Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Science in Political Science

The Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts offers the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Political Science, as well as a B.A. in Political Science. The key differences between the two degree programs are:

• They have different general education foundations
• The B.A. degree requires a minor field of study
• The B.S. degree requires more political science courses
• The B.S. degree is a more technical and quantitative degree

Program Details

Degree

• B.S. in Political Science

Emphases

• Campaigns and Elections
• International Conflict and Cooperation
• Law and Courts
• Politics of Developing Countries

Required Credit Hours

• 120

Program Type

• Major

Program Location

• Oxford

School

• College of Liberal Arts

Duration

• 4 years

Degree Requirements

To find out about credit hour and course requirements, refer to the academic catalog.

General Education Requirements

Students in the College of Liberal Arts earning the B.S. degree have a common set of 36-38 hours of general education. The specific courses taken to complete the categories of general education may differ between majors.

Categories of General Education:

• First Year Writing I, II
• English Literature Survey
• Fine or Performing Arts Appreciation
• Social Sciences and Humanities
• Mathematics
• Natural Sciences

B.S. in Political Science

Students in the B.S. in Political Science complete 42 credit hours (14 courses) of political science and 18 hours of Related Subjects. At least 21 hours must be in non-Z-graded courses at the 300 level or above. Grades lower than C in political science courses will not be counted toward the political science major or minor.

• Pol 101: Introduction to American Politics
• Pol 102: Introduction to Comparative Politics
• Pol 103: Introduction to International Relations
• Pol 251: Intro to Political Science Methods
• Pol 352: Quantitative Methods in Political Science
• 9 courses (27 credit hours) of political science

Related Subjects

Students complete 18 credit hours from computer science, economics, mathematics, psychology, and sociology.

Emphasis Areas

Campaigns and Elections Emphasis

• Pol 308: Voting and Political Participation
• Pol 309: Public Opinion and Political Psychology
• Pol 310: Political Parties and Interest Groups
• Pol 311: Political Communication
• Pol 391: Applied Politics

International Conflict and Cooperation Emphasis

• Pol 331: International Organization
• Pol 332: Ethnic Conflict and International Terror
• Pol 334: Politics of World Economy
• Pol 335: Intl. Politics of Nuclear Weapons
• Pol 339: International Conflict
• Pol 363: War in World Politics

Politics of Developing Countries Emphasis

• Pol 321: Politics of Latin America
• Pol 324: Politics of China
• Pol 329: Transitions to Democracy
• Pol 336: Political Economy of International Development
• Pol 337: Asia in World Affairs
• Pol 342: Politics of Mexico and Central America
• Pol 349: Middle East Politics
• Pol 387: Political Economy of East Asia

Law and Courts Emphasis

• Pol 300: Judicial Process
• Pol 304: American Legislative Process
• Pol 305: Judicial Behavior
• Pol 306: Constitutional Law I
• Pol 307: Constitutional Law II
• Pol 348: Rule of Law in a Global Perspective
• Pol 370: African American Legal Experience

Accelerated Master's Program

The Accelerated B.S. and M.A. program offers undergraduates the opportunity to begin earning credit towards a graduate degree while they complete the final requirements for their undergraduate degree. This saves students time and money as they complete their advanced degree and is a great way to prepare for law school and many career paths.

Undergraduate political science students can apply to the Accelerated Master's Degree program after completing 90 credit hours with a GPA of 3.0.

Value of a Political Science Degree

Political Science majors develop skills in analysis, problem-solving, argumentation, and persuasion. They learn to work with others towards a common goal and communicate in a variety of settings. Analyzing data provides skills to understand and interpret trends in data skills that are highly desirable to employers and prepares students for careers in a wide variety of fields.