Political Science - B.A.
Jennifer W. Adebanjo, Ph.D., Discipline Coordinator
The political science discipline seeks to provide the student with knowledge of political life, research abilities, and the ability to confront problems of political significance. The department seeks to develop graduates who are well prepared to proceed to the next level of academic training or employment in areas where knowledge of politics is considered both necessary and desirable.
The department has two components. Plan I, the general political science component, emphasizes law and graduate school preparation. Plan II, the public administration component, emphasizes preparation for work in both the public and private sectors of society.
Political science majors have a variety of potential career paths, including careers in government, foreign service, international civil service, research, and teaching. They will also be eligible for administrative careers in policy planning and implementation. In addition, study in the discipline will provide a basic course concentration for pre-law and for graduate and professional programs leading to the M.A., M.P.A., and Ph.D. degrees.
The discipline seeks to:
- Provide students with a broad knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of political life as it is manifested in the various institutional and behavioral forms;
- Provide students with the capacity for empirical research and analysis in both the public and private sectors of society;
- Provide students with the ability to seek solutions to problems of global and domestic political significance;
- Acquaint the students with the need to create new knowledge through research and scholarly activity;
- Equip and prepare students for employment in the public and private sectors of society; and
- Equip and prepare students for graduate and professional schools.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the political science major, the student will:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the CORE principles and values of the major fields and/or sub-fields of Political Science;
- Describe citizenship as it relates to local, state, national and global communities;
- Analyze the role of government and the way that individuals, groups and institutions can promote or undermine its impact;
- Apply quantitative and qualitative research, critical thinking and written/oral communication skills relevant to the field of Political Science; and
- Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary political issues
Requirements for the political science major vary somewhat as a function of whether the student chooses to concentrate in general political science (plan I) or in public administration (plan II). For the general political science student, requirements (in addition to the University's degree requirements as outlined within this Bulletin) are:
Plan I: General Political Science
Required Courses in Political Science [18 credits]
Major Electives in Political Science [21 credits]
In addition to the above 18 credits in required studies, students must elect another 21 credits of coursework in political science, chosen from among the following:
Required Cognate [3 credits]
General Electives [32-42 credits]
Requirements for the public administration program (plan II political science major) are as follows (in Addition to the University's degree requirements as outlined within this Bulletin):
Plan II - Public Administration
Courses in Political Science [24 credits]
Major Electives in Political Science [24 credits]
In addition to the above 24 credits in required studies, students must complete 24 additional credit hours in political science, one of which should be PSCI 310, Internship in Political Science, from the following courses:
| HSS 280 | SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| PSCI 228 | AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY | 3 |
| PSCI 232 | MODERN POLITICAL THEORY | 3 |
| PSCI 245 | AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | 3 |
| PSCI 252 | JUDICIAL PROCESS | 3 |
| PSCI 254 | POLITICS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY | 3 |
| PSCI 310 | INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3-12 |
| PSCI 320 | SELECTED TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| PSCI 321 | INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATION | 3 |
| PSCI 340 | INDEPENDENT STUDY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| PSCI 406 | AFRICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| | Required Cognate | 3 |
General Electives [27-42 credits]
Joint Majors
Joint majors combining political science and another discipline may be arranged according to the usual University regulations. The discipline and the Department of History and Political Science adjusts its requirements for students who pursue joint majors, in compliance with the University policy that joint majors should involve 21 semester hours of study in each discipline. Students pursuing a joint major in political science, regardless of the other discipline involved, are required to complete the required cognate, HSS 280. A faculty member from the political science discipline will be assigned to cooperate with the student's other major faculty academic advisor in the construction and execution of an appropriate study plan.
