Political Science, B.S.

Department Requirements for Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science 39 - Semester Hours

Mission:

To build a community of responsible, engaged and informed citizens and leaders by developing the substantive knowledge and intellectual skills necessary to analyze, interpret, and participate in domestic and international affairs. We prepare our majors for graduate and law schools, as well as for careers as leaders in the public and private sectors.

Program Goals:

The major in Political Science is designed to familiarize students with both American and international politics while also training them in the skills of political science as an intellectual discipline. The program’s upper-level curriculum encourages a broad exposure to the discipline while also allowing students to specialize in areas such as international relations, public policy, and the American legal system.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students awarded a Bachelor of Science in Political Science should be able to:

1. recognize the characteristic features of Political Science as an academic discipline;
2. conduct thorough research according to the standard methods of political scientists;
3. advance original arguments in well-written essays with appropriate citation of sources;
4. explain and distinguish between alternative philosophies of government;
5. describe and compare different political systems and forms of government;
6. describe the American political systems, including the federal government, state and local governments, and the relationships among branches and levels of government;
7. explain the institutions and processes through which governments interact with one another across international political boundaries; and
8. describe the ways in which individuals organize to influence politics and effect political change.

General Education Core:

The following courses are recommended in order to satisfy the requirements of the General Education Core. For a complete listing of all courses satisfying these requirements, please refer to the General Education  section of the catalog.

Upper-level Admission:

For admission into the upper-level program of the Political Science major, students must complete all of the requirements listed above under General Education Core. In addition, they must have removed all high school deficiencies, passed all required remedial/developmental courses, and earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on college-level course work. They must also have earned a minimum grade of C in POLI 1010  and POLI 2010 .

Major Core:

The requirements for a major in Political Science include POLI 1010 - Introduction to Political Sciences (3) ; POLI 2010 - American National Government (3) ; POLI 2200 - Introduction to International Politics (3) ; POLI 2220 - State and Local Government (3) ; POLI 3000 - History of Political Philosophy (3) , or, POLI 3010 - Contemporary Political Philosophy (3) ; POLI 3100 - Research Methodology (3) ; POLI 4500 - Senior Project (3) ; and 18 additional upper-level hours in Political Science. All Political Science courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Suggested Four-Year Plan: 120-Hours