Political Science Major & Minor
The study of politics is the study of power in human societies: how it is set up, how it changes, and how it can be evaluated. On the one hand, political science attempts to understand things like political revolution and stability, democracy and dictatorship, or economic prosperity and poverty. But political science also tries to discover the reasons for why government is needed, and where it often goes wrong. In short, the study of politics is concerned not only with the way the world is, but also how it can be improved.
The political science major and minor at Southern Virginia University are intended especially for students who are planning for a career in law, non-profit administration, and public service. But as part of a liberal arts education, the political science program also trains students in the skills of thinking and communication that are valuable in any professional career path. In the political science program, students will have the opportunity to think about political concepts such as justice, authority, and freedom; to understand classic and modern views of the American republic; and to study issues in world politics such as democratization, economic development, and war.
Learning Objectives
Students completing Southern Virginia University’s political science major are expected acquire the following:
- Knowledge of central concepts and theories in comparative politics and knowledge of the main political institutions of five political systems, including the United States.
- Knowledge of the key ideas in one major period in Western political thought.
- Knowledge of the key concepts in microeconomics.
- Knowledge of key theories and ideas in one of three subfields: American politics, political economy, or international relations.
- Ability to write a research paper in a major subfield of political science.
Program Coordinator: Dr. Jeremiah John
Major Requirements (30-37 credit hours)
Major Core (13 credit hours)
- ECN 210 Principles of Microeconomics (GE) (3)
- POL 210 Western Political Heritage I (GE) (3) or POL 215 Western Political Heritage II (GE) (3)
- POL 203 Human Geography (GE) (3)
- POL 233 Comparative Politics (3)
- POL 498 Senior Paper (1)
Emphasis Coursework (12-24 credits)
Students will choose one of the following five areas of emphasis:
- Economics and Politics (18 credits)
- ECN 215 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
- BUS/MAT 221 Statistics (3)
- ECN 340 Public Choice (3)
- ECN 360 Game Theory (3)
- POL 336 Political Economy (3)
- POL 300-level elective (3)
- Government (18 credits)
- POL 210/215 (complete the pair) (3)
- POL 223 American Government and Politics (3)
- POL 243 International Relations (3)
- POL 300-level elective or PHI 350 (3)
- POL 300-level elective (3)
- POL 300-level elective (3)
- International Affairs (12 +foreign language credits)
- POL 243 International Relations (3)
- POL 33x or POL 34x Elective (3)
- POL 33x or POL 34x Elective (3)
- POL 33x or POL 34x Elective (3)
- Foreign language 202 course or equivalency
- Pre-legal Studies (18)
- POL 223 American Government and Politics (3)
- PHI 223 Introduction to Logic (3)
- POL 366 Law and the Constitution: Pre-law Seminar (2)
- POL 368 Intro to the Study and Practice of Law (1)
- POL 300-level elective, BUS 301 Business Law, or BUS 375R Negotiations&Dispute Resolution (3)
- POL 300-level elective or PHI 350 (3)
- POL 300-level elective (3)
- Pre-Master of Public Administration (18)
- BUS 250 Business Analysis with Excel (3)
- BUS 350 Business Analytics or BUS 355 Data Science (3)
- MAT 221 Statistics (3)
- POL 223 American Government and Politics (3)
- Three additional credits from 300 level POL or ECN courses (3)
- Three additional credits from 300-level POL courses (3)
Download the Politics Major Checklist
Minor Requirements (18 credit hours)
- ECN 210 Principles of Microeconmics (3)
- POL 203 Human Geography (3)
- POL 223 American Government and Politics (3)
- POL 233 Comparative Politics (3)
- POL 243 International Relations (3)
- POL 300-level elective (3)