Declaring a Political Science Major
A political science major must meet the basic course and credit hour requirements set down by the College of Arts and Sciences for the Bachelor of Arts degree. To declare a major in Political Science, students can either request a major change at the front desk, west lobby, of Denney Hall or contact the Department of Political Science (292-2880) and schedule an appointment to meet with one of our advisors. The requirements for declaring a major in Political Science depend on when you entered The Ohio State University. Below are links that detail these requirements:
Major Requirements for Students Entering OSU Between Autumn Quarter 2000 and Summer 2008
Major Requirements for Students Entering OSU Autumn Quarter 2008 and Spring 2012
Major Requirements for Students Entering OSU June 1, 2012 or After
Declaring a Political Science Minor
The Department of Political Science has recently revised its minor program to accommodate the interests and needs of students from a variety of majors who want to develop a coherent and intellectually sound educational program in our nationally ranked department. These new, focused minors allow students to gain foundational knowledge in various sub-fields of political science in preparation for their post-college careers.
For each of the programs except the General Political Science minor, students must complete one required course plus an additional 12 hours of electives. Students are encouraged to consult with one of the academic advisors in Political Science before starting a minor program. Appointments can be arranged by calling 614-292-2880.
NOTE: These minors are not available to Political Science majors.
Campaigns and Elections Minor:
Quarter Program
Semester Program
The Campaigns and Elections minor is intended to accommodate the interests and the needs of students from a variety of majors who want to develop a coherent educational program in a sub-field of Political Science. This minor will provide students with knowledge and analytical tools necessary to understand the election process and political campaigning in the United States.
Comparative Politics Minor:
Quarter Program
Semester Program
Comparative politics is a subfield of political science that studies the various forms of government found throughout the world. Comparative politics attempts to analyze different governments through understanding the history, geography and people that live under the sovereignty of that government. The Comparative Politics minor is intended to give students in-depth knowledge of the politics of contemporary nation-states and tools for comparative analysis to prepare them to work more effectively in an increasingly global environment.
Judicial Politics Minor:
Quarter Program
Semester Program
The Judicial Politics minor will allow students to gain foundational knowledge in judicial politics and judicial behavior in a nationally-ranked subfield of American Politics.
Political Decision Making Minor:
Quarter Program
Semester Program
The minor in Political Decision Making is designed to accommodate the interests and the needs of students from a variety of majors who want to develop a coherent educational program in a sub-field of Political Science. This minor will provide students with the knowledge necessary to understand the methods by which citizens and elites arrive at solutions to political problems.
Political Theory Minor:
Quarter Program
Semester Program
The Political Theory minor is intended to accommodate the interests and the needs of students from a variety of majors who want to develop a coherent educational program in a sub-field of Political Science. This minor will allow students to gain foundational knowledge in political theory and will help students develop informed attitudes on contemporary political issues.
World Politics Minor:
Quarter Program
Semester Program
The World Politics minor is intended to give students foundational knowledge in international relations including the political and economic interactions of the global system and relations between countries and international institutions, in order to prepare them to better understand and to work more effectively in an increasingly globalized environment.
General Political Science Minor:
Quarter Program
Semester Program
The general political science minor consists of 15 credit hours and is intended to accommodate the interests and the needs of students from a variety of areas who want to develop a coherent educational program from the courses offered. Students are expected to organize their program to develop a focus on a particular aspect of the political world. Of the 15 credit hours required, a maximum of 6 may be at the 2000 or 3000 level; the remaining hours must be at the 4000 and/or higher level. A maximum of three hours of courses graded S/U may be applied to the minor. No more than three hours of transfer credit may apply.