Program Overview

Program Overview

The Political Science: Public Policy and Democratic Institutions Concentration is designed to explore political institutions and processes, and how and why they work as they do. Courses use historical and contemporary examples to understand the political system the founders established and the ways it has shaped modern politics.

Degree Requirements

• The degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in Political Science, Public Policy and Democratic Institutions Concentration requires a minimum of 120 hours.
• Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements, including the campus general education language requirement.
• A minimum of 70 hours of major and supporting course work is required, with 12 hours of 300- and 400-level in the major taken on this campus.

Course Requirements

• PS 100: Intro to Political Science (3 hours)
• PS 101: Intro to US Gov & Pol (3 hours)
• Select any additional 100- or 200-level Political Science courses (6 hours)
• Select 300- or 400-level Political Science courses, at least nine hours of which come from the Public Policy and Democratic Institutions Concentration list maintained by the department (15 hours)
• Select any Political Science courses at any level (6 hours)
• Students will select a second major, or a minor, or a set of courses of at least 12 hours of thematically-related coursework outside political science, developed in conjunction with an academic advisor (12 hours)

Public Policy Course List

• PS 220: Intro to Public Policy (3 hours)
• PS 224: Politics of the National Parks (3 hours)
• PS 225: Environmental Politics & Policy (3 hours)
• PS 230: Intro to Pol Research (3 hours)
• PS 231: Strategic Models (3 hours)
• PS 282: Governing Globalization (3 hours)
• PS 300: Special Topics (as appropriate) (3 hours)
• PS 301: The US Constitution I (3 hours)
• PS 302: The US Constitution II (3 hours)
• PS 303: The US Congress (3 hours)
• PS 304: The US Presidency (3 hours)
• PS 305: The US Supreme Court (3 hours)
• PS 306: Judicial Politics (3 hours)
• PS 307: Separation of Powers (3 hours)
• PS 309: State Gov in the US (3 hours)
• PS 310: Politics of Organizations (3 hours)
• PS 311: Political Parties in the US (3 hours)
• PS 321: Principles of Public Policy (3 hours)
• PS 322: Law and Public Policy (3 hours)
• PS 323: Law and Representation (3 hours)
• PS 355: Democratization (3 hours)
• PS 356: Comparative Political Economy (3 hours)
• PS 379: Intl Rel & Domestic Politics (3 hours)
• PS 385: Politics of the European Union (3 hours)
• PS 395: International Organization (3 hours)
• PS 457: Dem Gov in a Global Setting (3 or 4 hours)
• PS 494: Junior Honors Seminar (as appropriate) (3 hours)

Sample Sequence

The sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals.

• First Year:
  • First Semester:
    • Free elective course (1 hour)
    • PS 100: Intro to Political Science (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • Language Other than English (3rd level) (4 hours)
    • Composition I or General Education course (4 hours)
  • Second Semester:
    • PS 101: Intro to US Gov & Pol (3 hours)
    • PS 100- or 200-level course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (2 hours)
    • Language Other than English (4th level) (4 hours)
    • General Education course or Composition 1 (3 hours)
• Second Year:
  • First Semester:
    • PS 100- or 200-level course (3 hours)
    • PS 100- or 400-level course (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
  • Second Semester:
    • PS 100- or 400-level course (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
• Third Year:
  • First Semester:
    • PS Public Policy & Democratic Institutions 300- or 400-level course (3 hours)
    • PS 300- or 400-level course (3 hours)
    • Thematic related coursework (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
  • Second Semester:
    • PS Public Policy & Democratic Institutions 300- or 400-level course (3 hours)
    • Thematic related coursework (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
• Fourth Year:
  • First Semester:
    • PS Public Policy & Democratic Institutions 300- or 400-level course (3 hours)
    • PS 300- or 400- level course (3 hours)
    • General Education course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
  • Second Semester:
    • Thematic related coursework (3 hours)
    • Thematic related coursework (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)
    • Free elective course (3 hours)

Total Hours: 120

Additional Requirements

• Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a fourth level of a language other than English.
• Students may count a maximum of six (6) hours of credit of any combination of hours from PS 494 toward the advanced hours requirement.
• Not more than 6 hours of individual study courses in political science (PS 490) or 6 hours of internships (PS 491) or 6 hours of supervised research (PS 492) may be included in the major; a student with any mix of independent study hours and internship hours and supervised research hours may include a maximum of 9 hours of such credit in the major.
• (PS 496) is reserved for those seniors doing honors theses for distinction in political science and may not be counted in the 45-hour minimum required for the major.