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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

General Education Courses(See GNED Course Listings)

33
Total Credit Hours:33

Refer to the General Education section for a complete listing of general education requirements for the University. Program requirements that are also general education requirements will count in both places (as applicable).

Political Science Core Requirements

POLS 110Introduction to Political Theory

3
POLS 140United States Government

3
POLS 200Methods of Political Inquiry

3
POLS 230Introduction to Comparative Politics

3
POLS 262U.S. Foreign Policy

3
POLS 321Constitutional Law: Governmental Powers

3
POLS 352American Public Policy

3
POLS 499CSenior Seminar

3
Total Credit Hours:24

Political Science Advanced Subfields

Choose one course from each of the following subfields.

1. Political Theory

POLS 311Politics, Justice and the Good Life

3
POLS 312Classical and Medieval Political Thought

3
POLS 314American Political Thought

3
POLS 316Modern Political Thought

3
POLS 317Feminist Political Thought

3
POLS 318Contemporary Political Thought

3
POLS 319Islamic Political Thought

3
POLS 410Seminar in Political Theory

3
Total Credit Hours:3

2. Public Law

POLS 322Courts and Civil Liberties

3
POLS 324Environmental Law and Policy

3
POLS 325Federalism and the Constitution

3
POLS 328Law, Government and Privacy in the Internet Age

3
POLS 329Comparative Constitutional Law and Politics

3
POLS 420Seminar in Public Law

3
Total Credit Hours:3

3. Comparative Politics

POLS 330European Parliamentary Democracies

3
POLS 331Politics of the Middle East and North Africa

3
POLS 332Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean

3
POLS 333Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa

3
POLS 334Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe

3
POLS 335Politics of Development and Democratization

3
POLS 336North American Politics: United States and Canada

3
POLS 337Politics of Asia

3
POLS 338Politics of Transition

3
POLS 386Comparative Counterterrorism

3
POLS 388Comparative Foreign Policy

3
POLS 430Seminar in Comparative Politics

3
Total Credit Hours:3

4. American Politics

POLS 242State and Local Government

3
POLS 342The American Presidency

3
POLS 343Political Parties and Elections

3
POLS 344Kentucky Government

3
POLS 345Congress and the Federal Bureaucracy

3
POLS 350Political Behavior

3
POLS 351Public Administration

3
POLS 353Public Personnel Administration

3
POLS 354African-American Politics

3
POLS 355Women and Politics

3
POLS 381Evolution of the U.S. Intelligence Community

3
POLS 440Seminar in American Politics

3
POLS 451Seminar in Bureaucracy and Public Management

3
Total Credit Hours:3

5. International Relations

POLS 360International Relations

3
POLS 361Globalization and its Discontents

3
POLS 362Current World Problems

3
POLS 365United Nations and World Organizations

3
POLS 367Politics of International Economic Relations

3
POLS 368Human Rights and Global Justice

3
POLS 369Political Geography

3
POLS 382Intelligence Process

3
POLS 383Counterintelligence

3
POLS 384Intelligence Analysis

3
POLS 385Terrorism and Political Violence

3
POLS 387National Security Strategy

3
POLS 460Seminar 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)

variable

Total Credit Hours: 120