The Political Science Bachelor of Science degree program provides rigorous training in social scientific methodology and equips students to study and produce empirical research about politics. This major allows students who plan to attend graduate school for advanced study in political science or another social science discipline, or who are pursuing a second STEM-related major or minor, to pursue their interest in politics while developing and making use of their analytical and technical skills.
The main difference between this program and the Bachelor of Arts degree is the emphasis on methodological training. In order to graduate with a Political Science Bachelor of Science, students are required to take a sequence of three core methodology courses as well as a fourth elective methodology course. Students are also required to take at least one course in three of the four traditional subfields of political science: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory.
Graduates of the Political Science program receive a degree from a nationally-ranked department in a discipline that is well-known for instilling strong critical reasoning, research, and writing skills. The data analysis skills that this major provides will further enhance students' ability to work in a variety of fields that use quantitative research.
Recent graduates have pursued advanced degrees at top graduate programs and have pursued careers in a variety of fields including law, business, political analysis and consulting, public policy, secondary and higher education, and journalism.
For more information, check out the careers in political science page.
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Student Profile
Lauryn Zheng
Major: Political Science, BS
Graduation Year: 2028
Hometown: East Brunswick, NJ
I chose to major in Political Science mainly because I am a Pre-Law student and planning to attend law school after undergrad. I was interested in the sociological side of law and within the political sphere, especially in the justice system. I also thought Political Science would best prepare me for law school due to the focuses on critical thinking, theory, public speaking, reading comprehension, and writing.
Professor Lawrence Baum and Professor/Advisor Charles William Smith have both made positive impacts on my life as a student in Political Science. I took Professor Baum's Women and the Law course (POLITSC 4138), and I was very impressed by how Professor Baum really involved the students in class through discussion. I felt as though you could genuinely tell that Professor Baum enjoyed teaching and interacting with his classes. There was an amazing facilitation of civil discourse within the course, as well as a ton of support outside of class time. In fact, Professor Baum was the first professor that I felt comfortable enough to go to office hours for. A year later, he still recognized me at a Political Science event, and I plan to take another one of his courses in my next few years at tOSU. I also took Charles' course on Gun Politics (POLITSC 4139E - embedded honors section). I definitely recommend this course with Charles because it really helped me get to know him as a professor and as my advisor. The embedded honors section allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the class content and gave me the opportunity to speak up about my opinions in a smaller group. Charles is very supportive and truly one of the most interesting and engaging lecturers I have experienced at tOSU so far.
I am currently an intern in the Arts and Sciences Honors Program here at tOSU. I am a peer mentor in the program where I am responsible for mentoring a group of freshman students in their survey course. I attend weekly group training sessions to prepare for the survey class, advise students on certain conflicts they may have, and plan and facilitate at least two peer mentor events. I also have an additional project that I work on with my internship advisor. My current project consists of curating some type of master resource page that will provide a more accessible way for students to figure out what resources they have available to them. I am also planning to help manage the new social media account for the program. Overall, my internship experience has been very positive and not as time consuming as I would have expected. I love being a peer mentor, and I am grateful that I have this opportunity to work on a separate project that can help a larger student audience in the long run.
After graduation, I plan on attending law school. Initially, I wanted to be a lawyer in either family or environmental law. However, after taking more courses I realized that there were a lot more options for me, especially after attending law school. At the moment, I am looking into careers in public relations, legal consulting, and legal information (law librarian).
I would say that you should utilize as many resources as possible here at tOSU. That includes professors, advisors, internships, jobs, research, clubs, organizations, majors, minors, and classes. I also think that it's important to branch out of your comfort zone, even though it sounds scary, because that is how you gain a more diverse perspective. Look into taking a minor in a different school or field. Join a club or organization that is outside of your major or pre-professional degree. In my case, I added a minor in Italian and a minor in Women, Gender, and Public Policy. I am also in the Arts and Sciences Student Council, Euchre Club, Community Council, and the National Residence Hall Honorary. From these other activities and academic environments, I have had the opportunity to meet people I would have never crossed paths with. I am exposed to a whole new world of experience, knowledge, ideas, and people. This is super important not just within the Political Science major, but also as a student.
I really think that Political Science is one of the more versatile majors and a great community and environment to be in. I also have a job in the Political Science Department as one of the Advisory Board Assistants.