This program is available at the following locations:

• Corvallis
• Ecampus
• OSU-Cascades (hybrid)

Options available:

• Environmental and Energy Politics
• International Affairs
• Law and Politics

Political Science is the systematic study of politics wherever it takes place—in governmental institutions, the international arena, and civil society. Political science majors at Oregon State may choose the general political science major, or one of the three options that focus on law and politics, international affairs, or environmental and energy politics. All political science majors learn to think critically, write clearly and speak persuasively. They learn the ideas of great political thinkers, learn the political fundamentals behind the headlines, and have engaging discussions from all points of view with other students and professors.

Major Code: 960

Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:

• Comprehend the basic structures and processes of government systems and/or theoretical underpinnings.
• Analyze political problems, arguments, information, and/or theories.
• Apply methods appropriate for accumulating and interpreting data applicable to the discipline of political science.

Students selecting the Political Science major must complete 52 credits of political science coursework, of which at least 36 credits must be upper-division courses. As part of these overall credit totals, Political Science majors must complete the following requirements.

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Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)

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Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

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Core Education course. Applies only to students admitted to an OSU undergraduate degree from Summer 2025 onwards

I. Foundation Courses

The school encourages students to take the foundation courses in their first or second year.

Students who choose to specialize in one of the options for the major are required to take two of the introductory courses as specified for the option and choose the third introductory course.

Few upper-division political science courses have enforced prerequisites, but taking the corresponding intro course is often good preparation.

II. Methods/WIC

PS 300 is the research methods and WIC course. The school encourages students to take the Methods/WIC course late in their second or early in their third year.

III. Upper-Division Subfield Courses

A. For the general major, students must take one course each from at least three of the four subfields.

B. For the options, students choose from a list of courses approved for the option.

IV. Potential for Specialization

Students may choose a general political science major or may choose from one of three transcript-visible options:

1. Environmental and Energy Politics
2. International Affairs
3. Law and Politics

V. Potential for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Political science majors are strongly encouraged to pursue experiential learning and other educational opportunities outside of the classroom, and these experiences can be used to fulfill some political science graduation requirements. Such experiences can include research, thesis writing, projects, or internship. Credits will be placed in the appropriate PS 401–PS 410 subject code. A maximum of 8 credits from any combination of PS 401–PS 410 may be applied to the major, although additional credits from courses in this range may be applied to general graduation requirements. Additional experiential learning opportunities include "field schools" and study abroad. Students should discuss all of these opportunities with the political science undergraduate advisor.

VI. Additional Requirements for the Major

• Majors are required to maintain a minimum cumulative 2.00 grade-point average for all political science course work.
• Majors must earn a C– grade or better in PS 300.
• Students must complete the BA or BS requirements specified by the College of Liberal Arts.

Major Code: 960

Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.

Political Science BA

Political Science BS