Political Science
Political Science
Associate Professors: Christina Cliff, Frank S. Cohen
A Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in Political Science for traditional students.
A minor is offered in Political Science.
The mission of the Political Science program is to transform students into engaged, active citizens prepared for a career path, law school, and/or graduate school. To fulfill this mission, we provide a curriculum, rooted in the theories and substance of domestic and world politics, that gears students to acquire skills and habits of mind that fall under the program’s learning outcomes:
Social Science Knowledge: Through the field of political science, students will understand the role of social science methodology and empirical exploration in developing concepts and theory that gear one to analyze the social experience.
Inquiry and Analysis: Students will be skilled in identifying significant topics for inquiry; synthesizing in-depth information from varied, relevant sources; properly designing research; organizing evidence; and reaching conclusions logically.
Applied and Experiential Learning: Students can apply skills and responsibilities in various settings (e.g., simulations, research communities, workplaces, etc.) to address complex problems and to achieve personal growth through concrete action.
Information Literacy: Students will know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand.
Quantitative Literacy: Students will be competent in working with numerical data; able to solve quantitative problems from social contexts; and understand arguments supported by quantitative evidence presented in a variety of formats.
Civic Engagement: Students will be able to utilize knowledge of politics, policy processes, and political systems to further their potential for participation in civic life, public and foreign affairs, politics and/or government.
Humanities Knowledge: Students will understand how philosophic inquiry, historical study, and literary perspective illuminate the problems and issues that drive politics.
Career Exploration: Students will systematically consider-- through academic work, applied research, internships, and co-curricular activity-- specific career opportunities. Majors and minors pursue careers in public and foreign affairs; private-sector and public law; law enforcement; local, state and federal government; campaign management; field organizing; education; journalism; business; and non-profit organizations.
Major Requirements
In addition to all graduation requirements, the following courses must be completed successfully to fulfill the major requirements:
First Year Experience (3 credits):
PO110 Political Violence or
PO111 Politics and Popular Culture
Methodology & Political Thought (9 credits):
PO200 Political Science Research Methods
PA2XX Any PA 200-level course except PA 209 Ethical Reasoning
HS2XX Any HS 200-level course
Foundations (9 credits- choose any 3)
PO201 U.S. Government
PO202 State and Local Government
PO205 International Relations
PO206 Comparative Politics
Applied Learning in Political Science (12 credits- choose any 4)
American Politics
PO321 Constitutional Law/Moot Court
PO322 Campaigns, Elections, and the Policy Process
Global/International Politics
PO330 Global Security and Diplomacy
PO331 Prosperity and Freedom in the World
PO332 Disinformation and Propaganda
Capstone (4 credits)
PO410 Senior Seminar
Field Experience (1 credit):
PO491 Field Experience in Political Science
Minor Requirements (15 total credits):
First Year Experience (3 credits):
PO110 Political Violence or
PO111 Politics and Popular Culture
Foundations (6 credits; choose two)
PO201 U.S. Government
PO202 State and Local Government
PO205 International Relations
PO206 Comparative Politics
PA2XX Any PA200-level course except PA209 Ethical Reasoning
Applied Learning in Political Science (6 credits; choose two)
American Politics
PO321 Constitutional Law/Moot Court
PO322 Campaigns, Elections, and the Policy Process
Global/International Politics
PO330 Global Security and Diplomacy
PO331 Prosperity and Freedom in the World
PO332 Disinformation and Propaganda
Recommended Curriculum Guide - 4-year Political Science
First Year |
|||||
Fall Semester |
Credits |
Spring Semester |
Credits |
||
PO110 or PO111 |
Political Violence or Politics & Pop Culture |
3 |
PO2__ |
US Government or State and Local Government |
3 |
GLE101 |
First-Year Inquiry |
3 |
PA2__ |
Any PA200-level except PA209 |
3 |
GLE110 |
First-Year Composition |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective |
3 |
______ |
GLE Math |
3 |
_____ |
GLE Lab Science I |
4 |
_____ |
Elective |
3 |
_____ |
Elective |
3 |
|
Total |
15 |
|
Total |
16 |
Second Year |
|||||
Fall Semester |
Credits |
Spring Semester |
Credits |
||
PO205 or PO206 |
International Relations or Comparative Politics |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective |
3 |
______ |
GLE Lab Science II |
4 |
PO200 |
Political Science Research Methods |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective |
3 |
GLE230 |
Second-Year Composition |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective |
3 |
HS___ |
History 200-level |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
Total |
16 |
|
Total |
15 |
Third Year |
|||||
Fall Semester |
Credits |
Spring Semester |
Credits |
||
PO205 or PO206 |
International Relations or Comparative Politics |
3 |
PO____ |
PO 300-level |
3 |
PO____ |
PO 300-level |
3 |
PO____ |
PO 300-level |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective or Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective or Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
Total |
15 |
|
Total |
15 |
Fourth Year |
|||||
Fall Semester |
Credits |
Spring Semester |
Credits |
||
PO____ |
PO 300-level |
3 |
PO410 |
Senior Research Seminar |
3 |
PO491 |
Field-Based Experience in Political Science |
1 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
Oustanding GLE Requirement |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
Total |
13 |
|
Total |
15 |
|
|
|
|
Total Credits |
120 |
*One or more additional electives may be needed to fulfill general education requirements. See General and Liberal Education (GLE).
