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MAJOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

The major is designed to provide a comprehensive grounding in the fundamental principles and problems of a science whose relevance to contemporary life is immediate, yet whose tradition is venerable. Its concern is to help students become liberally educated men and women, rather than narrowly trained functionaries. Nevertheless, it prepares students in more than a general way for successful work in such fields as government service, international affairs, graduate study, journalism, law, teaching, and business. The Political Science program consists of basic courses, open to all students, and advanced courses for all students except first-year students. The basic Political Science courses are: POL 110 Political Issues for Americans POL 201 American Government POL 203 Modern States POL 205 Political Philosophy POL 207 Peace and War Selections from these basic courses may be counted toward the College’s social science core and/or as credit in a Political Science Major or Minor. The courses cover the major fields in Political Science, namely:

American National Government—the constitutional founding, institutions and parties, constitutional law, civil rights, and political thought in the U.S.
American Public Policy and Administration— political economy, urban politics, and democratic leadership.
Major Foreign States—the institutions, practices, and traditions of European, Latin American, Asian, and African States.
Political Philosophy—speculation on political life from Plato and Aristotle to Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, and Nietzsche.
International Politics—relations of peace and war among states, American foreign policy, and diplomacy. Students are urged to plan study programs by selecting from among models of major and elective courses those appropriate to their personal interests and objectives. The major consists of 11 semester courses (33 credits). Required courses:
Four Intermediate courses (normally during Sophomore year): POL 201 American Government POL 203 Modern States POL 205 Political Philosophy POL 207 Peace and War (And in Senior year): POL 409 Research Seminar
One course from each of three of the following five areas: POL 310-319 American National Government POL 320-329 American Public Policy POL 330-349 Major Foreign States POL 350-359; 380-389 Political Philosophy POL 370-379 International Politics
Three courses from the rest of the departmental offerings, at the Introductory and Upper Division levels.

NOTE: All first-year students who think they may major in Political Science or who have an interest in politics are urged to take POL 110 (Political Issues for Americans) or any of the required intermediate.

Did you Know?

In the fall of 2006, 34 of the brightest incoming first year students will participate in the new Honors Program.