Political Science Major

Description

Political Science is the study of the state and of power relations within and among states, as they are and as they ought to be. It seeks a better understanding of political and governmental behavior and institutions in order to enable society to use its collective resources more effectively for the general welfare. The principal sub-fields of the discipline are: American politics, comparative politics, international relations and political theory.

What can I do with a political science major?

Admission to the Program

Any undergraduate student can declare this major.

Program Requirements

Students in the political science major pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, and must complete the corresponding degree’s requirements. There are 3 parts to the major. The first is completing 5 required foundational courses. Students then take an upper division elective within each of the 4 subfields of the discipline: American politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics and Political Theory. Finally, students select 2 electives and a capstone experience to complete the 36 credits for the major.

General Education Requirements-BS (26-29 credits)

General Education Requirements-BA (35-38 credits)

Major Department Requirements (36 credits)

Required foundation courses – Students must take all 5 courses (15 credits)

• PLS 111 International Relations
• PLS 112 Comparative Politics
• PLS 113 American Politics
• PLS 203 Political Thought
• PLS 303 Political Science Research Methods (This course requires a basic statistic course prerequisite e.g. Sociology statistics 200)

Subfields – Students must select one course from each subfield listed below (12 credits)

• Select at least one course from American Politics:
  • PLS 309 Campaigns and Elections
  • PLS 311 Parties and Interest Groups
  • PLS 312 Introduction to Public Administration
  • PLS 313* Gender Politics
  • PLS 314 Issues in American Politics and Government
  • PLS 315 Perspectives on Citizenship
  • PLS 316 Congressional Politics
  • PLS 317 American Presidency
  • PLS 318 State and Local Government
  • PLS 320 Introduction to Law and Legal Process
  • PLS 324 Constitutional Law I
  • PLS 328 Politics of Energy Policy
  • PLS 335 Politics of Work and Labor
  • PLS 361 Public Opinion
  • PLS 385 Mock Trial
  • PLS 395 Perspectives on American Democracy
  • PLS 401 Legal Government Internship
  • PLS 402 Legal Internship
  • PLS 427 Environmental Politics
  • PLS 435 Legal Rights of the Disadvantaged
  • PLS 490 Moot Court Seminar
  • an internship experience in the Public Service Internship Program
  • an internship experience in the Washington Program
• Select at least one course from Comparative Politics:
  • PLS 305 The Politics of European Integration
  • PLS 321 African Politics
  • PLS 328 Politics of Energy Policy
  • PLS 340 European Political Systems
  • PLS 342 Latin American Politics
  • PLS 346 Democratization in Eastern Europe
  • PLS 347 The Global South
  • PLS 348 Asian Politics
  • PLS 383 Mid-East in World Politics
  • PLS 447 Russia in Transition
  • PLS 475* Political Geography
• Select at least one course from International Relations:
  • PLS 304 International Relations Simulation
  • PLS 333 American Foreign Policy
  • PLS 338 Global Issues
  • PLS 410 International Political Economy
  • PLS 444 National Security
  • PLS 445 International Law and Organization
  • PLS 475* Political Geography
• Select at least one course from Political Theory:
  • PLS 313* Gender Politics
  • PLS 336 Politics and Food: “The Political Feast”
  • PLS 353 American Political Thought
  • PLS 354 Politics and Literature
  • PLS 357 Origins of Current Issues
  • PLS 362 Women in Western Political Thought

*Note: the appropriate sub-field for PLS 313, and PLS 475 is determined by the course instructor for each offering.

Electives — Students must select 2 additional courses from any of the subfields

• Political Science elective courses (6 credits)

Capstone Requirement

• Students must select from one of the following Political Science Capstone experiences. (3 credits) However, all three experiences are encouraged.
• PLS 417 Political Science Capstone Seminar
• EuroSim
• SUNY Washington Internship Program

Prerequisites (3 credits)

• Basic Statistics course such as SOC 200 for PLS 303

Electives-BS (55-58 credits)

Electives-BA (46-49credits)

Total Credits (120 credits)

Student Learning Outcomes

Students receiving a degree in Political Science and International Studies should…

1. Describe and explain the American political system.
2. Explain the economic, history and/or culture of the politics of at least one country/region/system of government outside of the US.
3. Explain the social science methodologies common to PLS (including Theory and Quantitative methods) used to evaluate political systems.
4. Be able to clearly communicate political science concepts and challenges in appropriate written, oral, and visual forms with the correct use of supporting evidence (including formulas, figures and citations).