secondary schools need to take a double major in Political Science and Social Studies Education.) The Political Science major often serves as a companion double major with Business, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, History, Mathematics, Psychology, Theology and Philosophy, Social Studies, Social Work, or Writing.
General Education Competencies
Students majoring in Political Science will complete the following General Education requirements and competencies with the listed courses. Where no course is specified, students are free to choose courses that meet the university requirements.
- Communication Competency: COM-100 (division requirement)
- Intercultural Competency: GEO-202 (core requirement)
- Math Requirement: MAT-112, MAT-204, or MAT-305 (pre-requisite for Research Methods)
- Social Sciences: POL-100 (pre-requisite for some upper division POL and HST courses), ECO-213 (core requirement)
Students majoring in Political Science need to achieve no less than a 2.5 GPA in the major to graduate with a Political Science degree.
Requirements (45 credits)
Common Core (15 credits)
| POL-100 | American Government | 3 |
| POL-215 | Foundations of Political Science | 3 |
| ECO-213 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| POL-322 | Research Design and Methods in Political Science and Economics | 3 |
| POL-471 | Political Science/International Relations Capstone | 3 |
Choose the two courses below (6 credits)
| POL-200 | State and Local Government and Politics | 3 |
| GEO-202 | Political and Cultural Geography | 3 |
Choose four courses from the following (12 credits)
Cognate or Major Electives (12 credits)
Twelve credit hour cognate (group of courses from a second major or a minor) OR any courses listed below not previously taken. If the student does not have a second area of study, the major electives must be completed from the courses below:
| ECO-270 | Comparative Economic Systems | 3 |
| ECO-315 | Urban Economics and Policy | 3 |
| ECO-340 | Globalization and Economic Development | 3 |
| ECO-365 | Public Administration and Finance | 3 |
| ECO-454 | International Economics | 3 |
| GEO-202 | Political and Cultural Geography | 3 |
| HST-300 | Western/American Intellectual and Social History | 3 |
| HST-301 | American Foreign Relations | 3 |
| HST-302 | American Political Parties | 3 |
| HST-400 | American Constitutional History | 3 |
| INR-332 | International Peace and Security | 3 |
| INR-375 | Foreign Policy Analysis | 3 |
| INR-432 | Global Governance | 3 |
| MAT-204 | Applied Statistics I | 3 |
| MAT-304 | Applied Statistics II | 3 |
| MAT-305 | Statistics for Social Sciences | 3 |
| POL-200 | State and Local Government and Politics | 3 |
| POL-220 | Issues in Political Science | 3 |
| POL-230 | World Politics | 3 |
| POL-232 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POL-350 | Political Science Practicum | 1 to 3 |
| POL-354 | Foreign Governments | 3 |
| POL-365 | Religion and Politics | 3 |
| POL-367 | Political Thought | 3 |
| POL-371 | International Studies | 3 |
| POL-399H | Honors College Thesis-Political Science | 3 |
| POL-401 | Political Science Travel Seminar | 3 |
| POL-475 | Independent Learning in Political Science | 1 to 3 |
