Political Science (BS)

• Minor: A minor or a double major is required.
• Grade Requirements: Political Science majors must have an overall GPA of 2.00 and a “C” or better grade in courses used toward the major (a grade of “C-” is not acceptable).
• Credit Hour Requirements: A total of 120 credit hours is required for graduation; 40 upper division credit hours are required (courses numbered 3000 and above). Political Science majors are required to take 39 credit hours within the major.
• Program Code: 7012BS
• CIPC: 451001

Advisement

All Political Science students should meet with a Political Science faculty advisor once they have declared their major or minor to receive program advisement. Please get in touch with the department admin at 801-626-6694 to schedule an appointment.

Use Grad MAPs to plan your degree

Admission Requirements

There are no special admission or application requirements for the Political Science major. 

General Education

Refer to Degree Requirements  for either Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts requirements. See specific requirements for the BA and BS under the major course requirements. Four Political Science courses can fulfill both general education and Political Science major or minor requirements: POLS 1100  fulfills the American Institutions requirement; POLS 1010  and POLS 2100 , are Social Science General Education courses, but students may only count one of these courses towards the Social Science General Education requirement.  Consult with a department advisor for specific general education guidelines. Political Science majors are encouraged to take MATH 1040  (Statistics) to fulfill their Quantitative Literacy Requirement.

Students who transfer from another institution and who intend to graduate from WSU with a minor in Political Science will be required to take at least two classes in Political Science at WSU. Students who transfer from another institution and who intend to graduate from WSU with a major in Political Science will be required to take at least three classes in POLS, plus POLS 4990  Senior Seminar at WSU. These classes must be taken during the calendar year immediately preceding graduation.

AP credit for high school American Government courses taken in Utah will be accepted for Political Science POLS 1100  and POLS 2200 . It will count toward the total hours required for graduation and count toward the total of 39 credit hours required for a Political Science major. A score of 3 or higher on the AP U.S. Government and Politics course will count in place of POLS 1100 . A score of 3 or higher on the AP Comparative Politics course will count in place of POLS 2200 . For out-of-state students who have completed exams, it is an institution-by-institution decision made on course equivalencies.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Students should be able to identify the political institutions and processes of the government of the United States.
• Students should be able to explain at least one of the following five subfields of the discipline: American Government and Public Administration, Comparative Politics, International Politics, Public and Constitutional Law, or Political Theory.
• Students should be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills or formulate and defend a thesis in a written or oral format.
• Students should be able to use a proper methodology necessary for writing a paper in the field of Political Science.
• Students should be able to synthesize and demonstrate advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies.