Law and Politics Option
This option is available within the Political Science major at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- OSU-Cascades (hybrid)
The Law and Politics option offers students the opportunity to focus their undergraduate studies on topics involving:
- Constitutional principles and interpretation
- Judicial politics and how it shapes the law
- Relationships between the various branches and levels of government in the United States
- Normative arguments regarding justice and equality in theory and in practice
Option Code: 634
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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| PS 201 | *INTRODUCTION TO UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | 4 |
| PS 206 | +*INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT | 4 |
| PS 204 | *INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 4 |
| or PS 205 | *INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | |
| Methods/WIC | ||
| PS 300 | ^RESEARCH METHODS | 4 |
| Upper-Division Option Courses | ||
| Select at least 16 credits from the following courses: 1 | 16 | |
| CONGRESSIONAL POLITICS | ||
| PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS | ||
| *GENDER AND THE LAW | ||
| JUDICIAL PROCESS AND POLITICS | ||
| *STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS | ||
| *INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GLOBAL POLITICS | ||
| CLASSICAL POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| *GENDER AND RACE IN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL THEORY | ||
| AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| *FROM ATLANTIS TO UTOPIA: THE POLITICS OF THE IDEAL STATE | ||
| PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS | ||
| PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | ||
| *THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND POLICIES | ||
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: GOVERNMENT POWERS AND CONSTRAINTS | ||
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL LIBERTIES | ||
| *CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL RIGHTS | ||
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED | ||
| ETHICS IN PUBLIC POLICY | ||
| Select up to 8 credits from the following courses: | 8 | |
| LAW, ECONOMICS, AND REGULATION | ||
| DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL CONTROL | ||
| US IMMIGRATION ISSUES IN THE 21ST CENTURY | ||
| JUVENILE DELINQUENCY | ||
| CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY | ||
| SOCIOLOGY OF DRUG USE AND ABUSE | ||
| LAW AND SOCIETY | ||
| Political Science Electives | ||
| Select 12 credits 2 | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 52 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)
- ^
Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
- +
Core Education course. Applies only to students admitted to an OSU undergraduate degree from Summer 2025 onwards
- 1
Select 16 to 24 credits from the political science courses listed. Up to 8 upper-division credits can come from courses listed in economics and sociology. Credits from all courses must add up to at least 24. Other courses applied to this total must be approved by the department
- 2
Any political science courses may be taken to reach the minimum of 52 total credits in the major with at least 36 of these at the upper-division level
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 designator. A maximum of 4 credits of PS 410 can be applied toward the major. 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.
Option Code: 634