Recommended Curriculum Guide - 3-year Political Science
First Year |
||||||
Fall Semester |
Credits |
Winter Semester |
Credits |
|||
PO110 or PO111 |
Political Violence or Politics & Pop Culture |
3 |
______ |
GLE Art or Humanities |
3 |
|
GLE101 |
First-Year Inquiry |
3 |
|
|
|
|
GLE110 |
First-Year Composition |
3 |
|
|
|
|
PO200 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
______ |
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
16 |
|
Total |
3 |
|
Spring Semester |
Credits |
Summer Semester |
Credits |
|||
PO205 or PO206 |
International Relations or Comparative Politics |
3 |
PA201 |
US Government |
3 |
|
PA2__ |
Any PA200-level except PA209 |
4 |
______ |
GLE Soc Science |
3 |
|
HS2__ |
History 200-level |
3 |
______ |
GLE Art |
3 |
|
______ |
GLE Math |
3 |
______ |
GLE Elective |
3 |
|
______ |
GLE Lab Science II |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
16 |
|
Total |
12 |
|
Second Year |
||||||
Fall Semester |
Credits |
Winter Semester |
Credits |
|||
PO205 or PO206 |
International Relations or Comparative Politics |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
PO3___ |
PO 300-level |
3 |
|
|
|
|
______ |
GLE Elective or Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
______ |
GLE Elective or Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
15 |
|
Total |
3 |
|
Spring Semester |
Credits |
Summer Semester |
Credits |
|||
PO____ |
PO 300-level |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
GL210 |
Composition II |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
______ |
GLE Elective or Elective |
3 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
15 |
|
Total |
9 |
|
Third Year |
||||||
Fall Semester |
Credits |
Winter Semester |
Credits |
|||
PO____ |
PO 300-level |
1 |
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
______ |
Elective |
3 |
||||
______ |
Elective |
3 |
||||
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
|||
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
15 |
|
Total |
3 |
|
Spring Semester |
Credits |
Summer Semester |
Credits |
|||
PO3___ |
PO 300-level |
3 |
|
|
|
|
PO410 |
Senior Research Seminar |
3 |
|
|
|
|
PO491 |
Field Experience PO |
1 |
|
|
|
|
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
______ |
Elective |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
13 |
|
Total Credits |
120 |
*One or more additional electives may be needed to fulfill general education requirements. See General and Liberal Education (GLE).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
HS201 | US History to War of 1812 |
HS202 | Amer Hist Slavery/Civ War |
HS203 | War & Peace Mod America |
HS204 | U.S. History From 1945 |
HS214 | Popular History Today |
HS222 | Ancient History |
HS223 | Medieval History |
HS224 | Renaissance to Napoleon |
HS229 | THRONES AND DRONES: EURO |
HS235 | Topics in World History |
HS240 | AMERICAN ENVIRON HISTORY |
PA210 | Political Theory |
PA211 | Ancient Philosophy |
PA214 | Modern Philosophy |
PA225 | Deliberative Ethics |
PA250 | World Religions |
PA260 | Mythology |
PO110 | Political Violence |
PO111 | Politics & Popular Cultur |
PO200 | Poli Sci Research Methods |
PO201 | U.S. Government |
PO202 | State and Local Governmen |
PO205 | International Relations |
PO206 | Comparative Politics |
PO321 | Constitutional Law Moot |
PO322 | Campaign, Election, Polic |
PO330 | Global Security & Diploma |
PO331 | Prosperity Freedom World |
PO332 | Disinformation and Propag |
PO410 | Senior Research Seminar |
PO491 | Field-Based Exp Poli Sci |