BA in Political Science
Program Requirements
A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BA in political science. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students must meet the following requirements:
A major consists of the following five required courses (15 credit hours) and an additional six elective courses (18 credit hours) in political science at the 300-level or above.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Select courses to meet General Education requirements 1 | 34-35 | |
| College Requirements | ||
| Select courses to complete all LAS Competency Areas 1 | 36 | |
| Major Required Courses | ||
| POLS 121 | American Politics | 3 |
| POLS 220 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| POLS 226 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLS 365 | Political Data Analysis | 3 |
| POLS 600 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| Major Elective Courses | ||
| Select an additional six elective courses in political science at the 300-level or above | 18 | |
| Open Electives | ||
| Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours | 16-17 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
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Required major courses may also count towards General Education and/or LAS Competencies. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.
Departmental Honors
The department offers the option for majors to graduate with honors in political science if they meet the following requirements:
- Obtain a 3.500 average or greater for the four core courses;
Course List Course Title Hours POLS 121 American Politics 3 POLS 220 Introduction to International Relations 3 POLS 226 Comparative Politics 3 POLS 365 Political Data Analysis 3 - Take an additional course beyond the introductory one in each of the four sub-fields (American politics, international politics, comparative politics, political theory);
- Take an additional 6 credit hours of political science courses beyond the 33 credit hours required for a major;
- Maintain a 3.500 GPA for all political science courses; and
- Receive an A or A- for the POLS 600 Senior Thesis capstone course.
Students who would like to be admitted to the honors track should contact the department chair.
Applied Learning
Students in the Bachelor of Arts in political science program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing POLS 600.
Additional applied learning experiences include POLS 153 Model United Nations I, POLS 353 Model United Nations II and POLS 490 Internship in Government/Politics.