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 100 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| POL 101 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| | |
| HIS 100 | Western Civilization I: Ancient and Medieval | 3 |
| And | |
| HIS 101 | Western Civilization II: Modern | 3 |
| | |
| Or | |
| | |
| HIS 104 | Global History I: Traditions, Encounters, and Adaptation from the Stone Age to the 16th Century | 3 |
| And | |
| HIS 105 | Global History II: Globalization, the Emergence of the Modern State, and Coping with Change | 3 |
Required Courses (9 Credits)
| POL 300 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POL 301 | Theories of International Relations | 3 |
| POL 302 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| POL 303 | Key Concepts in Political Economy | 3 |
Capstone Requirement (6 Credits)
| POL 497 | Readings and Methods in Political Science and International Relations | 3 |
| POL 499 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
Departmental Electives (12 Credits)
Four of the following:
| Any POL 200-level course | |
| Any POL 300-level course | |
| SOC 100 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
Interdisciplinary Electives (6 Credits)
Two of the following:
| AHT 218T | Harbor Cities: Architecture, Vision, and Experience | 3 |
| AHT 230T | Art, Politics, Landscape: Ireland | 3 |
| BUS 410 | Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 3 |
| CLCS 200 | Gender and Sexuality in a Global Context | 3 |
| CLCS 243 | The Cultural Politics of Sports | 3 |
| CLCS 350 | Culture and Human Rights | 3 |
| CLCS 360 | Critical Race Studies in a Global Context | 3 |
| CLCS 371 | Law and Culture | 3 |
| COM 314 | Digital Journalism in a Global Context | 3 |
| ECN 303 | Development Economics | 3 |
| ENV 200 | Understanding Environmental Issues | 3 |
| Any HIS course at 200-level or above | |
| PSY 201 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 310 | Organizational 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.