• Comprehend the basic structures and processes of government systems and/or theoretical underpinnings.
• Analyze political problems, arguments, information, and/or theories.
• Apply methods appropriate for accumulating and interpreting data applicable to the discipline of political science.

Students selecting the Political Science major must complete 52 credits of political science coursework, of which at least 36 credits must be upper-division courses. As part of these overall credit totals, Political Science majors must complete the following requirements.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Foundation Courses
Select three courses from the following:		12
PS 201	*INTRODUCTION TO UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
PS 204	*INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS
PS 205	*INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
PS 206	*INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT
Methods/WIC
PS 300	^RESEARCH METHODS	4
Upper-Division Subfield Courses
Select one course from at least three of the four following subfields:		12
Subfield 1: American national government and politics, to include the judiciary, state and local government, public policy, public administration
PS 311	CONGRESSIONAL POLITICS
PS 312	PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS
PS 313	CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS
PS 314	INTEREST GROUP POLITICS
PS 315	*THE POLITICS OF MEDIA
PS 317	GENDER AND POLITICS
PS 326	JUDICIAL PROCESS AND POLITICS
PS 331	*STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS
PS 371	PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS
PS 374	*SUSTAINABLE LIVING: PRACTICES AND POLICIES
PS 375	*THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND POLICIES
PS 381	CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: GOVERNMENT POWERS AND CONSTRAINTS
PS 382	CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL LIBERTIES
PS 383	*CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL RIGHTS
PS 384	CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED
PS 455	*THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
PS 473	US ENERGY POLICY
PS 475	ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY
PS 476	SCIENCE AND POLITICS
PS 477	INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY
PS 478	RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY
Subfield 2: Comparative politics
PS 341	*EUROPEAN AND EU POLITICS
PS 343	*RUSSIAN POLITICS
PS 344	*LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS
PS 345	*POLITICS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS
PS 348	*CHINESE POLITICS
PS 350	*JAPANESE POLITICS
PS 441	DEMOCRATIZATION
PS 446	EAST ASIAN POLITICAL ECONOMY
Subfield 3: International relations
PS 351	AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY
PS 356	INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF ASIA PACIFIC
PS 454	INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATIONS
PS 455	*THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
PS 457	US-CHINA RELATIONS
PS 458	INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
PS 470	GLOBAL FOOD POLITICS AND POLICY
PS 477	INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY
Subfield 4: Political philosophy
PS 361	CLASSICAL POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 362	MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 363	*GENDER AND RACE IN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 365	AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 461	ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICAL THEORY
PS 462	THEORIES OF LAW
Upper-Division PS Courses
Select 24 credits of additional upper-division PS courses		24
Additional Requirements
Remaining Bacc Core, Option and/or General Electives		128
Total Credits		180

*

Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)

^

Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

I. Foundation Courses

The school encourages students to take the foundation courses in their first or second year.

Students who choose to specialize in one of the options for the major are required to take two of the introductory courses as specified for the option and choose the third introductory course.

Few upper-division political science courses have enforced prerequisites, but taking the corresponding intro course is often good preparation.

II. Methods/WIC

PS 300 is the research methods and WIC course. The school encourages students to take the Methods/WIC course late in their second or early in their third year.

III. Upper-Division Subfield Courses

A. For the general major, students must take one course each from at least three of the four subfields.

B. For the options, students choose from a list of courses approved for the option.

IV. Potential for Specialization

Students may choose a general political science major or may choose from one of three transcript-visible options:

1. Environmental and Energy Politics
2. International Affairs
3. Law and Politics

V. Potential for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Political science majors are strongly encouraged to pursue experiential learning and other educational opportunities outside of the classroom, and these experiences can be used to fulfill some political science graduation requirements. Such experiences can include research, thesis writing, projects, or internship. Credits will be placed in the appropriate PS 401–PS 410 subject code. A maximum of 8 credits from any combination of PS 401–PS 410 may be applied to the major, although additional credits from courses in this range may be applied to general graduation requirements. Additional experiential learning opportunities include "field schools" and study abroad. Students should discuss all of these opportunities with the political science undergraduate advisor.

VI. Additional Requirements for the Major

• Majors are required to maintain a minimum cumulative 2.00 grade-point average for all political science course work.
• Majors must earn a C– grade or better in PS 300.
• Students must complete the BA or BS requirements specified by the College of Liberal Arts.

Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.

Political Science BA

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
FALL		CREDITS
MTH 105	*INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS	3
COMM 111 or COMM 114	*PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE	3
Language 111		4
Intro Course		4
	Credits	14
WINTER
WR 121	*ENGLISH COMPOSITION	4
Intro Course		4
Language 112		4
Bacc Core: Difference, Power & Discrimination		3
Bacc Core: PAC		1
	Credits	16
SPRING
Core Course		4
Language 113		4
Bacc Core: Physical Science with Lab		4
Bacc Core: Literature & The Arts		3
	Credits	15
Second Year
FALL
HHS 231	*LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH	2
Language 211		4
Bacc Core: Writing II		3
Bacc Core: Biological Science with Lab		4
Bacc Core: Cultural Diversity		3
	Credits	16
WINTER
300-Level PS Course		4
Language 212		4
CLA Core: Fine Arts		3
Bacc Core: Social Processes & Institutions		4
	Credits	15
SPRING
300-Level PS Course		4
Language 213		4
CLA Core: Non-Western Culture		4
Bacc Core: Biological or Physical Science with Lab		4
	Credits	16
Third Year
FALL
300-Level PS Course		4
Upper-Division Subfield Course		4
CLA Core: Social Science		4
Elective		3
	Credits	15
WINTER
Upper-Division Subfield Course		4
CLA Core: Humanities		3
Bacc Core: Western Culture		4
Elective		4
	Credits	15
SPRING
Upper-Division Subfield Course		4
Upper-Division PS Course		4
Upper-Division Elective		4
Elective		3
	Credits	15
Fourth Year
FALL
Upper-Division PS Course		4
Upper-Division Elective		3
CLA Core: Additional Course		3
Elective		4
	Credits	14
WINTER
Upper-Division PS Course		4
Upper-Division Elective		3
Bacc Core: Science, Technology & Society		3
Elective		4
	Credits	14
SPRING
Upper-Division PS Course		4
Bacc Core: Contemporary Global Issues		3
Upper-Division Elective		4
Elective		4
	Credits	15
	Total Credits	180

Political Science BS

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
FALL		CREDITS
MTH 105	*INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS	3
WR 121	*ENGLISH COMPOSITION	4
Intro Course		4
Bacc Core: Difference, Power & Discrimination		4
	Credits	15
WINTER
COMM 111 or COMM 114	*PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE	3
MTH 111	*COLLEGE ALGEBRA	4
Intro Course		4
Bacc Core: PAC		1
Bacc Core: Social Processes & Institutions		3
	Credits	15
SPRING
HHS 231	*LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH	2
MTH 245	*MATHEMATICS FOR MANAGEMENT, LIFE, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES	4
Intro Course		4
Bacc Core: Western Culture		3
Bacc Core: Literature & The Arts		3
	Credits	16
Second Year
FALL
Bacc Core: Writing II		3
Bacc Core: Biological Science with Lab		4
Bacc Core: Cultural Diversity		3
Elective		3
Elective		3
	Credits	16
WINTER
300-Level PS Course		4
CLA Core: Non-Western Culture		4
Bacc Core: Physical Science with Lab		4
Elective		4
	Credits	16
SPRING
300-Level PS Course		4
CLA Core: Fine Arts		3
Bacc Core: Biological or Physical Science with Lab		4
Elective		3
	Credits	14
Third Year
FALL
300-Level PS Course		4
Upper-Division PS Course		4
CLA Core: Social Science		3
Upper-Division Elective		4
	Credits	15
WINTER
Upper-Division Subfield Course		4
CLA Core: Humanities		4
Any Computer Science Course		3
Elective		3
	Credits	14
SPRING
Subfield Course		4
Upper-Division PS Course		4
BS Science Course		3
Elective		3
	Credits	14
Fourth Year
FALL
Upper-Division Subfield Course		4
CLA Core: Additional Course		4
Upper-Division Elective		3
Elective		3
Elective		3
	Credits	17
WINTER
Upper-Division PS Course		3
Bacc Core: Science, Technology & Society		3
Upper-Division Elective		4
Elective		4
	Credits	14
SPRING
Upper-Division PS Course		4
Bacc Core: Contemporary Global Issues		3
Upper-Division Elective		3
Elective		4
	Credits	14
	Total Credits	180