Political Science (B.A./B.S.)

Student Learning Outcomes

Students with a major in Political Science will:

• Demonstrate knowledge of concepts, theories and methods of political science, political systems beyond the United States, and political issues facing traditionally underrepresented communities.
• Develop critical thinking skills by a) including a disciplined, skeptical outlook on the world; b) assessing multiple - and often countervailing - theoretical perspectives, and c) recognizing the difference between strong and weak arguments based on evidence.
• Understand international perspectives, a necessary prerequisite to becoming active and responsible global citizens.
• Express themselves effectively through oral and written communication. This includes framing scholarly questions and developing discipline appropriate research strategies to address them.

Academic Requirements

No grade below a “C” in political science courses may be used to fulfill major or minor requirements.

Requirements for Political Science Major: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements

• Goal #1 Written Communication: SGR #1 Electives Credits: 6  
• Goal #2 Oral Communication:
  SGR #2 Elective Credits: 3
    
• Goal #3 Social Sciences:
  SGR #3 Electives Credits: 6
    
• Goal #4 Arts and Humanities:
  SGR #4 Electives Credits: 6
    
• Goal #5 Mathematics:
  SGR #5 Elective Credits: 3
    
• Goal #6 Natural Sciences:
  SGR #6 Electives Credits: 6
    

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements

• One declared minor outside of the major discipline OR a second major OR a teaching specialization. The minor may be a traditional minor within one department or school or it may be interdisciplinary involving more than one department or school. The minor can be in a different college. The minor must be declared no later than the student’s third semester of enrollment.
• Capstone course in the major discipline
• Upper division coursework Credits: 33

Bachelor of Arts Requirements: 6+

• Modern Foreign Language Including the 202-Level Credits: 6+ 

Bachelor of Science Requirements: 10+

• Natural Sciences  Credits: 10+
  • Any two lab sciences.
  • Coursework must include 2 prefixes.
  • MATH and STAT courses do not count toward the science requirement.

System General Education and/or major coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements. Consult program advisor for details. See the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences  for additional information about Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science specifications.

Major Requirements

• POLS 100 - American Government (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3
• POLS 101 - Introduction to Political Science (COM) Credits: 3
• POLS 102 - American Political Issues (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3

• or POLS 141 - Governments of the World (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3  

• POLS 253 - Current World Issues [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3
• POLS 388 - Research Methods Credits: 3
• POLS 489 - Capstone (COM) Credits: 3 (Capstone)
• POLS Electives Credits: 6 (excludes CJUS/POLS 201 Introduction to Criminal Justice)
• 300-400 Level Political Science courses Credits: 15
  A maximum of 6 credits may be selected from the following courses:  
  • GEOG 372 - Introduction to GIS (COM) Credits: 2  
  • GEOG 372L - Introduction to GIS Lab (COM) Credits: 1  
  • GEOG 459 - Political Geography (COM) Credits: 3  
  • HIST 381 - Imperialism, Then and Now Credits: 3  

Electives

Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Total Required Credits: 120

Summary of Program Requirements

*System General Education Requirements for students pursuing a baccalaureate degree shall include a minimum of 30 credit hours. Some general education coursework may be counted for Major Requirements, Supporting Coursework, and College Requirements.
**System General Education Requirements, Major Requirements, and Supporting Coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements.  
***Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Academic Advising Guide Sheet

The goal of the academic advising guide sheets and sample plans of study is to promote undergraduate student success by guiding all students to timely completion of an undergraduate degree. Students are not limited to the course sequence provided for their academic program. Instead, the sample plan of study is one possible path to completing your degree and is meant to be used as a guide for planning purposes in consultation with an academic advisor. The plans also help students prepare for meetings with their academic advisor and track their progress in their selected academic program.

• Political Science (B.A.)
• Political Science (B.S.)