Political Science requirements for the joint major are as follows (in addition to the University’s degree requirements as outlined within this Bulletin):
Courses in Political Science [21 credits]
Required Cognate [3 credits]
Suggested Program Plan for Political Science Majors (Plan I – General Political Science)
First Year, Fall Semester [16 credits]
| CORE 100 | NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION SEMINAR | 1 |
| CORE 150 | COMPOSITION I | 3 |
| CORE 131 | ESSENTIAL MATHEMATICS FOR A CONTEMPORARY WORLD | 3 |
| | | |
| FREN 101 | ELEMENTARY FRENCH I | 3 |
| | Or | |
| SPAN 101 | ELEMENTARY SPANISH I | 3 |
| | | |
| PSCI 111 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
First Year, Spring Semester [17 credits]
Second Year, Fall Semester [15 credits]
| FREN 200 | INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE FRENCH | 3 |
| | Or | |
| SPAN 200 | INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE SPANISH | 3 |
| | | |
| CORE 201 | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 3 |
| PSCI 221 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICS | 3 |
| PSCI 231 | CLASSICAL POLITICAL THEORY | 3 |
Second Year, Spring Semester [15 credits]
| | CORE A: CULTURAL EXPOSURE | 3 |
| | CORE C: ARTS | 3 |
| HSS 280 | SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
Third Year, Fall Semester [15 credits]
| CORE 260 | HUMANITIES: THOUGHT AND EXPERIENCE | 3 |
| | CORE B | 3 |
| PSCI 305 | AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
Third Year, Spring Semester [15 credits]
| CORE 360 | THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLES | 3 |
| | CORE D | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
Fourth Year, Fall Semester [15 credits]
| | CORE E: SOCIAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
Fourth Year, Spring Semester [12 credits]
| PSCI 442 | SENIOR SEMINAR | 3 |
| | General Elective | 9 |
Total hours required for graduation: 120 credits
Suggested Program Plan for Political Science Majors (Plan II – Public Administration)
Please note: In the case of the internship with the Tennessee State Legislative program, students are cautioned that only 3 credit hours of the internship is counted toward the 120 hours degree requirement and that in some instances, the junior year may be altered and may require summer school in order to graduate on schedule. In all instances, internship decisions are to be made in consultation with the faculty academic advisor, and the proper University procedures are to be followed.
First Year, Fall Semester [16 credits]
| CORE 100 | NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION SEMINAR | 1 |
| CORE 150 | COMPOSITION I | 3 |
| CORE 131 | ESSENTIAL MATHEMATICS FOR A CONTEMPORARY WORLD | 3 |
| | | |
| FREN 101 | ELEMENTARY FRENCH I | 3 |
| | Or | |
| SPAN 101 | ELEMENTARY SPANISH I | 3 |
| | | |
| PSCI 111 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
First Year, Spring Semester [17 credits]
Second Year, Fall Semester [15 credits]
| FREN 200 | INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE FRENCH | 3 |
| | Or | |
| SPAN 200 | INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE SPANISH | 3 |
| | | |
| CORE 201 | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 3 |
| PSCI 130 | INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| PSCI 205 | ADMINISTRATIVE BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
Second Year, Spring Semester [15 credits]
| | CORE A: CULTURAL EXPOSURE | 3 |
| | CORE C: ARTS | 3 |
| PSCI 212 | PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS | 3 |
| PSCI 216 | PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
Third Year, Fall Semester [15 credits]
| CORE 260 | HUMANITIES: THOUGHT AND EXPERIENCE | 3 |
| | CORE D: NATURAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| CORE 360 | THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLES | 3 |
| HSS 280 | SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
Third Year, Spring Semester [15 credits]
| | CORE B | 3 |
| CORE 360 | THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLES | 3 |
| PSCI 314 | PUBLIC FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| PSCI 342 | ADMINISTRATIVE LAW | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
Fourth Year, Fall Semester [15 credits]
| PSCI 310 | INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3-12 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
| | GENERAL ELECTIVE | 3 |
Fourth Year, Spring Semester [12 credits]
| | CORE E: SOCIAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| | General Elective | 9 |
Please note: In all instances, internship decisions are to be made in consultation with the faculty academic advisor, and the proper University procedures are to be followed.
CORE Requirements
The cafeteria style CORE curriculum will be chosen from one of the courses in each of the following groups, A - E.
GROUP A (Choose one of the following)
GROUP B (Choose one of the following)
GROUP C (Choose one of the following)
GROUP D
Choose CORE 240 or any two science courses from the list below.
GROUP E (Choose one of the following)
Courses may be used interchangeably to fulfill the Political Science discipline electives requirement.
Total Credit Hours: 120