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B.A. or B.S in Political Science

Bachelor Degree
Idaho State University

About the Program

The study of governments and human beings as decision makers is at once an ancient discipline and one of the most recently developed social sciences. Political inquiry reaches back to the recorded beginnings of human society, for individuals have always been curious about the nature of governments, the bases of authority and personality of leaders, the obligations of followers, and consequences of public policies. ­Although interest persists in these matters, inquiry has broadened to include scientific observations about politics, which utilize relatively new techniques of analysis that are common to many of the social sciences. The newer emphasis is upon systematic procedures of investigation, rigorous standards of proof, comparative analysis, and interdisciplinary studies.

Both of these approaches—the traditional and the behavioral—are offered in the undergraduate and graduate levels of study. The curriculum provides background in the theory and practice of politics and techniques of methodological inquiry for the student with general interests. It offers training of a general and specific nature that is useful for persons planning to seek careers in education, the legal profession, state and local government, urban and regional planning, the federal bureaucracy and ­journalism, or in any of the proliferating quasi-public organizations that seek to monitor the political processes or to influence the content of public policy.

The Department of Political Science offers programs leading to Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Public Administration, and Doctor of Arts degrees. Within the framework of the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science ­programs, students may pursue a major in political science or they may choose an emphasis in pre-law. There is no required or specified curriculum that students who emphasize pre-law are expected to follow. An advisory committee has been created to assist such students in developing a curriculum that reflects their individual needs.

