Government & Law, BS
The Government and Law program includes a core of courses essential for all public sector-related careers, plus a systematic study of political and governmental institutions and behavior. It focuses on governmental services, political theory, American and international law, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, and research methods. This degree seeks to prepare students for careers, advancement, or graduate studies in government, politics, law, and other political science-related fields.
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Understand the structure and perspective of Political Science.
- Understand the research processes of Political Science.
- Understand the institutions of government, politics, and law at the local, state, national and international levels.
- Understand alternative political systems.
- Understand the importance of civic engagement in American society.
- Demonstrate effective written communication skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to analyze data and textual materials, and to think critically.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum (Areas A-E) | 42 | |
| All Core Curriculum requirements for the B.S. Politics, Government, & Law degree are shown under Core Curriculum in the Graduation Requirements section of the Undergraduate Catalog. | ||
| Lower Division Major Requirements (Area F) 1 | 18 | |
| POLS 2101 | Intro to Political Science | 3 |
| POLS 2201 | State & Local Government | 3 |
| SOSC 2500 | Intro to Research Methods | 3 |
| Lower Division Electives | ||
| Select 3 Lower Division (1000-2000) Courses with the Following Prefixes: AFAM, CRJU, ECON, FREN, HIST, MATH, PARA, PHIL, POLS, PSYC, SOCI, SOSC, SPAN, WST. | 9 | |
| Intro to Global Issues (if not taken in E2) | ||
| Upper Division Major Requirements | 18 | |
| POLS 3220 | Judicial Process | 3 |
| POLS 3323 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLS 3343 | Principles of Public Admin. | 3 |
| POLS 3350 | International Relations | 3 |
| POLS 3360 | The U.S. Congress & Presidency | 3 |
| SOSC 4490 | Social Sciences Internship | 3 |
| Upper Division Major Related Electives | 12 | |
| Choose four courses (12 credit hours) from upper division (3000-4000 level) POLS courses not used to meet other areas of the major. | ||
| Upper Division Open Electives | 18 | |
| Choose 6 courses (18 credit hours) from upper division (3000-4000 level) courses | ||
| Free Elective | 12 | |
| Choose 4 courses (12 credit hours) of (1000-4000 level) courses. Excludes PHED activity courses; MSL courses; courses offered for institutional credit only; and career program courses not specifically approved in advance. 2 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |