Political Science, B.S. (A, L)

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Political Science Major

Political Science involves the study of politics and government. The political science curriculum at Radford University is intended to provide undergraduates with a background in the discipline within the context of a liberal arts education. The major and minor requirements in political science are intended to develop the skills employers seek including written and oral communication, teamwork, ethical thinking, understanding of diversity and global issues, creative problem solving, critical thinking, and information literacy. These skills, alongside an emphasis on understanding how politics translates beyond the classroom, help students prepare for a variety of careers as well as graduate or professional studies. Political science supports curricular and co-curricular activities in pre-law and Model United Nations.

REAL Curriculum

This major fulfills the A and L areas of the REAL Curriculum. Through the “A” learning outcome for cultural or behavioral analysis, the Political Science major allows students to study and critically assess political behavior and political institutions in and beyond the United States, and the interactions between these behaviors and institutions that form the nexus of politics. The major also promotes the exploration of professional practice in political science as envisioned in the “L” learning outcome for applied learning, through coursework focused on career development and course activities that encourage students to engage with and reflect upon key issues in political science, considering their application in professional practice. Students need majors and/or minors to fulfill the R and E areas to complete the REAL Curriculum requirements.

REAL Foundational Requirements

Foundational Writing (3 Credits)

ENGL 111 - Principles of College Composition (GE)

Foundational Math (3 credits)

REAL Cornerstone Requirements

Writing Intensive (WI) Courses (6 credits)

Writing Intensive courses are denoted below with a (WI). Two writing intensive courses are required to graduate, with at least one at the 300- or 400-level. The Political Science major includes 6 credits of writing intensive courses.

General Education Requirements

General Education courses will be denoted below with a (GE). Students are required to take at least 30 credit hours of general education designated courses within their degree requirements. The Political Science major includes 9-18 general education credits.

Major Requirements (45 credits)

B.S. Requirements (6 credits)

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

STAT 130 - Understanding Statistics in Society (GE) OR
STAT 200 - Introduction to Statistics (GE)
3 credit hours from any designated R courses outside of POSC

Required Coursework

Major Coursework (39 credits)

Choose one of the following:

Political Science Electives (21 credits)

9 credits from any level POSC course
12 credits from any 300 or 400 level POSC course

Additional Degree 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.

Open Credit Hours (73-75 credits)

These credits can be used to fulfill additional courses, majors, minors, and/or REAL Curriculum requirements, including Foundational Writing and Foundational Math.

Total Credits Needed for Degree 120

Additional Information

Twelve credits of 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.

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