Ohio State nav bar

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science offers students a wide range of opportunities to study the many dimensions of politics and government, including elections and electoral behavior, legal and judicial politics, foreign policy and war, political economy and development, the political implications of race, gender and ethnicity, and the moral and ethical issues associated with democracy, global justice, and human rights.

Students are required to take at least one course in each of the four main subfields of the discipline:  American Politics (the study of political behavior and institutions in the United States), Comparative Politics (the study of non-US political behavior and institutions), International Relations (the study of relationships between states), and Political Theory (the study of the concepts and values that inform political life).  Students also choose a “focus” field in which they take at least four courses.

A political science major will prepare students for career opportunities in law, business, political analysis and consulting, public policy, secondary and higher education, journalism, and many other fields.

Below are the details for the major requirements:

Major Requirements [pdf] for students entering OSU June 1, 2012 or after. 

Major Requirements [pdf] for students entering OSU between Autumn Quarter 2008 and Spring Quarter 2012.

Major Requirements [pdf] for students entering OSU between Autumn Quarter 2000 and Summer 2008.


[pdf] - Some links on this page are to .pdf files. PDF files require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader software to open them. If you do not have Reader, you may use the following link to Adobe to download it for free at: Adobe Acrobat Reader