Program Requirements

  • General Education - Objective 1, Written Communication
    6 credits
    ENGL1101P - Writing and Rhetoric I Plus
    4 credits
    ENGL1101 - Writing and Rhetoric I
    3 credits
    HONS1101 - Honors Humanities I
    3 credits
    ENGL1102 - Writing and Rhetoric II
    3 credits
  • General Education - Objective 2, Oral Communication
    2 credits
    COMM1101 - Fundamentals of Oral Comm
    3 credits
  • General Education - Objective 3, Mathematical Ways of Knowing
    3 credits
    MATH1123 - Math in Modern Society
    3 credits
    MATH1123P - Math in Modern Soc Plus
    4 credits
    MATH1127 - The Language of Mathematics
    3 credits
    MATH1130 - Finite Mathematics
    3 credits
    MATH2256 - Structure of Arith for El Ed
    3 credits
    MATH1143 - College Algebra
    3 credits
    MATH2257 - Structure Geo and Prob El Ed
    3 credits
    MGT2216 - Business Statistics
    3 credits
    MATH1143P - College Algebra Plus
    5 credits
    RCET1372 - Calculus for Electronics
    4 credits
    MATH1147 - College Algebra and Trig
    5 credits
    MATH1153 - Statistical Reasoning
    3 credits
    MATH1153P - Statistical Reasoning
    4 credits
    MATH1160 - Survey of Calculus
    3 credits
    MATH1170 - Calculus I
    4 credits
    TGE1140 - Survey of Applied Math
    3 credits
  • General Education - Objective 4, Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing: Minimum of two (2) courses. (6 credits.) Courses must be selected from two different categories
    6 credits
    Humanities
    ENGL1115 - Major Themes in Literature
    3 credits
    ENGL1126 - Art of Film I
    3 credits
    ENGL1175 - Literature and Ideas
    3 credits
    ENGL2215 - Survey of World Mythology
    3 credits
    ENGL2257 - Survey of World Literature I
    3 credits
    ENGL2258 - Survey of World Literature II
    3 credits
    HONS1102 - Honors Humanities II
    3 credits
    PHIL1101 - Introduction to Philosophy
    3 credits
    PHIL1103 - Introduction to Ethics
    3 credits
    TGE1257 - Applied Ethics in Technology
    3 credits
    Fine Arts
    ART1100 - Introduction to Art
    3 credits
    ART1101 - Survey of Art History I
    3 credits
    ART1102 - Survey of Art History II
    3 credits
    ART2210 - Hist and Apprec of Photography
    3 credits
    CMP2250 - History Appreciation Photo
    3 credits
    DANC1105 - Survey of Dance
    3 credits
    DANC2205 - Dance in the Modern Era
    3 credits
    MUSI1100 - Introduction to Music
    3 credits
    MUSI1105 - Survey of Rock Music
    3 credits
    MUSI1106 - American Music
    3 credits
    MUSI1108 - The World of Music
    4 credits
    MUSI1109 - Survey of Jazz
    3 credits
    THEA1101 - Survey of Theatre
    3 credits
    Foreign Languages
    ARBC1101 - Elementary Arabic I
    4 credits
    ARBC1102 - Elementary Arabic II
    4 credits
    CHNS1101 - Elementary Chinese I
    4 credits
    CHNS1102 - Elementary Chinese II
    4 credits
    CSD1151 - American Sign Language I
    3 credits
    CSD1152 - American Sign Language II
    3 credits
    FREN1101 - Elementary French I
    4 credits
    FREN1102 - Elementary French II
    4 credits
    JAPN1101 - Elementary Japanese I
    4 credits
    JAPN1102 - Elementary Japanese II
    4 credits
    LANG1101 - Elementary Foreign Language I
    4 credits
    LANG1102 - Elementary Foreign Language II
    4 credits
    RUSS1101 - Elementary Russian I
    4 credits
    RUSS1102 - Elementary Russian II
    4 credits
    SHOS1101 - Elementary Shoshoni I
    4 credits
    SHOS1102 - Elementary Shoshoni II
    4 credits
    SPAN1101 - Elementary Spanish I
    4 credits
    SPAN1102 - Elementary Spanish II
    4 credits
  • General Education - Objective 5, Scientific Ways of Knowing: Minimum of two (2) lecture courses and one (1) laboratory or field experiences. (7 credits) Courses must be selected from two different course prefixes.
    7 credits
    ANTH2230 - Biological Anthropology
    3 credits
    ANTH2230L - Biological Anthropology Lab
    1 credit
    BIOL1101 - Biology I
    4 credits
    BIOL1100 - Concepts of Biology
    3 credits
    BIOL1101L - Biology I Lab
    0 credits
    BIOL1100L - Concepts of Biology Lab
    0 credits
    BIOL2227L - Human Anat and Phys 1 Lab
    1 credit
    CHEM1100 - Concepts of Chemistry
    4 credits
    BIOL2227 - Human Anat and Phys 1
    3 credits
    CHEM1101 - Intro to Chemistry
    3 credits
    CHEM1102 - Ess of Organic and Biochem
    3 credits
    CHEM1111L - General Chemistry I Lab
    1 credit
    CHEM1103 - Ess of Organic and Biochem Lab
    1 credit
    CHEM1112 - General Chemistry II
    3 credits
    CHEM1111 - General Chemistry I
    4 credits
    CHEM1112L - General Chemistry II Lab
    1 credit
    GEOL1100 - The Dynamic Earth
    3 credits
    GEOL1101L - Physical Geology Lab
    1 credit
    GEOL1100L - The Dynamic Earth Lab
    1 credit
    GEOL1101 - Physical Geology
    3 credits
    PHYS1101L - Elements of Physics Lab
    1 credit
    GEOL1110 - Physical Geol Scientists Lab
    1 credit
    NTD2239 - Nutrition
    3 credits
    PHYS1111 - General Physics I
    3 credits
    PHYS1100 - Essentials of Physics
    4 credits
    PHYS1112 - General Physics II
    3 credits
    PHYS1101 - Elements of Physics
    3 credits
    PHYS1114 - General Physics II Laboratory
    1 credit
    PHYS1113 - General Physics I Laboratory
    1 credit
    PHYS1153 - Descriptive Astronomy Lab
    1 credit
    PHYS1152 - Descriptive Astronomy
    3 credits
    PHYS2212 - Engineering Physics II
    4 credits
    PHYS2211 - Engineering Physics I
    4 credits
    PHYS2214 - Engineering Physics II Lab
    1 credit
    PHYS2213 - Engineering Physics I Lab
