Program Overview

Major in Political Science, Public Policy and Service Concentration

The Public Policy and Service concentration is designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills to analyze the connections between politics, public policy, public administration, and public service. It is designed to help students pursue careers in the public sector and non-profit sectors, domestically and internationally. Students will learn about large organizations, the public policy process, program evaluation, policy effectiveness, and sustainability, among other topics. Public Policy and Service students are strongly encouraged to complete an internship to gain practical experience working in the field.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

1. Reason through political claims and assertions by political actors.
2. Recognize and respond to diverse ideological perspectives.
3. Locate political issues and controversies within their relevant institutional and historical contexts.
4. Demonstrate familiarity with the institutional processes of politics in numerous global and domestic political arenas.
5. Demonstrate confidence in expressing opinions and presenting analyses of political problems and their solutions.
6. Demonstrate confidence in describing the public policy process.
7. Articulate and identify public service values.

Effective Spring 2025

Political science majors must achieve a minimum grade of C (2.000) in each of the political science (POLS) courses counted toward meeting the requirement of the major. Students may enroll in either the standalone major or (at most) one of the concentrations under the Major in Political Science.

Program Requirements

• Freshman:
  • CO 150: College Composition (GT-CO2) - 3 credits
  • POLS 101: American Government and Politics (GT-SS1) - 3 credits
  • POLS 160: Introduction to Public Policy and Service (GT-SS1) - 3 credits
  • Arts and Humanities - 3 credits
  • Biological and Physical Sciences - 4 credits
  • Electives - 5 credits
  • Total Credits: 30
• Sophomore:
  • POLS 232: International Relations (GT-SS1) - 3 credits
  • POLS 241: Comparative Government and Politics (GT-SS1) - 3 credits
  • Select one course from the following:
    • CO 300: Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) - 2 credits
    • CO 301A: Writing in the Disciplines: Arts and Humanities (GT-CO3) - 2 credits
    • CO 301B: Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) - 2 credits
    • CO 301C: Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) - 2 credits
    • CO 301D: Writing in the Disciplines: Education (GT-CO3) - 2 credits
    • CO 302: Writing in Digital Environments (GT-CO3) - 2 credits
    • JTC 300: Strategic Writing and Communication (GT-CO3) - 2 credits
    • LB 300: Specialized Professional Writing - 2 credits
  • Public Policy and Administration (300-level courses only) - 3 credits
  • International Relations/Comparative Politics/American Politics and Law (300-level courses only) - 0-3 credits
  • Support Option - 3-12 credits
  • Biological and Physical Sciences - 3 credits
  • Electives - 3-15 credits
  • Total Credits: 33
• Junior:
  • Analytical Tools (Select one course from the following):
    • POLS 320: Empirical Political Analysis - 3 credits
    • POLS 459: Program Evaluation for Public Administrators - 3 credits
  • International Relations/Comparative Politics/American Politics and Law/Political Theory (courses not taken previously) - 3-6 credits
  • Public Policy and Administration Course List (courses not taken previously) - 3-6 credits
  • Support Option - 6-12 credits
  • Electives - 3-15 credits
  • Total Credits: 30
• Senior:
  • POLS 4925: Capstone Seminar - 3 credits
  • Public Policy and Administration Course List (courses not taken previously) - 3-6 credits
  • Support Option - 6-12 credits
  • Electives - 6-15 credits
  • Total Credits: 27
• Program Total Credits: 120

International Relations, Comparative Politics/American Politics and Law/Political Theory Course List

