BA in Political Science
45 units
Political science is concerned with the knowledge that is needed by citizens and government officials. This knowledge is required to make and recognize good laws, distinguish justice from injustice, and understand the legitimate purposes and necessary limits of political power. The political science major prepares students to take an informed, intelligent, and leading role in the affairs of their community, country, and world. In addition to classroom, research, and seminar experiences, students are encouraged to become directly involved in politics through internship experiences on the local, state, or national level.
Career Opportunities
The political science major studies politics as part of a traditional liberal arts education. This discipline helps develop intellectual curiosity and the abilities to write and speak well, think critically, judge wisely, and exercise leadership. These skills help prepare students for a future in a variety of careers. The most common vocations pursued by political science majors include law, foreign affairs, journalism, public relations, and criminal justice. Careers in government, politics, and public service agencies are popular. Opportunities for teaching, research, consulting, and graduate study are also available.
Requirements
The Department of History and Political Science maintains the following requirements for each of the majors it offers:
- Students must complete all prerequisites for any HIST or POLI course with a C- or better before taking the course (except as noted in the course description).
- Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all political science and history courses required for the major.
- Students must complete each HIST or POLI course with a C- or higher for the course to meet a degree requirement in the Department of History and Political Science.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| POLI 150 | American Government 1 | 3 |
| POLI 160 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| POLI 180 | Intro to International Relations | 3 |
| POLI 300 | Writing 3: Research and Writing 2 | 3 |
| POLI 399 | Political Science Practicum 3 | 3 |
| POLI 496 | Senior Seminar: Religion and Politics 4 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistics 5 | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics 6 | ||
| Subject Courses | ||
| Select two courses in each of the following subfields: | 18 | |
| American Institutions | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| Congress | ||
| The Federal Judiciary | ||
| Comparative/International | ||
| History of American Foreign Affairs | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| National Security | ||
| Political Philosophy | ||
| Classical Political Thought | ||
| Modern Political Thought | ||
| The American Founding | ||
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select two electives from the list below. A course taken to meet any of the above subject course requirements may not also count for elective credit. | 6 | |
| History of American Foreign Affairs | ||
| State and Local Government | ||
| Introduction to Criminal Law | ||
| Introduction to Legal Transactions | ||
| Political Geography | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Seminar in International Relations | ||
| Constitutional Law: Fundamental Freedoms | ||
| Constitutional Law: Criminal Justice | ||
| Constitutional Law: National Powers | ||
| Seminar on Legal Studies | ||
| Classical Political Thought | ||
| Modern Political Thought | ||
| The American Founding | ||
| Terrorism and Counterterrorism | ||
| Theories of International Relations | ||
| Diplomacy and Foreign Policy | ||
| National Security | ||
| Politics of Developing Countries | ||
| History and Politics of the Non-Western World | ||
| Political Science Practicum 3 | ||
| Seminar on American Politics | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| Congress | ||
| The Federal Judiciary | ||
| Women in Politics | ||
| Regional Studies | ||
| International Organizations | ||
| Principles and Practice of Research Design | ||
| Political Topics | ||
| Readings | ||
| Directed Research | ||
| Thesis/Project | ||
| Total Units | 45 | |
- 1
Meets the General Education Civic Knowledge and Engagement requirement.
- 2
Meets the General Education Writing 3 requirement.
- 3
Up to 8 units may be earned over the course of several semesters or during one semester, though only 6 units are counted toward the political science major (and 3 units toward the political science minor), with the remaining 2 units counting as general elective credits toward graduation.
- 4
Meets the General Education Integrative and Applied learning requirement.
- 5
Meets the General Education Quantitative Literacy requirement.
- 6
Meets the General Education Social Sciences requirement.