Program Overview

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Overview of the Program

The Political Science (BA): American Politics Concentration program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of American political institutions, political participation, and political processes at the federal, state, and local level. The program aims to develop skills that are necessary for pursuing graduate and professional-level education, as well as careers in government, policy, civil society, and business.

Program Requirements

The program requires 18 hours of core courses that cover major political science subfields, including American government, comparative politics, international relations, theory, public law and policy, and research methods. Additionally, students must complete 15 hours of political science electives, 12 of which must be taken at the 300 level or above, and one of which must be a 400-level senior seminar that includes a substantial research requirement. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all political science courses taken.

American Politics Concentration

The American Politics concentration focuses on building knowledge about American political institutions, political participation, and political processes at the federal, state, and local level. Students will develop skills that are needed to pursue graduate and professional-level education, and to pursue careers in government, policy, civil society, and business.

Plan Requirements

The plan requirements include:

• American Politics Concentration: 3 hours
• Concentration Seminar: 3 hours
• Select one of the following: PS 401, PS 411, PS/WGS 418, PS 463, PS 502, or PS 506
• Departmental Requirements: PS 201, PS 241, PS 371, PS 301, PS 302, PS 362, International, Law & Justice/Public Policy, PS Elective 300+, Humanities & Soc Sci, Acad Writing Research, History I, History II, Global Literature, Additional Literature Elective, Philosophy, Arts and Letters, World Language 200 Level, Math Electives, GEP Courses, and Free Electives

Semester Sequence

The semester sequence is a sample plan of study that outlines the courses to be taken each semester. The sequence includes:

• First Year: ENG 101, PS 201, Mathematics, History, Social Sciences
• Second Year: American Politics Concentration Requirement, ST 311, Global Literature, GEP Natural Sciences, GEP Health and Exercise Studies
• Third Year: PS 371, Additional Literature Elective, GEP Elective, Social Sciences, EC 205
• Fourth Year: PS 302, PS 300-level Electives, Free Electives

Career Opportunities

A degree in political science is excellent preparation for a number of careers and graduate opportunities. Political science majors study critical issues surrounding international security, public policy, and government practices. They develop real-world skills such as solving problems logically and systematically, working with others, expressing a position and defending it with corroborating evidence, and writing clear and correct prose.

Career Titles

Some potential career titles for political science majors include:

• Adjudicator
• Administrative Law Judge
• Admiralty Lawyer
• Anthropologist
• Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Agent
• Appeals Examiner
• Arbitrator
• Attorney
• Border Patrol Agent
• City Planning Aide
• Compliance Managers
• Compliance Officer
• Conciliator
• Congressional Aide
• Contract Administrator
• Corporation Lawyer
• Criminal Lawyer
• Criminalist
• Customs Inspector
• Emergency Management Specialist
• Equal Opportunity Representative
• Estimator
• Foreign Service Officer
• Fund Raiser
• Fundraising Manager
• Government Service Executives
• Historian
• Immigration Inspector
• Industrial Relations Specialist
• Intelligence Specialist (Government)
• Judge
• Labor Relations Specialist
• Legislative Assistant
• Lobbyist
• Management Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Paralegal
• Parole Officer
• Personnel Coordinator
• Police Detective
• Political Science Professor
• Political Scientist
• Probation Officer
• Public Relations Specialist
• Regulatory Affairs Managers
• Social and Community Service Managers
• Social Welfare Administrator
• Sociologist
• Survey Researchers
• Technological Espionage Intelligence Agent
• Urban and Regional Planner
• Wind Energy Operations Managers

Learn More About Careers

For more information about careers, visit NCcareers.org, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, or Career One Stop Videos. Focus 2 Career Assessment and Focus 2 Apply Assessment are also available to help students explore and choose the right major and career path. The American Political Science Association is another resource for students interested in political science careers.