Political Science, BA

Politics is essential to the human condition. It is expressed in patterns of influence among individuals, in the actions of states in world affairs, and in collective efforts to achieve our most noble goals. The political science curriculum links moral issues to empirical analysis of political life and explores the realities of political behavior at local, state, national, and international levels. A political science major helps students prepare for careers in government, social and political organizations, international relations, business, and education, and for graduate study or law school.

General Program Requirements

Students in political science satisfy the university core curriculum requirements as given in this Catalog, and must complete the general program requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. Macroeconomics is required. Political science majors are strongly encouraged to take additional courses in history, economics, and languages. Advisors may recommend electives in public affairs, business, sociology, philosophy, and writing. Students who plan to attend law school should consult the prelaw section of this Catalog and see a prelaw advisor.

Requirements

In order to earn the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science, students must complete a minimum of 180 credits with a cumulative and major/program grade point average of 2.00, including the following:

I. Core Curriculum Requirements

Module I: Engaging Academic Inquiry

UCOR 1100 - Academic Writing Seminar
UCOR 1200 - Quantitative Reasoning (or MATH 1010 or above)
UCOR 1300 - Creative Expression and Interpretation
UCOR 1400 - Inquiry Seminar in the Humanities
UCOR 1600 - Inquiry Seminar in the Social Sciences
UCOR 1800 - Inquiry Seminar in the Natural Sciences (or BIOL 1610/1611, 2200, CHEM 1500/1501, PHYS 1050/1051, 1210/1211)

Module II: Engaging Jesuit Traditions

Module III: Engaging the World

II. College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

Modern Languages 1150, 1250, 1350, or equivalent (15)

NOTE:

Students earning this major must demonstrate competency through the level of 1350 in a language other than English. This competency is ordinarily achieved by successful completion of the three-course sequence: 1150, 1250, and 1350. Because these courses are a college requirement, no course in the sequence may be taken on a pass/fail, correspondence, or audit basis. Placement into other than the beginning course of the sequence is achieved by acceptable performance on the Modern Language Competency Examination. See the Modern Languages and Cultures Department for details on the examinations. Courses used to satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences modern language requirement may not be used to fulfill major requirements.

Choose one of the following three courses:

III. Major Requirements

65 credits in political science and economics, including:

Complete one course in each of the following sub-fields:

American Politics (5)

Comparative Politics (5)

International Politics (5)

Political Theory and Law (5)

Major Electives (20)

Complete an additional 20 credits of PLSC Electives (see course descriptions )

NOTES:

Political science majors must complete at least 30 credits in the major at Seattle University.
One PLSC course chosen for the major must be a designated Core Capstone course.
Some PLSC courses are options for more than one field. Each course may be used to satisfy only one major field requirement.
A political science major may not count more than 10 credits of independent study toward the credits required for the major.

*University Honors Program students may substitute HONR 2540 for PLSC 2500.

Departmental Honors

Political Science with Departmental Honors, BA