Mar 28, 2024  
2018 - 2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018 - 2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Political Science, B.S.



All requirements for political science majors are outlined below. In addition to the core of required courses, all students must complete course work in one of the three concentrations.

Political Science Major


Core Curriculum Requirements (43-45 credits)


In College Core B , all majors in programs in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences are required to pass a second course in Social and Behavioral Sciences; i.e., CHBS majors cannot fulfill College Core B requirements with a Health and Wellness course. Note: Some concentrations in the major require specific courses to fulfill Core Curriculum requirements.

Total Credits Needed for Degree 120


Note:


POSC electives must be taken at the 300-400 level. Courses transferred in from community college are not eligible for credit as 300-400 level classes.

Concentrations


Public Affairs Concentration (39 credits)


Politics and Law Concentration (39)


Core Curriculum Requirements:

Core Curriculum Requirements (43-45 credits) of which the following are required:

University Core B:

College Core A:

College Core B:

Foreign and National Security Policy Concentration (39 credits)


Upper Level POSC Classes (15 credits)

Choose 15 hours from 300-400 level classes with a CG or IR designation.  Additionally, upper-level classes may include POSC 485 - Internships in Political Science and Public Administration  and POSC 498 - Independent Study .

Recommended Courses

We recommend a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree for this concentration.  Students will increase their marketability and credibility in international affairs with language training. Particularly useful are strategic languages, Radford offers Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

Recommended Core Curriculum Courses:

We also recommend the following course(s) from other departments for students interested in this concentration:

B.S. Requirements (6 credits)


Bachelor of Science requirements for political science majors consist of six semester hours chosen from the following:

Note(s):


Students should consult with their academic advisors to determine which degree option best suits their needs. The department strongly encourages students to take a foreign language, but also recognizes that there is no one program of study that is equally suited to every student. Regardless of whether students pursue the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, they are encouraged to include some of the above courses in their elective curricula.

Graduation Requirements


To graduate with a major in Political Science, a student must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher in all courses taken with a POSC prefix.

Teaching Licensure


Students wishing to teach government at the secondary level should declare a social science major Social Science, B.A.  and/or Social Science, B.S. ). To strengthen credentials as a government teacher, students should consider a double major in both social science and political science.