Political Science (B.A.)

Freshman Year

Total Hours: 34 

• Foreign Language - 6
• Science Elective¹ - 9
  (Must include biological and physical science and one six-hour sequence.)

• ENGL 101 - English Composition I (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• ENGL 102 - English Composition II (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• FFND 101 - Freshman Foundations (Lec. 1, Lab. 1, Cr. 1)
• HIST 101 - European History to 1648 (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• HIST 102 - European History since 1648 (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MATH 113 - College Algebra (Lec. 2, Lab. 2, Cr. 3)
• MATH 113* - College Algebra (Lec. 2, Lab. 3, Cr. 3)
• MATH 231 - Elementary Probability and Statistical Inference (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• ORIN 101 - Freshman Orientation (Cr. 0)

Sophomore Year

Total Hours: 30

• Economics Elective² - 3
• English Literature - 3
• Electives - 6
  (Of any electives, students must take at least 21 hours in courses 300 or above.)
• Geography Elective - 3
  (Of any electives, students must take at least 21 hours in courses 300 or above.)
• Political Science Elective³ - 3

• POLS 201 - American Government (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• HIST 201 - American History to 1877 (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• HIST 202 - American History since 1877 (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MAAP 200 - Midpoint Assessment of Academic Progress Examination
• SOCL 201 - Introductory Sociology (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)

Junior Year

Total Hours: 27

• Political Science Electives³ - 9
  (Of any electives, students must take at least 21 hours in courses 300 or above.)
• Electives - 6
  (Of any electives, students must take at least 21 hours in courses 300 or above.)
• Philosophy Electives - 3

• ENGL 351 - Advanced English Grammar (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• ENGL 361 - Advanced English Composition (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• SOCL 320 - Social Research Methods (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)

Senior Year

Total Hours: 29

• Political Science Electives³ - 12
• Fine Art Electives⁴ - 6
  (Of any electives, students must take at least 21 hours in courses 300 or above.)
• Communication Studies⁵ - 3
• Electives - 5

• SOSC 499 - Senior Research Seminar Capstone Experience (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)

Notes

¹Three (3) hours must be selected from the approved Writing Enriched courses- see General Education Core Curriculum  section.
²No substitutions permitted.
³6 hours in American Political Process: POLS 301, 350, 360, 370, 401, 410, 410, 447, 448, 449; 3 hours in Comparative Politics, International Relations, or Political Thought: POLS 315, 320, 403, 421. Students majoring in Political Science must earn a grade of “C” or higher in each Political Science course.
⁴Course must be selected from the General Education Core Curriculum  section.
⁵Students pursuing a Political Communications concentration may substitute a Mass Communication course for the Communication Studies requirement.

Political Communications Concentration

Total Hours for major: 30

Select at least 18 semester hours from:

• MCOM 131 - Introduction to Mass Communication (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 210 - Writing for the Media (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 261 - Introduction to Public Relations (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 338 - Writing for Public Relations (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 343 - News Production (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 353 - Ethics in the Mass Media (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 355 - Emerging Media Practices (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 361 - Public Relations Techniques (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 371 - Public Relations Case Studies (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 385 - Diversity and Intercultural Communication (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 409 - Journalism Practices (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• MCOM 442 - Media Law (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)

Political Philosophy Concentration

Total hours for major: 30

Select at least 18 semester hours from:

• HIST 341 - History of England to 1688 (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• HIST 342 - History of England since 1688 (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• PHIL 102 - Critical Thinking (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• PHIL 201 - Introduction to Philosophy (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• PHIL 311 - History of Ancient and Medieval Thought (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• PHIL 312 - History of Modern Thought (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• PHIL 313 - Contemporary Philosophy (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• PHIL 315 - Political Philosophy (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• PHIL 483 - Great Books in Philosophy (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• POLS 315 - Introduction to Political Theory (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• POLS 461 - Classical Political Theory (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• POLS 462 - Modern Political Theory (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• WMST 301 - Survey of Feminist Theory (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)

Terrorism, Preparedness and Security Concentration

Total hours for major: 30

Select at least 18 semester hours from:

• CJUS 381 - Security Systems (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• CJUS 401 - Terrorism, Crime, and Security (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• CJUS 441 - Contemporary Criminal Justice (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• CJUS 461 - Special Topics in Criminal Justice (Lec. 3, Cr. 3) (Selected topics must be appropriately titled and geared for this concentration.)
• CJUS 491 - Comparative Criminal Justice (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• GEOG 461 - Political Geography (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• POLS 320 - International Relations and Politics (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• POLS 422 - Middle Eastern Politics (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• HIST 408 - History of Terrorism (Lec. 3, Cr. 3)
• SOCL 451 - Selected Topics in Sociology (Lec. 3, Cr. 3) (Selected topics must be appropriately titled and geared for this concentration.)

Total Hours for Degree: 120