Political Science Major – Bachelor of Arts

Program Competencies

Students are expected to possess:

1. The ability to exhibit knowledge of political conditions within the United States including the working of formal and informal institutions and the role of conflict, special interest, power and inequities in the policy making process.
2. An understanding of the political systems in other countries, the relations between countries and the functioning of international institutions. This is the basis for comparative study and evaluation of the United States political system.
3. The ability to analyze the impact of government policies on social and economic conditions in the United States and other countries.
4. The ability to recognize and value the varied nature of the human condition across individuals and culture groups through the practice of political analysis.
5. The ability to use methods of political investigation, to conduct original studies, and to present findings from those investigations in written and oral formats.
6. The ability to access and use electronic databases, information sites, and various online resources.

Assessment

1. The Political Science Major Field Test (MFAT) will be administered in POLS 499C. Results will be collected and analyzed by the POLS coordinator and/or the department chair.
2. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Citizenship Test will be administered in POLS 140 and POLS 499C. Results will be collected and analyzed by the POLS coordinator and/or the department chair.
3. Preliminary assessment of students' ability to employ political science research methods will occur in POLS 200.

Program Requirements

General Education

POLS 499C	Senior Seminar	3
Total Credit Hours:		36

Refer to the General Education section for a complete listing of general education requirements for the University.

Political Science Core Requirements

POLS 110	Introduction to Political Theory	3
POLS 140	United States Government	3
POLS 200	Methods of Political Inquiry	3
POLS 230	Introduction to Comparative Politics	3
POLS 262	U.S. Foreign Policy	3
POLS 321	Constitutional Law: Governmental Powers	3
Total Credit Hours:		18

Political Science Electives

Choose one of the following:

POLS 242	State and Local Government	3
POLS 344	Kentucky Government	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

Advanced Subfield Courses

Choose one course in each of the five subfields:

1. Political Theory

POLS 311	Politics, Justice and the Good Life	3
POLS 312	Western Political Thought	3
POLS 314	American Political Thought	3
POLS 316	Political Ideologies	3
POLS 317	Feminist Political Thought	3
POLS 318	Contemporary Political Thought	3
POLS 319	Islamic Political Thought	3
POLS 410	Seminar in Political Theory	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

2. Public Law

POLS 322	Courts and Civil Liberties	3
POLS 324	Environmental Law and Policy	3
POLS 325	Federalism and the Constitution	3
POLS 328	Law, Government and Privacy in the Internet Age	3
POLS 329	Comparative Constitutional Law and Politics	3
POLS 420	Seminar in Public Law	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

3. Comparative Politics

POLS 330	European Parliamentary Democracies	3
POLS 331	Politics of the Middle East and North Africa	3
POLS 332	Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean	3
POLS 333	Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa	3
POLS 334	Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe	3
POLS 335	Politics of Development and Democratization	3
POLS 336	North American Politics: United States and Canada	3
POLS 337	Politics of Asia	3
POLS 338	Politics of Transition	3
POLS 430	Seminar in Comparative Politics	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

4. American Politics

POLS 342	The American Presidency	3
POLS 343	Political Parties and Elections	3
POLS 345	Congress and the Federal Bureaucracy	3
POLS 350	Political Behavior	3
POLS 351	Public Administration	3
POLS 352	American Public Policy	3
POLS 353	Public Personnel Administration	3
POLS 354	African-American Politics	3
POLS 355	Women and Politics	3
POLS 440	Seminar in American Politics	3
POLS 451	Seminar in Bureaucracy and Public Management	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

5. International Relations

POLS 360	International Relations	3
POLS 361	Globalization and its Discontents	3
POLS 362	Current World Problems	3
POLS 365	United Nations and World Organizations	3
POLS 367	Politics of International Economic Relations	3
POLS 368	Human Rights and Global Justice	3
POLS 369	Political Geography	3
POLS 460	Seminar in International Relations	3
Total Credit Hours:		3

Minor

All majors must also include a minor or additional major. See Terms to Know.

Total Credit Hours:

21

Free Electives

Free Electives	(chosen by student)	27
Total Credit Hours:		27

Total Credit Hours: 120