    1 credit
  • General Education - Objective 6, social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing: Minimum of two (2) courses. (6 credits) Courses must be selected from two different course prefixes.
    6 credits
    Take POLS1101
    ANTH1100 - Discover Anthropology
    3 credits
    ANTH1102 - Cultural Anthropology
    3 credits
    ECON1100 - Economic Issues
    3 credits
    ECON2201 - Principles of Macroeconomics
    3 credits
    ECON2202 - Principles of Microeconomics
    3 credits
    EDUC1110 - Education in the US
    3 credits
    IS2203 - Intro Internatl Organizations
    3 credits
    GLBL2203 - International Organizations
    3 credits
    HIST1101 - World History I
    3 credits
    HIST1102 - World History II
    3 credits
    HIST1105 - Foundations of Europe
    3 credits
    HIST1106 - Modern Europe
    3 credits
    HIST1111 - United States History I
    3 credits
    HIST1112 - United States History II
    3 credits
    SOWK1101 - Intro SOWK and Social Welfare
    3 credits
    POLS1101 - American National Government
    3 credits
    PSYC1101 - Introduction to Psychology
    3 credits
    SOC1101 - Introduction to Sociology
    3 credits
    SOC1102 - Social Problems
    3 credits
    TGE1150 - Social Science in Workplace
    3 credits
  • General Education - Objective 7, Critical Thinking AND Objective 8, Information Literacy Minimum of one (1) course from either Objective 7 or Objective 8. (3 credits)
    3 credits
    Take POLS1102
    ANTH1107 - Nature of Language
    3 credits
    CS1181 - Computer Sci and Programming I
    3 credits
    CMP2205 - Argumentation
    3 credits
    ENGL1107 - Nature of Language
    3 credits
    GEOL1107 - Real Monsters
    3 credits
    HIST1100 - History in Film
    3 credits
    HIST1118 - US History and Culture
    3 credits
    HIST1120 - Themes in World History
    3 credits
    INFO1181 - Informatics and Programming I
    3 credits
    PHIL2201 - Introduction to Logic
    3 credits
    PHIL2260 - Philosophy of Life and Death
    3 credits
    POLS1102 - Intro to Politic Crit Thinking
    3 credits
    SOC2248 - Crit Analysis Social Diversity
    3 credits
    THEA1118 - Oral Interpretation of Lit
    3 credits
    THEA2251 - Fundamentals of Acting
    3 credits
    ACAD1111 - Info Literacy and Inquiry
    3 credits
    CMP2203 - Media Literacy
    3 credits
    CMP2203 - Media Literacy
    3 credits
    FIN1115 - Personal Finance
    3 credits
    HIST2291 - Introduction to Research
    3 credits
    INFO1101 - Digital Information Literacy
    3 credits
    LLIB1115 - Intro to Information Research
    3 credits
  • General Education - Objective 9, Cultural Diversity take 3 credits, take at least 1 course
    3 credits
    ANTH2201 - Intermediate Shoshoni I
    4 credits
    ANTH2202 - Intermediate Shoshoni II
    4 credits
    ANTH2212 - Intro to Folklore Oral Tradns
    3 credits
    ANTH2237 - People and Cult of Old World
    3 credits
    ANTH2238 - Peoples and Cult of New World
    3 credits
    ANTH2239 - Latino Peoples and Cultures
    3 credits
    ANTH2258 - Native American History
    3 credits
    CHNS2201 - Intermediate Chinese I
    4 credits
    CHNS2202 - Intermediate Chinese II
    4 credits
    CSD2210 - Comm through Lit and Media
    3 credits
    CSD2256 - Deaf Culture and Community
    3 credits
    EDUC2204 - Families Communities Culture
    3 credits
    ENGL2210 - American Cultural Studies
    3 credits
    ENGL2212 - Intro to Folklore/Oral Tradn
    3 credits
    GLBL2202 - Introduction to Global Issues
    3 credits
    GLBL2270 - World Reg Geog and Cultures
    3 credits
    HIST2201 - Women in US History
    3 credits
    HIST2251 - Latin American History
    3 credits
    HIST2252 - Asian History and Culture
    3 credits
    HIST2254 - Middle East Hist and Culture
    3 credits
    HIST2255 - African History and Culture
    3 credits
    HIST2258 - Native American History
    3 credits
    JAPN2201 - Intermediate Japanese I
    4 credits
    JAPN2202 - Intermediate Japanese II
    4 credits
    PHIL2210 - Intro to Asian Philosophies
    3 credits
    POLS2231 - Intro to Comp Politics
    3 credits
    RUSS2201 - Intermediate Russian I
    4 credits
    RUSS2202 - Intermediate Russian II
    4 credits
    SCPY1001 - Psychology of Diversity
    3 credits
    SHOS2201 - Intermediate Shoshoni I
    4 credits
    SHOS2202 - Intermediate Shoshoni II
    4 credits
    SOC2201 - Intro to Gender and Sexuality
    3 credits
    SPAN2201 - Intermediate Spanish I
    4 credits
    SPAN2202 - Intermediate Spanish II
    4 credits
  • Major Requirements and Program Admissions Requirement take the following courses, take 21 credits
    21 credits
    POLS1101 and POLS1102 must be completed with at least a C grade in each for Program Admission
    POLS1101 - American National Government
    3 credits
    POLS1102 - Intro to Politic Crit Thinking
    3 credits
    POLS2221 - International Relations
    3 credits
    POLS2213 - Intro to Political Philosophy
    3 credits
    POLS2231 - Intro to Comp Politics
    3 credits
    POLS3319 - Research Design
    3 credits
    POLS4460 - Senior Seminar
    3 credits
  • Upper division Political Science Electives: One course in American Politics - One course in International Politics - One course in Political Theory - Three more upper division Political Science courses, excluding POLS 4459
    18 credits
  • Upper Division Free Electives
    12 credits
  • Free Electives
    41 credits
Grand Total Credits
120

* Please note that you must meet with an advisor each semester in order to verify degree completion time as well as online course offerings for the program requirements.