May 04, 2025

2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog

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2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Political Science, B.A.

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Requirements for the liberal arts major in political science, B.A. program

The major requires a minimum of 40 credits in political science as outlined below. Credit toward the major will only be allowed for courses completed with a grade of 2.0 or higher.

A. Core - 16 credits

PS 100 - Introduction to American Politics (4)
PS 114 - Issues in World Politics (4) or
PS 131 - Comparative Politics
(4)
PS 303 - Research Methods and Statistics (4) (should be taken in the sophomore year and no later than the junior year)

One capstone course selected from

PS 470 - Seminar in American Politics (4)
PS 472 - Seminar in International Relations (4)
PS 476 - Seminar in the Comparative Study of Political Systems (4)

B. At least one 4-credit course selected from each of the three fields of political science - 12 credits

1. American politics

PS 300 - American Political Culture (4)
PS 301 - American Presidency and the Executive Process (4)
PS 302 - Congress and the Legislative Process (4)
PS 305 - Local Government and Politics (4)
PS 306 - Special Topics in American Politics (4)
PS 307 - State Politics (4)
PS 309 - Politics Through Film (4)
PS 311 - Women and Politics (4)
PS 312 - The Politics of Race and Ethnicity (4)
PS 319 - Politics and the Internet (4)
PS 322 - Political Parties and Interest Groups (4)
PS 324 - Elections and Voting Behavior (4)
PS 325 - Public Opinion (4)
PS 326 - Political Campaigns (4)
PS 327 - Media and Politics (4)
PS 340 - U.S. Constitutional Law (4)
PS 341 - Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (4)
PS 342 - The Judicial Process (4)
PS 343 - Gender Discrimination and the Supreme Court (4)
PS 350 - Public Administration (4)
PS 352 - Geographic Information System Analysis for Sustainability (4)
PS 353 - American Public Policy (4)
PS 478 - Seminar in Public Law (4)
PS 484 - Seminar in Public Policy (4)

2. Comparative and international politics

PS 308 - Special Topics in Comparative Politics and International Relations (4)
PS 314 - International Politics: Theory and Practice (4) (may satisfy the comparative and international politics field requirement or the political theory and political thought field requirement, but not both)
PS 315 - United States Foreign Policy (4)
PS 317 - International Politics of Human Rights (4)
PS 328 - Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy (4)
PS 329 - European Political Systems (4)
PS 330 - Politics of Development (4)
PS 332 - Politics of the Middle East and North Africa (4)
PS 333 - African Politics (4)
PS 334 - Political Systems of Asia (4)
PS 335 - Politics of Latin America (4)
PS 337 - The Russian Political System (4)
PS 338 - International Political Economy (4)
PS 339 - Revolution, Intervention, and Democratization (4)
PS 354 - Global Environmental Governance (4)
PS 360 - International Terrorism: Causes, Consequences, Responses (4)
PS 361 - International Organizations (4)
PS 363 - Global Democratization (4)
PS 364 - Gender and Int’l Relations (4)
PS 365 - International Conflict and Security (4)
PS 367 - Globalization and International Economic Institutions (4)

3. Political theory and political thought

PS 314 - International Politics: Theory and Practice (4) (may satisfy the comparative and international politics field requirement or the political theory field requirement, but not both)
PS 320 - Conducting Political Surveys (4)
PS 321 - Systematic Political Analysis (4)
PS 371 - American Political Thought (4)
PS 372 - Western Political Thought I (4)
PS 373 - Western Political Thought II (4)
PS 374 - Politics Through Literature (4)
PS 377 - Communism (4)
PS 480 - Seminar in Political Theory (4)

C. The remaining 12 credits are elective courses with the following restrictions

Only 4 credits of PS 362 - Model United Nations (2) will be accepted toward the major.
No more than a total of 12 credits of PS 390, PS 459 and PS 490 will be accepted in the major.
No more than 4 credits of PS 459 may be counted toward the major in political science. Applicants must seek departmental approval at the beginning of the semester prior to that of the internship. Permission forms are available in 418 Varner Hall.

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