• Select 6 unique credits, including at least one course from any two of the following subfields:
  • International Relations:
    • POLS 331: Politics and Society Along Mexican Border - 3 credits
    • POLS 332/ECON 332: International Political Economy - 3 credits
    • POLS 362: Global Environmental Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 431: International Law - 3 credits
    • POLS 433: International Organization - 3 credits
    • POLS 435: United States Foreign Policy - 3 credits
    • POLS 436: Comparative Foreign Policy - 3 credits
    • POLS 437: International Security - 3 credits
  • Comparative Politics:
    • POLS 345: Russian, Central, and East European Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 347: Comparative Authoritarianism - 3 credits
    • POLS 441: Comparative Indigenous Politics--Americas - 3 credits
    • POLS 442: Environmental Politics in Developing World - 3 credits
    • POLS 443: Comparative Social Movements - 3 credits
    • POLS 445: Comparative Asian Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 446: Latin American Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 447: Politics in Mexico, Central America, Caribbean - 3 credits
    • POLS 449: Middle East Politics - 3 credits
  • American Politics and Law:
    • POLS 302: U.S. Political Parties and Elections - 3 credits
    • POLS 303: Politics of Organized Interests - 3 credits
    • POLS 304: Legislative Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 305: Judicial Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 306: Executive Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 307: Media and Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 308: Political Psychology - 3 credits
    • POLS 309: Urban Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 320: Empirical Political Analysis - 3 credits
    • POLS 405: Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 409: Urban and Regional Politics - 3 credits
    • POLS 410: American Constitutional Law - 3 credits
    • POLS 413: U.S. Civil Rights and Liberties - 3 credits
  • Political Theory:
    • POLS 420: History of Political Thought - 3 credits
    • POLS 421: Contemporary Political Theories - 3 credits
    • POLS 422: Democratic Theory - 3 credits
    • POLS 423: American Political Theories - 3 credits

Public Policy and Administration Course List

• Select 12 unique credits (different from those selected elsewhere):
  • POLS 351: Public Administration - 3 credits
  • POLS 361: U.S. Environmental Politics and Policy - 3 credits
  • POLS 364: Air, Climate, and Energy Policy Analysis - 3 credits
  • POLS 365: Food Policy and Politics in America - 3 credits
  • POLS 367: Power, Equity and Inclusion in Env Justice - 3 credits
  • POLS 451: Public Policy Design and Governance - 3 credits
  • POLS 459: Program Evaluation for Public Administrators - 3 credits
  • POLS 460: Public Policy Process - 3 credits
  • POLS 462: Globalization, Sustainability, and Justice - 3 credits
  • POLS 463: Urban Policy and Management - 3 credits
  • POLS 465: Public Policy Analysis - 3 credits
  • A maximum of six credits from the following may be used to fulfill required credit hours from the subfields:
    • POLS 392: Washington DC Semester Seminar
    • POLS 486A: Practicum: Legislative Politics
    • POLS 486B: Practicum: Government
    • POLS 487: Internship – Washington DC Semester
    • POLS 496: Washington DC Semester Colloquium Group Study

Support Option

Political Science majors must complete one of the following five Support Options:

1. Minor or Interdisciplinary Minor Support Option: Select a minor or interdisciplinary minor in consultation with advisor.
2. Student-Selected Course Group Support Option: A program of courses proposed by student and approved by advisor containing a minimum of 21 credits, of which at least 12 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
3. Second Major Support Option: Select a second major in consultation with advisor. This option may require as much as 36 credits.
4. Foreign Language Support Option: A minimum of 5 courses totaling at least 15 credits in a single foreign language, including at least 2 courses of language instruction or in the language at the upper-division level.
5. Methods Support Option:

• POLS 320: Empirical Political Analysis - 3 credits
• STAT 301: Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods - 3 credits
• Select two from the following:
  • PHIL 120: History and Philosophy of Scientific Thought (GT-AH3)
  • PHIL 327: Philosophy of Behavioral Sciences
  • PHIL 415: Logic and Scientific Method
• Select one from the following:
  • STAT 305: Sampling Techniques
  • STAT 341: Statistical Data Analysis I
  • STAT 342: Statistical Data Analysis II
• Select two from the following:
  • ANTH 441: Method in Cultural Anthropology
  • AREC 335/ECON 335: Introduction to Econometrics
  • SOC 210: The Power of Numbers--Statistics in Sociology
  • SOC 311: Sociological Research Methods

Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program

Political science majors must achieve a minimum grade of C (2.000) in each of the political science (POLS) courses counted toward meeting the requirement of the major. Students may enroll in either the standalone major or (at most) one of the concentrations under the Major in Political Science. Upper-Division course in at least four subfields of political science required to register for POLS 492.