These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Degree Requirements

University Requirements

  • ²Ñ´¡°Õ±áÌý0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ·¡±·³ÒÌý0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
  • All °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. The specific courses required for this major are ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý2496 Introduction to Political Philosophy and ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý4896 Capstone Seminar in Political Science.
  • Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

College of Liberal Arts Requirements

  • Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including:
    • 90 credits in CLA/CST courses;
    • 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999).
      • For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits (numbered 2000-4999) must be taken in Humanities Subject Areas: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek (Ancient), Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts, Art History in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
    • A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
    • Professional Development Requirement
      • All students in the College of Liberal Arts are required to take a 1 credit seminar in professional development. °ä³¢´¡Ìý1002 Professional Development for Liberal Arts Majors is the appropriate course option for this major. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CLA College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
    • Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.
    • Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements
      • All students must complete or test out of the first and second levels of a foreign language - these courses are numbered 1001 and 1002;
      • All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and
      • All Bachelor of Arts students must complete one of the following options:
        • Third semester of a foreign language;
        • Demonstrated proficiency beyond the third semester in a foreign language (placement exam or certification from the language department);
        • Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Requirements page;
        • Study Abroad at an approved program; or
        • Take a second General Education Global/World Society course.
      • Notes on Foreign Language Study
        • The third level of language is numbered 1003 in French, Spanish, and Portuguese and numbered 2001 in all other foreign language subjects.
        • Students are strongly encouraged to take the third level of a foreign language as it is the minimum required for election to the prestigious honor society Phi Beta Kappa. (Taking the course does not guarantee admission but not taking it guarantees exclusion.)
        • See the College of Liberal Arts Policies section of this Bulletin for more information on the Foreign Language Placement, Regression in Coursework, and guidelines for students' other experiences with language.

General Electives are typically one-third of a student's program of study and can be focused on a second major, a minor, or towards some other personal enrichment or professional goals. See an academic advisor for assistance in developing an academic plan for these courses.

Major Requirements - 11 Courses in Political Science (33 credits)

Required Courses
±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1101The American Political System3
±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1201Foreign Governments and Politics3
±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1301International Politics3
±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý2496Introduction to Political Philosophy3
±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý2503Evidence and Knowledge3
Electives
Select 2 Research Preparatory courses numbered 3501-35996
Select 3 upper-level Political Science courses numbered 2000-4999 19
Capstone
±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý4896Capstone Seminar in Political Science 23
Total Credit Hours33
1

With the exception of ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý2496.

2

±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý4896 is the capstone course for the major and should be taken in the senior year after the completion of ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1101, ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1201, ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý1301, ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý2496, ±Ê°¿³¢³§Ìý2503, two Research Preparatory courses (numbered 3501-3599), and three additional Political Science courses (numbered 2000-4999).

Not all courses are offered every semester. Please check the Class Schedule for actual course offerings each semester.