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Nov 21, 2024
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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Political Science Major, BA
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 Return to: Undergraduate Programs
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Program Description
The undergraduate Political Science program offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide students with cultivated knowledge and understanding of political science in a broad liberal learning academic environment. The program emphasizes a General Education component as well as concentrations in Comparative Politics, International Affairs, Pre-Law, Public Administration and Public Policy all of which prepare students in effective participation in the local, national, and international political process. Furthermore, whether the student is enrolled in the general Political Science degree program or in any of the concentrations the student will graduate with a strong foundation in the discipline that will enable him to pursue meaningful and successful graduate study in Political Science, in Public Administration, in Comparative Politics, in International Affairs, in Public Policy, in Law and its related fields, and in many other disciplines in higher education. And if for career opportunities in the workforce, the Political Science graduate will be in the position to assume complex and challenging positions and contribute to meaningful change whether in the public or private sector. In order to guarantee that the student is well prepared for the workforce, Political Science advisors strongly advise students to acquire at least three hours of supervised internship experience that is related to the discipline. The student is also encouraged to take advantage of the WSSU Study Abroad program for academic credit. The Political Science student can participate in the WSSU Model United Nations program so as to broaden his/her educational horizon in world affairs; and he/she can become a member of the Political Science Majors/Minor Club. Thirty hours of courses in Political Science are required for the degree in Political Science, and 30 hours of courses in Political Science are also required for the Public Administration Concentration. The Political Science student or the Public Administration Concentration student can opt for a second major that is outside the Political Science discipline. Any other student can opt for a second major in Political Science. Thirty hours of course work will be required for the second degree. Advisors will guide the student accordingly in determining the course work required. While the student can declare a major in Political Science or choose a second degree in Political Science at any time, the student is encouraged to declare the major and or choose the second major in Political Science at the early stages of the student’s educational program at WSSU. For a robust and strategic liberal learning outlook, intellectual design, and instructional delivery posture that is consistent with current pedagogies in the Political Science discipline, focus and meaning are strengthened further by dividing the curriculum into three primary theoretical and philosophical segments: foundation, breadth, and depth. The Foundation courses prescribe those courses that all students in the major must take so that they can begin to understand better and establish mastery in the discipline. The Breadth courses are those that provide for focus on the discipline and its related fields; create avenues for interdisciplinary collaboration; and more content enhanced than the foundation courses. Depth courses are more sequentially graduated in content and in levels of analysis, and typically provide more complex and critical levels of thought with the need for sophisticated evaluative judgments.
Student Learning Outcomes
Political Science graduates will be able to: * demonstrate an understanding of the major concepts, principles, and processes of American Government and Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, Law and Politics, and Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology. (Content Knowledge) * demonstrate an understanding of the significance and impact of a global community and diversity within the United States. (Content Knowledge) * demonstrate an understanding and mastery of normative and empirical research in political science. (Communications, Content Knowledge, Critical Thinking) * demonstrate the ability to conduct political science research by completion and defense of a senior research thesis. (Communications, Content Knowledge, Critical Thinking) * demonstrate the ability to identify, draw reasoned inferences, devise an appropriate solution to a political problem/issue, and evaluate the feasibility of the solution. (Content Knowledge and Critical Thinking) * demonstrate the ability to explain contemporary political phenomena by employing an understanding of political science concepts and principles. (Content Knowledge, Critical Thinking, Communications)
Required Courses for the Major
Breadth Courses
These are courses that demonstrate the breadth of the discipline. Breadth Courses are offered at the 3000 and 4000 levels so as to justify the Area of Specialization labeled as:
Depth Areas & Courses
These are courses that sequentially offer a deeper dive into one of the breadth areas of the discipline. Depth courses, typically, lead to signature work such as research paper, portfolio, or major projects prescribed by the instructors. Depth Courses are offered at the 300 and 4000 levels, and they are open to students upon the basis of effective academic advising. (Each POS Depth Course counts as a General Education Area of Knowledge.) All students in the POS degree program (including those in the Public Administration Concentration) are required to take POS 4382 as a core depth course in order to satisfy the degree requirements. (The student must take the Depth POS 4382 - Writing & Research in Political Science II POS Capstone course.) and then: (Three courses from the Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Economy Area of Specialization):
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