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Bachelor of Science in Political Science
120 Credits
The Political Science degree serves several student populations, including high school graduates wishing to pursue careers in political science, transfer students from two-year colleges, and public school teachers who need to enhance their content in social studies. The Political Science degree has an appeal to students who are interested in current events, politics, law, comparative politics, American cultures, social issues, and policy making. The program serves undergraduates in other majors, including social work, criminal justice, education, and history.
Studying politics includes basic information about government and political processes, as well as exploring issues of power, conflict, peace, citizenship, civic virtue, representation, and justice. Through political science courses, students learn about political institutions and processes and develop the capacity to think critically about political controversies, public policies, and their outcomes. This knowledge and these skills are transferable across disciplines and careers and are essential for developing citizens prepared to make a difference in their community, country, and world.
This program is part of the School of Humanities & Social Sciences.
Degree Requirements
Major Requirements (36 cr)
A minimum of 36 credit hours must be taken at the 300 level or above, with at least 18 in the major. No course with a grade below a 2.0 (C) will be accepted in the major/conctration area.
Major Required Courses (15 cr)
- POLS-Y 103 Introduction to American Politics
- POLS-Y 105 Introduction to Political Theory
- POLS-Y 107 Introduction to Comparative Politics or POLS-Y 109 Introduction to International Relations
- POLS-Y 205 Analyzing Politics
- POLS-Y 490 Senior Seminar
Advanced Core Requirements (21 cr)
A total of 21 hours should be selected from the following courses. A minimum of 18 hours must be taken at the 300- 400 level and at least 3 hours must be selected from each of three subfields (American Politics, Comparative Politics/International Relations, and Political Theory). Courses should be selected in consultation with a political science faculty member or advisor; keeping in mind the student’s desired career and professional goals.
American Politics
- POLS-Y 303 Policy Making in the United States
- POLS-Y 304 Constitutional Law
- POLS-Y 305 Constitutional Rights and Liberties
- POLS-Y 306 State Politics in the US
- POLS-Y 308 Urban Politics
- POLS-Y 316 Public Opinion and Political Participation
- POLS-Y 318 The American Presidency
- POLS-Y 319 The United States Congress
- POLS-Y 320 Judicial Politics
- POLS-Y 324 Gender and Politics
- POLS-Y 325 African-American Politics
Comparative Politics / International Relations
- POLS-Y 338 African Politics
- POLS-Y 340 East European Politics
- POLS-Y 345 Comparative Revolutions
- POLS-Y 346 Politics in the Developing World
- POLS-Y 380 Selected Topics in Democratic Government (Topics vary)
Political Theory
- POLS-Y 212 Making Democracy Work
- POLS-Y 381 Classical Political Thought
- POLS-Y 382 Modern Political Thought
- POLS-Y 384 Developments in American Political Thought
Course offerings are subject to change. Please see the course description in the Schedule of Classes to determine the subfield of individual electives.
Electives
Choose additional courses to reach 120 credit hours total.
Program Requirements
First-Year Seminar (0-3 cr)
- UCOL-U 101 First Year Seminar or
- HON-H 100 Freshman Honors Seminar
A passing grade is required in the First Year Seminar course. This course is mandatory for all beginning freshmen and for transfer students with no more than 12 credit hours of transferring coursework. This course must be taken in the first semester after admission to Indiana University East.
Information Literacy (3 cr)
- CSCI-A 110 Introduction to Computers & Computing (or equivalent)
Careers
Employment settings:
- Federal/state/local government agencies
- Colleges and universities
- Consulting firms
- Court systems
- Embassies
- Law firms
- Media companies
- Political parties
- Political interest groups
- Research organizations
- Corporations
- Labor unions
- U.S. Armed Forces
- Polling organizations
General Education Requirements
General Education course recommendations for this degree:
- Written Communication Skills: ENG-W 270
General Education course requirements for this degree:
- Quantitative Reasoning: CJUS-K 300, PSY-K 300, or ECON-E 270
Remaining General Education Requirements can be fulfilled as you and your advisor see fit.