Political Science

Please Note:

Academic programs vary in their requirements. Students should consult with their faculty advisor and the Academic Guidebook to review the Academic Planning Form pertinent to their program of study. In addition, students should review course descriptions regarding any prerequisites for required courses. Graduation requirements include a minimum of 120 credit hours, although some academic programs may require additional credits. Please refer to the Academic Resources   section of the catalog for more information. Information regarding the Core Curriculum is available within each course and online. 

Required Courses

To graduate as a political science major, students must complete 33 credit hours, normally 11 courses, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the department, distributed in the following manner:

1. PSC 101 - Politics  
2. Field Requirements (4 courses)
   Students must take one course in each of four fields: comparative government and politics, international relations, political theory, and American politics. The department maintains lists of courses that fulfill each of these field requirements. The list is printed in department publications, can be found on the department Web page, and is available in the department office and from academic advisors. Note that these courses are not all offered every semester or even every year. Students should always check at preregistration to see what is being offered in future semesters. Students also should note that there are many courses in the Department of Political Science that do NOT fulfill any of these four fields.
3. PSC 302 - Research Methods  
4. Political Science Electives (4 courses)
   Students may take any of the department’s courses to fulfill this category of four electives, as well as SOC 342 and HPM 408.
5. Research Seminar in Political Science (1 course)
   All students will take PSC 488  or PSC 489 , Research Seminar in Political Science, in their senior year.