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Political Science Major (Public Policy Track) – 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. Capstone course

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

Public Policy Track Requirements

ECON 201Principles of Macroeconomics

3
ECON 202Principles of Microeconomics

3
POLS 351Public Administration

3
Total Credit Hours:9

Public Policy Track Electives

Choose 6-15 hours from the following:

POLS 242State and Local Government

3
POLS 314American Political Thought

3
POLS 324Environmental Law and Policy

3
POLS 325Federalism and the Constitution

3
POLS 336North American Politics: United States and Canada

3
POLS 342The American Presidency

3
POLS 343Political Parties and Elections

3
POLS 344Kentucky Government

3
POLS 345Congress and the Federal Bureaucracy

3
POLS 354African-American Politics

3
POLS 355Women and Politics

3
POLS 420Seminar in Public Law

3
POLS 451Seminar in Bureaucracy and Public Management

3
POLS 492Washington Center Seminar Program

3
POLS 494Washington Center Internship Program

3-15
POLS 496Frankfort Legislative Internship Program

15
POLS 498Local, State, National and International Government Internship

3-15
ECON 341Public Finance

3
ECON 342Money and Banking

3
ECON 350Intermediate Microeconomics

3
ECON 351Intermediate Macroeconomics

3
ECON 401Environmental Economics

3
ECON 447International Economics

3
LGS 355Administrative Law

3
LGS 370History of American Law

3
PPOL 399Selected Topics in Public Policy

3
RAPP 300Seminar in Regional Issues I

3
RAPP 350Practicing Regional Analysis I

3
RAPP 376Directed Research

3
RAPP 450Practicing Regional Analysis II

3
RAPP 490Seminar in Regional Issues II

3
COMS 250Introduction to Intercultural Communication

3
COMS 290Conflict and Communication

3
COMS 300Strategic Organizational Leadership

3
COMS 310Professional Presentations and Speech Writing

3
COMS 330Argumentation and Persuasion

3
COMS 333Social Media and Community

3
COMS 340Event Planning and Public Relations

3
COMS 350Communication, Culture and Diversity

3
COMS 370Communication and Health

3
COMS 382Public Relations Principles

3
COMS 405Communication Issue Management

3
COMS 482Public Relations Campaigns

3
CRIM 250Introduction to the Criminal Justice System

3
CRIM 317Police Culture

3
CRIM 385Contemporary Legal Issues in the Criminal Justice System

3
CRIM 388Sociology of Punishment

3
CRIM 404Crime and Justice Policies

3
CVM 492Media Law and Ethics

3
ENG 390Professional Writing

3
GEO 345Global Environmental Sustainability

3
GEO 349Mapping Social Life

3
GEO 351GIS 2

3
GEO 455GIS Applications

3
GST 273Introduction to Gender Studies

3
GST 322Gender and Education

3
GST 333Women and Partner Violence

3
GST 335Families in Modern Society

3
GST 350Sex and Gender

3
NURS 345Global Health

3
NURS 361Leadership for the Health Care Professional

3
NURS 430Health Disparities

3
PPOL 400Ethics in Public Policy

3
PHIL 103Beginning Ethics

3
PHIL 303Ethics

3
SOC 203American Social Problems

3
SOC 300Class, Power, and Privilege

3
SOC 323Urban Sociology

3
SOC 325Global Inequality

3
SOC 354Individual and Society

3
SOC 370Rural Sociology

3
SOC 372Victimology

3
SOC 374Race and Ethnicity

3
SOC 380Race, Class, Gender and Crime

3
SOC 404Crime and Justice Policies

3
SOC 426Communities

3
SOC 456Organizations in Contemporary Society

3
SOC 459Social Change in Appalachia

3
SOC 461Sociology of the Law

3
Total Credit Hours:6-15

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