Political Science, B.A.

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The political science program focuses on learning by doing to encourage students to develop career skill sets, explore government and politics at all levels, and examine the relationship between political systems, institutions, actors, events, and organizations. The program focuses on key areas such as international relations, public policy, government affairs, the law, comparative politics, and american politial behavior.

Students in the B.A. political science program must complete 121 credits. These courses must include 40 credits of University Core Curriculum, 42 credits of poltiical science major requirements, and 39 credits of free electives.

Program Outcomes

By the end of this program, students will be able to:

1. Apply knowledge of political institutions to contemporary issues.

2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of different political institutions.

3. Evaluate the political behavior of political events, actors, and institutions.

4. Create solutions to contemporary problems.

University Core Curriculum

Tier 1:

C1T1 - ENGL 1112 or ENGL 1113
C2T1 - COMM 1130
C3T1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Literacy - choose any course with this attribute
C4T1 - Scientific Exploration - choose any course with this attribute
C5T1 - Critical Thinking and Problem Solving - choose any course with this attribute
C6T1 - Historical Perspectives - choose any course with this attribute
C7T1 - PSCI 1121
C8T1 - PSCI 2241
C9T1 - Perspective on Creative Arts - choose any course with this attribute

Tier 2:

To fulfill the 12 credits of core curriculum tier 2 requirements, political science majors may choose courses from any competency.

Note: Political science majors can take a maximum of 6 total credits of political science courses to satisfy University Core Curriculum requirements.

Required Courses

Plus 9 credits from the following Experiential Learning restricted electives:

Plus 9 credits from the following Comparative Politics restricted electives:

Plus 6 credits from the following American Politics restricted electives:

Plus

Plus 12 credits of PSCI electives to be chosen with the student's departmental advisor.
Plus 39 credits of free electives to be chosen with the student's departmental advisor.

Direct Entry B.A. Political Science/M.B.A. Business Administration

The direct entry B.A. Political Science and M.B.A. Business Administration degree program is available to any qualified incoming Political Science major. To qualify, students must have at least a 3.25 high school GPA and a score of 1100 on the SAT. Students in the program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to continue into the graduate portion of the program. Students in this program will complete their B.A. Political Science in the first four years. In the fourth year, students will begin their M.B.A. coursework, which they will complete in year five or six, depending on the accelerated track chosen.

Direct Entry B.A. Political Science/M.P.A. Public Administration

The direct entry B.A. Political Science and M.P.A. Public Administration degree program is available to any qualified incoming Political Science major. To qualify, students must have at least a 3.25 high school GPA and a score of 1100 on the SAT. Students in the program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to continue into the graduate portion of the program. Students in this program will complete their B.A. Political Science in the first four years. In the fourth year, students will begin their M.P.A. coursework, which they will complete in year five, semester two.