Political Science, BA
Program Description
Political science is the study of politics, government, and public policy at the local, state, national, and international levels. It is concerned with the struggle for power and the exercise of power in public institutions. Political science seeks to reveal the patterns of behavior associated with politics, to explain the functioning of political and governmental institutions, to appraise alternative public policies, and to assess government’s role in society.
Political science provides students with the broad-training necessary to become successful professionals in a variety of fields, as well as engaged democratic citizens. As such, the purpose of the political science program is to foster the development of vital skills such as critical thinking, communication, and analytical abilities in our students in order to prepare them for both a broad range of career choices and the pursuit of lifelong learning.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the BA in political science, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills, to include: creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information.
- Demonstrate communication skills, to include: the effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication.
- Demonstrate empirical and quantitative skills, to include: the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.
Program Requirements
To earn a BA in political science, a student must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of political science courses beyond the requirements of the Core Curriculum Program. Political science majors are advised to take MATH 1324 Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences (3 sch), MATH 1325 Calculus for Business & Social Sciences (3 sch), or MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 sch) to satisfy the Mathematics Core Curriculum Program requirement. Students who do not take MATH 1324 Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences (3 sch), MATH 1325 Calculus for Business & Social Sciences (3 sch), or MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 sch) to satisfy the core Math requirement will be required to take one to fulfill the requirements for the major. The department recommends taking MATH 1442 Statistics for Life (4 sch) to satisfy both the Core and major requirement. If students have any questions, they should visit with the social science academic advisor.
General Requirements
Requirements | Credit Hours |
---|---|
Core Curriculum Program | 42 |
University Seminar (when applicable)1 | 0-2 |
Political Science Major Requirements | 33 |
University Electives | 39 |
Foreign Language Requirements | 6 |
Total Credit Hours | 120-122 |
- 1
Full-time, first time in college students are required to take university seminar.
- USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Full-time, First Year Students | ||
First year seminar | 0-2 | |
University Seminar | ||
Core Curriculum Program | ||
University Core Curriculum 1 | 42 | |
Political Science majors must take the following as part of the University Core Curriculum | ||
U.S. Government and Politics | ||
State and Local Government | ||
Political Science Major Requirements | ||
POLS 2304 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
POLS 3303 | Contemporary Political Analysis 2 | 3 |
POLS 4303 | Seminar in Political Science 3 | 3 |
Upper-division 4 | ||
List 1: American Politics, Public Policy, and Public Administration | ||
Select at least three of the following: | 9 | |
Mexican American and Latinx Politics | ||
Political Psychology | ||
Women and Politics | ||
Campaigns and Elections | ||
The Legislative Process | ||
Public Opinion | ||
Political Parties | ||
The American Presidency | ||
Judicial Politics | ||
Interest Groups | ||
Introduction to Public Administration | ||
Introduction to Public Policy | ||
Bureaucracy | ||
Constitution and Federalism | ||
Urban Politics | ||
Government Budgeting and Finance | ||
Media and Politics | ||
Topics in Political Science 3 | ||
List 2: Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory | ||
Select at least three of the following: | 9 | |
Religion and Politics | ||
The Politics of War | ||
Comparative Politics | ||
International Relations | ||
Western Political Theory | ||
Political Theory and Ideologies | ||
Politics of Love | ||
The Politics of the European Union | ||
Comparative Politics of Developing Nations | ||
Transitions to Democracy | ||
Politics in Latin America | ||
American Political Thought | ||
Topics in Political Science 3 | ||
Political Science Electives | ||
Select 6 hours of unrestricted electives from any Political Science course including those above or | 6 | |
Applied Experience | ||
University Electives | ||
Select 39 hours of university electives. | 39 | |
Foreign Language Requirements | ||
See the College of Liberal Arts for the college language requirement. | 6 | |
Total Hours | 120-122 |
- 1
Please see Core Curriculum Program for more details. Hours will depend on MATH course taken.
- 2
Pre-requisite for POLS 4303 Seminar in Political Science (3 sch)
- 3
When POLS 4390 Topics in Political Science (3 sch) courses are offered by faculty, the course description will indicate whether the course applies to List 1 or List 2. POLS 4390 Topics in Political Science (3 sch) will be applied to List 1 or List 2 as approved by department.
- 4
Students must take 18 upper-division hours from the following lists, with at least three courses from each list. The remaining 6 semester hours of unrestricted electives may be any political science course included in these lists or the internship experience (POLS 4398 Applied Experience (3 sch)).
Course Sequencing
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | |
POLS 2305 | U.S. Government and Politics | 3 |
USSE 1201 | University Seminar | 2 |
ENGL 1301 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
POLS 23XX/Lower Division Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 17 | |
Spring | ||
ENGL 1302 or COMM 1311 | Writing and Rhetoric II or Foundation of Communication | 3 |
POLS 2306 | State and Local Government | 3 |
MATH 1442 | Statistics for Life | 4 |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
Hours | 13 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
POLS 23XX/Lower Division Elective | 3 | |
Foreign Language Requirements | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
POLS 2304 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
Foreign Language Requirements | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
POLS Upper Division Elective (LIST 1) | 3 | |
POLS Upper Division Elective (LIST 2) | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
POLS Upper Division Elective (LIST 1) | 3 | |
POLS Upper Division Elective (LIST 2) | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
POLS 3303 | Contemporary Political Analysis | 3 |
POLS Upper Division Elective (LIST 1) | 3 | |
POLS Upper Division Elective (LIST 2) | 3 | |
POLS Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
POLS 4303 | Seminar in Political Science | 3 |
POLS Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Upper Divisional Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Total Hours | 120 |