2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 25, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Political Science: Domestic Politics Concentration, B.A.


Political science is a liberal arts major designed to introduce students to the enduring questions of politics and the institutions and political life of America and other regions and countries of the world. Students successfully completing the undergraduate program in political science will be competitive for positions in the private and public sectors for which a general undergraduate baccalaureate degree is considered an entry level requirement. Students who complete the undergraduate program with a high degree of success will be prepared for graduate work in political science and related disciplines or law school.

Students majoring in political science must earn a grade of ‘C’ or better in each course used to satisfy requirements for the major, including the political science foundation courses.

Students who wish to pursue a degree in political science must conform to the following departmental regulations:

  1. Students must register with the department by consulting the departmental administrative specialist and/or the chair of the department to be counseled and to be assigned an adviser.
  2. Students with prior college work will not be accepted into the department unless, in the view of the chair, their previous work suggests the ability to perform at the standard demanded by the department. In general, this will mean at least a ‘C’ average in previous work.
  3. To remain a member of the department, a student must maintain a ‘C’ average both in overall academic work and in all courses taken within the department itself. Students who fail to maintain this academic standard may be dropped from the department by the chair upon unanimous recommendation of the departmental faculty.

Degree Requirements (120 Credits)


Core Curriculum Requirements


Core Curriculum (36-40 Total Credit Hours)   

Graduation Requirements


Graduation Requirements (3-6+ Credits) *   

Note:


* Course credit hours only count once toward the total university graduation credit hour requirements. Click on Credit Sharing  for more information.

Major Requirements (39 Credits)


Primary concentration:


  • Choose five upper-division courses from a rotation of current offerings in Domestic Politics

Secondary concentration:


  • Choose two upper-division courses from a rotation of current offerings in Global Politics

Note:


Students who major in Political Science will choose a primary concentration in either Domestic Politics or Global Politics. Students will choose five courses from their primary concentration to satisfy major requirements. The remaining concentration will serve as the student’s secondary concentration; the student will choose two courses from that area to satisfy requirements. Courses should be selected in consultation with the student’s Political Science adviser.

** Only two courses from the major requirements may be applied toward cognate requirements or minor requirements.

Cognate or Minor Requirement (12-18 Credits)


The requirement is designed to encourage the student to complement his/her major field studies with a course of study that which will complement and enrich the student’s understanding of his/her major. Students may enroll in a minor or may take courses for cognate credit. A minimum of 12 credits is required for cognate credit. These credits may be distributed over more than one subject area. Only courses numbered 300 or above are acceptable for cognate credit with the exception of ECON 201  and ECON 202 . Any two of the following courses offered by South Carolina technical colleges can be used towards satisfying the cognate requirement: Criminology (CRJ 125), Seminar in Criminal Justice (CRJ 260), Torts (LEG 120), Introduction to Law and Ethics (LEG 135), and Property Law (LEG 214). Students may also count study abroad courses, international study credits, or internship credit towards this requirement.

A grade of ‘C’ or better must be earned in each course to be applied toward the cognate or minor requirements.

Electives (5-28 Credits)


Total Credits Required: 120 Credits