Minor Programs

Declaring a Political Science Minor

The Department of Political Science offers minor programs 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 focused minors allow students to gain foundational knowledge in various subfields of political science in preparation for their post-college careers.

Minor Options

  • Campaigns and Elections Minor

    • This minor will provide students with knowledge and analytical tools necessary to understand the election process and political campaigning in the United States.
    • Program Requirements [pdf]

  • Comparative Politics Minor

    • 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. This 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.
    • Program Requirements [pdf] 

  • Judicial Politics Minor

    • This minor will allow students to gain foundational knowledge in judicial politics and judicial behavior in a nationally-ranked subfield of American Politics.
    • Program Requirements [pdf]

  • Legal Foundations of Society Minor

    • This multidisciplinary minor provides students with an exposure to the legal underpinnings of society from a liberal arts perspective. It is intended for students interested in the intersection of legal and social issues. It is not intended to be a "pre-law" program but rather to be a means of providing a foundational understanding of the ways society constructs and uses its legal systems. 
    • Program Requirements [pdf]

  • Political Decision Making Minor

    • This minor is designed to provide students with the knowledge necessary to understand the methods by which citizens and elites arrive at solutions to political problems.
    • Program Requirements [pdf] 

  • Political Science Minor

    • 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 six may be at the 2000 or 3000 level; the remaining hours must be at the 3000 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.
    • ​Program Requirements [pdf] 

  • Political Theory Minor

    • This minor is intended to allow students to gain foundational knowledge in political theory and will help students develop informed attitudes on contemporary political issues.
    • Program Requirements [pdf]

  • World Politics Minor

    • This 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.
    • Program Requirements [pdf]

Requirements

For each of the above minors, 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 the Department of Political Science before starting a minor program. Appointments can be arranged by contacting Arts and Sciences Advising and Academic Services at 614-292-6961.

NOTE: Students who pursue a BA or BS in political science may not also minor in political science, but may minor in any of the other areas. Students who pursue a BA in world politics may not minor in world politics but may minor in any of the other areas. 

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