2021-2022 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

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Political Science - Bachelor of Arts (30 Credits)

(30 credits plus 10 credits of experiential learning)

Political science is the study of how goal-oriented individuals and groups use power to influence the behavior of others and achieve desired outcomes. Governments are public institutions that frame official power relations and strongly determine most political outcomes. The political science major offers courses in six fields of political science:

  • U.S. Politics
  • Comparative Politics
  • Political Theory
  • International Relations
  • Public Policy
  • Political Behavior

Political science majors will emerge from the program with an understanding of governmental structures and processes, methods for evaluating policy, strategies for exercising power, and conceptual tools for analyzing political events and outcomes. Thus prepared, graduates will be ready to improve lives through teaching, writing, or active political engagement.

Students will be able to:

  • systematically and critically analyze government, politics and public policy, and analyze the process by which systematic knowledge about government, politics and policy is produced.
  • frame thoughtful questions, conduct and evaluate scholarly research, marshal convincing evidence about the causes and possible solutions to political issues and problems,
  • compare and contrast questions of private and public values.
  • critically evaluate perspectives (e.g. geographic, ethnic, racial, gender-based, cultural, and historical) as they are used to identify, examine and understand political issues.
  • write and speak with clarity and precision.

Please note: a minimum grade of "C" is required in the internship seminars and the capstone course to progress in the major.

Degree Requirements

I. Required core (15 Credits):

CPOLS 1101Introduction to Political Science

3
CPOLS 2121U.S. Politics

3
CPHIL 2000Political Philosophy

3
CSOCS 3444Research Methods in the Social Sciences

3
CSOCS 4444Senior Capstone Seminar: Current Issues in Social Science

3
OR
CGLST 4400Senior Capstone Seminar: Global Social Change

3

II. Choice Courses (15 Credits):

At least 6 credits must be taken at the 3000 level or above.

CGLST 2320Comparative Political Economy

3
CPLCY 3552Social Policy

3
CPOLS 2130Elections and Democracy

3
CPOLS 2401Drug Wars

3
CPOLS 3121American Constitutional Law

3
CPOLS 3131Perspectives on International Relations

3
CPOLS 3202U.S. Foreign Policy

3
CPOLS 3300Violence, Markets and Globalization

3
CPOLS 3302Environmental Politics and Policy

3
CPOLS 3401Latin American Politics

3
CPOLS 3450HBO's The Wire: The Politics of U.S. Urban Inequality

3
CPSYC 3240Psychology, Power, and Politics

3
CSOCL 2115Politicizing Sex, Gender & Race: Transnational Perspectives

3
CSOCL 3551Activism and Change in Communities

3
CSOCS 3550Disability Studies

3

III. Experiential Component (10 Credits):

CSOCS 2401Social Sciences Pre-Internship Seminar

1
CPOLS 3100Political Science Internship and Seminar I

3
CPOLS 4100Political Science Internship and Seminar II

6

The pre-internship seminar requirement may be fulfilled through any 1000-level field-based course (e.g. CHMSR 1551; CEDUC 1352; CGLST 1200, CMGMT 1451).