Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Political Science, BA


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College Arts and Sciences
Academic Award Bachelor of Arts
Credits Required 125 semester credits
Faculty Lead Sarah Drivdahl

The Political Science and History major prepares students for effective participation in civic affairs, careers in government and the teaching of government, and for graduate education in history, law, political science, public policy, and other fields related to the public and private sectors. Studies in Political Science and History lead the student to investigate various aspects of political and governmental issues and the history of human societies.

Outcomes

Graduates with a degree in Political Science will be able to:

  1. Express themselves professionally orally and in writing.
  2. Develop and implement political science research.
  3. Integrate a Christian worldview into an analysis of political reality.
  4. Formulate well-reasoned positions on controversial political issues.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of the major concepts within the field of political science.

Admission to Major:

  • Sophomore standing with a completion of 45 credits
  • Grade of 2.5 or higher in two introductory PSCI courses and current enrollment in a third course
  • 500 word essay describing personal reasons for selecting the Political Science major
  • Approval by the Political Science/History Department Faculty

Core Curriculum Requirements: 60


Humanities: 9


  • 6 credits in this area must be from Writing Practice courses* (see course descriptions  for applicability)
  • ENGL xxx3 Any Literature course 3 credits
  • HIST xxx3 Any Course in History 3 credits
  • 3 additional credits selected from the following 3 credits
    Art (ARTE), Bible (BIBL), Drama (DRAM), English (ENGL), History (HIST), Language (LANG), Music (MUSI), or Theology (THEO)

Social Sciences: 9


  • 6 credits in this area must be from Writing Practice courses* (see course descriptions  for applicability)
  • Select a minimum of two disciplines from the following:
    Business Administration (BUSM), Communication (except COMM 1213), Economics, Education (EDUC), Geography (GEOG), Health & Fitness (PEDU), Management (BMGT), Marketing (BMKT), Philosophy (PHIL), Political Science (PSCI), Psychology (PSYC), or Sociology/Anthropology (SOCI)

Science and Mathematics: 7


  • MATH xxxx - College-level Mathematics 3 credits
  • SCIE xxxx - Science course with Lab 4 credits

Formation and Calling: 5


Core Electives: 9


Any college-level courses

Political Science Major Core Requirements: 40-41


Subfield Concentrations: 15-16


Select from one of the following concentrations, detailed on the following page

American Politics: 15


International Politics: 15


American Studies: 15-16


(Best Semester in Washington, DC)

  • IDIS 48x3 - Public Policy Analysis Field Seminar 3 credits
  • PSCI 4948 - American Studies Internships 8 credits
  • PSCI 4991 - Professional Mentorship 1 credits (optional)
ASP Program Tracks

(select one)

Global Development Enterprise Track: 6

  • IDIS 4823 - Entrepreneurship and Global Development Research Seminar
  • PSCI 4803 - Global Development Partnership Project
Public Policy Initiatives Track: 6

  • PSCI 4813 - Applied Politics and Public Policy Seminar
  • PSCI 4823 - Public Policy Research Policy

Middle East Studies: 15-16


(Best Semester in Amman, Jordan)

  • LANG 3344 - Introduction to Arabic Language 3-6 credits
  • PSCI 3354 - Islamic Thought and Practice 3-4 credits
  • PSCI 3364 - Conflict and Change in the Middle East 3-4 credits
  • PSCI 4464 - Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East 3-4 credits

Capstone Experience: 4


  • 3 credits
  • PSCI 494x - Political Science Internship 1-3 credits
  • PSCI 4900 - Major Field Exam in Political Science *
  •  

  • *All graduating seniors are required to take the ETS Major Field Exam in Political Science

General Electives: 24-25


Any college-level courses or students may choose a minor course of study in another subject area

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