Political Science

Political Science is one of the oldest intellectual and academic disciplines. From Aristotle and Plato, to Machiavelli and Aquinas, to modern analysts and statesmen, political scientists have been concerned with issues of power, governance, public policy, social behavior and interactions among nation-states, among many others. Courses required for this major include all major sub-disciplines of this field: Political Theory, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Economy, as well as Research Methodologies. The interdisciplinary electives encourage students to look at political issues from the perspective of other disciplines.

Compared to the more applied major in International Relations, the major in Political Science is more humanistic and disciplinary. This major provides an excellent preparation for graduate study and careers in fields such as law, journalism, consulting, development assistance, or education.

Not open to majors in International Relations or Political Science with an emphasis in Global Political Economy

Major Requirements (45 Credits)

Foundation Courses (12 Credits)

POL 100Introduction to Political Science

3

POL 101Introduction to International Relations

3

 

HIS 100Western Civilization I: Ancient and Medieval

3

And

HIS 101Western Civilization II: Modern

3

 

Or

 

HIS 104Global History I: Traditions, Encounters, and Adaptation from the Stone Age to the 16th Century

3

And

HIS 105Global History II: Globalization, the Emergence of the Modern State, and Coping with Change

3

Required Courses (9 Credits)

POL 300Comparative Politics

3

POL 301Theories of International Relations

3

POL 302Political Philosophy

3

POL 303Key Concepts in Political Economy

3

Capstone Requirement (6 Credits)

POL 497Readings and Methods in Political Science and International Relations

3

POL 499Senior Thesis

3

Departmental Electives (12 Credits)

Four of the following:

POL 2XX
Any POL 200-level course

POL 3XX
Any POL 300-level course

SOC 100Introduction to Sociology

3

Any language at the 301 level: GER 301 or FRE 301 or ITA 301

Interdisciplinary Electives (6 Credits)

Two of the following:

AHT 218THarbor Cities: Architecture, Vision, and Experience

3

AHT 230TArt, Politics, Landscape: Ireland

3

BUS 410Organizational Behavior and Leadership

3

CLCS 200Gender and Sexuality in a Global Context

3

CLCS 243The Cultural Politics of Sports

3

CLCS 350Culture and Human Rights

3

CLCS 360Critical Race Studies in a Global Context

3

CLCS 371Law and Culture

3

COM 314Digital Journalism in a Global Context

3

ECN 303Development Economics

3

ENV 200Understanding Environmental Issues

3

HIS XXX
Any HIS course at 200-level or above

PSY 201Social Psychology

3

PSY 310Organizational Psychology

3

Note: Prerequisites may be required for courses outside of the major.

The department strongly recommends that students take a POL Academic Travel course.