Law and Politics Option
This option is offered within the following major(s):
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
| 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 | ||
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: GOVERNMENT POWERS AND CONSTRAINTS | ||
| *CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES | ||
| CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED | ||
| JUDICIAL PROCESS AND POLITICS | ||
| *STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS | ||
| CLASSICAL POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| *GENDER AND RACE IN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT | ||
| PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEMS | ||
| PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | ||
| *THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND POLICIES | ||
| INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| THEORIES OF LAW | ||
| Select up to 8 credits from the following courses: | 8 | |
| LAW, ECONOMICS, AND REGULATION | ||
| DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL CONTROL | ||
| 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). Major courses cannot double count for Baccalaureate Core requirements. |
| ^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |
| 1 | 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. |
| 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 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