Political Science Major, Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students may choose between the 57– or 72–credit major. There is also an 82-credit Pre-law Option, within the 72-credit major, designed for students interested in law school or work as a paralegal.
Note: two years of a single high school foreign language or one year of a single college-level foreign language is required.
The 72-credit major is designed for those with a more concentrated interest in government who do not wish to complete a structured minor or who may be interested in graduate study in political science.
| Required Introductory Courses | ||
| POLI 100 | INTRODUCTION TO US POLITICS | 5 |
| POLI 202 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY | 5 |
| POLI 203 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 5 |
| POLI 204 | INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS | 5 |
| Required Disciplinary Core | ||
| POLI 300 | U.S. JUDICIAL PROCESS | 5 |
| POLI 313 | ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT | 5 |
| or POLI 314 | MODERN WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT | |
| POLI 320 | INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS | 5 |
| POLI 332 | THE U.S. PRESIDENCY | 5 |
| POLI 335 | U.S. CONGRESS | 5 |
| Required Senior Level Courses | ||
| POLI 490 | SENIOR CAPSTONE | 5 |
| POLI 493 | PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT | 1-2 |
| Elective Requirements–choose two 300 level courses from two subfields and two 400 level courses below POLI 470 from two subfields | 20 | |
| Subfield Distribution Lists | ||
American Government and Politics | ||
| U.S. JUDICIAL PROCESS | ||
| CRIMINAL PROCEDURE | ||
| U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES | ||
| JURISPRUDENCE | ||
| BASIC CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL LAW | ||
| U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM | ||
| AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| FEDERALISM, STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS | ||
| THE U.S. PRESIDENCY | ||
| PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | ||
| U.S. CONGRESS | ||
| U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS | ||
| STATE LEGISLATIVE POLITICS EXPERIENCE | ||
| MOCK TRIAL I | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS | ||
| MOCK TRIAL II | ||
International Relations/Comparative Politics | ||
| INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | ||
| U.S. FOREIGN POLICY | ||
| COMPARATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL WATER POLICY | ||
| EUROPEAN POLITICS | ||
| POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY | ||
| POLITICS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA | ||
| POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA | ||
| TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS | ||
Political Philosophy | ||
| JURISPRUDENCE | ||
| ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| MODERN WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| MARX AND MARXISM | ||
| NATIONS, NATIONALISM AND PATRIOTISM | ||
| TOPICS IN POLITICAL THEORY | ||
| Total Credits | 72 | |
Students may choose between the 57– or 72–credit major. There is also an 82-credit Pre-law Option, within the 72-credit major, designed for students interested in law school or work as a paralegal.
Note: two years of a single high school foreign language or one year of a single college-level foreign language is required.
The 57-credit major is designed for the student with a strong interest in the political realm who wishes to combine such interest with study of another major or minor field.
The 57-credit major requires a separate minor or POLI certificate program for completion.
Note: no substitutions for core courses
| Required Introductory Courses | ||
| POLI 100 | INTRODUCTION TO US POLITICS | 5 |
| POLI 202 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY | 5 |
| POLI 203 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 5 |
| or POLI 204 | INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS | |
| Disciplinary Core–choose two different courses from each of the three subfields. | 30 | |
| Required Senior Level Courses-400 Level Requirements | ||
| POLI 490 | SENIOR CAPSTONE | 5 |
| POLI 493 | PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT | 1-2 |
| Choose one additional 400 level course below POLI 470 | 5 | |
| Subfield Distribution Lists | ||
American Government and Politics | ||
| U.S. JUDICIAL PROCESS | ||
| CRIMINAL PROCEDURE | ||
| JURISPRUDENCE | ||
| BASIC CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL LAW | ||
| U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM | ||
| AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| FEDERALISM, STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS | ||
| THE U.S. PRESIDENCY | ||
| PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | ||
| U.S. CONGRESS | ||
| U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS | ||
| MOCK TRIAL I | ||
| TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS | ||
| MOCK TRIAL II | ||
International Relations/Comparative Politics | ||
| INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | ||
| U.S. FOREIGN POLICY | ||
| COMPARATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL WATER POLICY | ||
| EUROPEAN POLITICS | ||
| POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY | ||
| POLITICS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA | ||
| POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA | ||
| TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS | ||
Political Philosophy | ||
| JURISPRUDENCE | ||
| ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| MODERN WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| MARX AND MARXISM | ||
| NATIONS, NATIONALISM AND PATRIOTISM | ||
| TOPICS IN POLITICAL THEORY | ||
| Total Credits | 57 | |
University Competencies and Proficiencies
English
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB
General Education Requirements (GER)
- Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
- 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
- 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
- Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0
Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)
Humanities and Arts
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
University Graduation Requirements (UGR)
Diversity Course List
Foreign Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List
Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).
Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
Degree Works calculates based on these two catalog years.
- The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Credit Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
- The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.
Students who successfully earn a BA in Political Science from EWU should be able to do the following:
- analyze the values that underlie different forms of governments;
- appraise political issues;
- communicate about politics clearly and professionally;
- critique foundational issues embedded in political questions;
- explain how socioeconomic diversity plays a role in political affairs.