Law and Politics Option

This option is offered within the following major(s):

Political Science - College of Liberal Arts

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

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
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 of the following: ¹		16
PS 311	CONGRESSIONAL POLITICS
PS 312	PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS
PS 321	CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: GOVERNMENT POWERS AND CONSTRAINTS
PS 322	*CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
PS 323	CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED
PS 326	JUDICIAL PROCESS AND POLITICS
PS 331	*STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS
PS 361	CLASSICAL POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 362	MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 363	*GENDER AND RACE IN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 365	AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT
PS 371	PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS
PS 372	PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
PS 375	*THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND POLICIES
PS 425	*GENDER AND THE LAW
PS 454	INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATIONS
PS 462	THEORIES OF LAW
Select up to 8 credits of the following:		8
ECON 461	LAW, ECONOMICS, AND REGULATION
SOC 340	DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL CONTROL
SOC 440	JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
SOC 441	CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY
SOC 442	SOCIOLOGY OF DRUG USE AND ABUSE
SOC 448	LAW AND SOCIETY
Political Science Electives
Select 12 credits ²		12
Total Hours		52

16 to 24 credits from the political science courses listed. Up to 8 upper-division credits can come from classes 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.

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.

Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC). Major courses cannot double count for Baccalaureate Core requirements.

Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

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 RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP – PS 410 POLITICAL SCIENCE INTERNSHIP designator. A maximum of 8 credits from any combination of PS 401 RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP – PS 410 POLITICAL SCIENCE INTERNSHIP 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

Academic Catalog

Law and Politics Option

Potential for Learning Outside the Classroom

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