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Bachelor of Science, Major in Political Science: General
Political Science is a social science concerned with describing and analyzing
political institutions and processes. Political scientists study the origins of
and preconditions for government, the rise and fall of governments, political
behavior, policy making, and relations among nations of the world.
If you’re interested in how governments are structured, make decisions, manage
social conflicts, and the behavior of individuals within political systems, then
the General Concentration of the Bachelor of Science degree with a Major in
Political Science will prepare you for a fascinating career in politics and a
wide variety of related fields.
You’ll take courses chosen from five fields of study and then, with the help of
your advisor, choose additional courses based on your future career goals.
The BS degree with a Major in Political Science teaches you to think critically,
write well, and speak with confidence. Vital skills for political, diplomatic,
and civil service arenas including pre-law.
Possible careers include:
- Attorney
- Campaign Director
- City or County Administrator
- Economic Development Administrator
- Foreign Service Officer
- High School Teacher
- Journalist
- Judicial Administrator
- Legislative Assistant
- Lobbyist
- Overseas Diplomat
- Paralegal Aide
- Parole or Probation Officer
- Planner
- Policy Analyst
- Pollster
- Public Relations Manager
- Speech Writer/Press Secretary
- Urban Planner
- University Professor
Some of these career paths require further graduate study and/or professional
certifications.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degrees at CMU are a minimum of 124 credit hours and are
usually made up of four types of courses:
-
General Education courses – two types taken by all students
The Political Science Major: General Concentration requires the following:
- Required courses (9 credit hours)
- PSC 100 (3) Introduction to Political Science
- PSC 105 (3) Introduction to American Government and Politics
- PSC 280 (3) Introduction to Empirical Methods of Political Research
- Other Requirements (12 hours) –Students must select one
3-credit hour course in four of the following five fields:
- Field I. American National Political Institutions and Processes
- PSC 101 (3) Political Behavior
- PSC 125 (3) African-American Politics
- PSC 320 (3) The American Legislative Process
- PSC 321 (3) The American Chief Executive
- PSC 322 (3) Judicial Process and Politics
- PSC 323 (3) American Parties and Politics
- PSC 325 (3) The Civil Rights Movement
- PSC 326 (3) Women and Politics
- PSC 327 (3) Lobbying and Interest Group Behavior
- PSC 328 (3) Campaigns and Elections
- PSC 421 (3) Constitutional Law: Powers of Government
- PSC 422 (3) Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties
- PSC 520 (3) American National Government and Politics
- Field II. American State and Local Government, Public Administration and Policy
- PSC 210 (3) Introduction to Public
- PSC 261 (3) State and Local Government
- PSC 300 (3) Michigan Politics and Elections
- PSC 301 (3) Law and Policy in
Michigan State Government
- PSC 313 (3) Budgetary Processes in the United States
- PSC 411 (3) Public Sector Human Resources and Organization Theory
- PSC 514
(3) American Public Policy Making
- PSC 516 (3) Environmental Politics and
Policy
- PSC 522 (3) Regulatory Processes and Administrative Law
- PSC 561 (3)
American State Government and Administration
- PSC 563 (3) Politics and Policy
in Urban Communities
- PSC 565 (3) Managing Modern Local Government
- PSC 566
(3) Intergovernmental Relations in the United States
- PSC 585 (3) Computer
Applications for Public Administrators
- Field III. International Relations
- PSC
150 (3) World Politics
- PSC 151 (3) The US and the World
- PSC 351 (3)
International Relations
- PSC 352 (3) US-Latin American Relations
- PSC 453 (3)
American Foreign Policy
- PSC 551 (3) Seminar in International Relations
- PSC
555 (3) International Law I
- Field IV. Comparative Politics
- PSC 242 (3)
Introduction to Comparative Politics
- PSC 340 (3) African Political Systems and
Processes
- PSC 341 (3) Comparative Politics: Eastern Europe
- PSC 343 (3)
Southeast Asian Political Systems and Processes
- PSC 344 (3) East Asian
Political Systems and Processes
- PSC 345 (3) Middle Eastern Political Systems
- PSC 346 (3) The Politics of Islam
- PSC 347 (3) Comparative Politics: Western
Europe
- PSC 348 (3) Latin American Political Systems
- PSC 515 (3) Comparative
Public Policy
- PSC 540 (3) Cultural Heritage and Politics of Eastern Europe
- Field V. Political Theory
- PSC 275 (3) Great Political Thinkers
- PSC 371 (3)
American Political Thought
- PSC 372 (3) American Radical Thought
- PSC 375 (3)
Socialism, Fascism, and Liberalism
- PSC 378 (3) Modern Democratic Theory
- PSC
426 (3) Feminist Theory
- Electives (12 hours)
- Hours selected from the five
fields listed above in consultation with an advisor
Total: 33 semester hours
Notes: A minimum of 15 hours of PSC coursework must be at the 300 level or
above, with at least one course at the 400-500 level. PSC 405 cannot be used to
fulfill this requirement.
Where Is This Offered?
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