Major requirements for the Political Science Bachelor of Science (BS)
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. To learn more about careers in political science, click here.
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