2020-2021 Catalog

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Political Science, BA, BS

Degree Requirements

Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree with this major

Major Requirements: 11 courses, 41 credits

Core Requirements (5 courses, 17 credits)

POLS-110Introduction to American Politics

4
POLS-120Research Methods

4
POLS-181Intro to Comparative Politics

4
POLS-201Data Analysis and Politics

4
POLS-501Senior Seminar

1

Concentration Requirement (6 courses, 24 credits)

Choose one of the following areas of concentration:
  1. American Politics
  2. Public Policy and Law
  3. Political Theory

Residency Requirement Policy

In the College of Arts and Sciences, a two-course (8 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor and a four-course (16 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for the completion of a major.

Concentrations

American Politics Concentration: 6 courses, 24 credits

Core Requirements (3 course, 12 credits)

POLS-223American Politics & Institutions

4
POLS-224Introduction to Public Policy

4
POLS-345Public Policy Writing

4

Electives (3 courses, 12 credits)

Choose three POLS electives, including internship options. Students are strongly encouraged, in consultation with their advisors, to select courses that provide a broad and balanced knowledge of American Politics. No more than one internship course may be used to fulfill the major.

Internship Courses:
POLS-521Internship in Government

4
POLS-523Washington Internship

12
POLS-H523Honors Washington Internship

12
POLS-524Washington Internship-Summer

8
POLS-H524Honors Washington Internship- Summer

8
POLS-525Washington Internship Seminar

4
POLS-H525Honors Washington Internship Seminar

4
POLS-526International Internship-London

8
POLS-H526Honors International Internship London

8
POLS-527International Internship-Brussels

8
POLS-H527Honors International Internship- Brussel

8
POLS-533International Internship-Edinburgh

8
POLS-H533Hon. International Internship Edinburgh

8

Residency Requirement Policy: In the College of Arts and Sciences, a two-course (8 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor and a four-course (16 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for the completion of a major.

Public Policy and Law Concentration: 6 courses, 24 credits

Core Requirements (4 course, 16 credits)

POLS-224Introduction to Public Policy

4
POLS-225U.S. Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties

4
POLS-245Courts, Public Policy, and Legal Research

4
POLS-345Public Policy Writing

4

Electives (2 courses, 8 credits)

Choose two POLS electives, including internship options. Students are strongly encouraged, in consultation with their advisors, to select courses that provide a broad and balanced knowledge of Public Policy and Law. No more than one internship course may be used to fulfill the major.

Internship Courses:
POLS-521Internship in Government

4
POLS-523Washington Internship

12
POLS-H523Honors Washington Internship

12
POLS-524Washington Internship-Summer

8
POLS-H524Honors Washington Internship- Summer

8
POLS-525Washington Internship Seminar

4
POLS-H525Honors Washington Internship Seminar

4
POLS-526International Internship-London

8
POLS-H526Honors International Internship London

8
POLS-527International Internship-Brussels

8
POLS-H527Honors International Internship- Brussel

8
POLS-533International Internship-Edinburgh

8
POLS-H533Hon. International Internship Edinburgh

8

Political Theory Concentration: 6 courses, 24 credits

Core Requirements (2 courses, 8 credits)

POLS-275Ancient & Medieval Political Theory

4
POLS-276Modern Political Theory

4

Electives (4 courses, 16 credits)

Choose four of the following:
PHIL-228Feminist Philosophy

4
PHIL-318Philosophy of Law

4
PHIL-319Topics in Applied Ethics

4
PHIL-362Environmental Ethics

4
PHIL-363Bio and Medical Ethics

4
PHIL-414Topics in Philosophy

4
POLS-208Politics and Religion

4
POLS-277International Political Theory

4

Students are strongly encouraged, in consultation with their advisors, to select courses that provide a broad and balanced knowledge of Political Theory.

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's in Applied Politics or Global Public Policy

Degree Requirements

  1. Students admitted to this dual degree program must meet all the requirements of the undergraduate Political Science (BA or BS) or International Relations (BA only) major offered by the department of Political Science & Legal Studies.
  2. Students must also meet all requirements for the Master’s degree in Applied Politics (MAAP) or Global Public Policy (MAGPP).
  3. Students will take two Political Science graduate courses during their senior year; one during the fall semester and one during the spring semester. The two graduate courses taken during the senior year will count toward BOTH the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Credit hours will be awarded based on the graduate course description.
  4. The graduate courses taken during the senior year will be determined by the Political Science graduate program director.
  5. Students are subject to the usual standards for academic standing, i.e., undergraduate standards for undergraduate courses and graduate standards for graduate courses.

Upon successful completion of all of the degree requirements, a student will receive a dual Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. The exact degree will be awarded based on the specific undergraduate program the student completes. A student may permanently exit the dual degree program and opt to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree if all the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree have been met. In this case, the graduate courses taken in the senior year will be counted as 4-credit courses applied toward the undergraduate degree requirements.

Honors

To complete requirements for honors in the major, a candidate must:

  1. Graduate with a major GPA of 3.4
  2. Graduate with an overall GPA of 3.0
  3. Complete a major written assignment for two different 300- or 400-level POLS courses, and receive a grade of A- or better on both papers (Note: Courses must be taught by a full-time faculty member)
  4. Present 1 of the 2 papers at the Political Science Department Spring Student Research Conference
  5. Fill out the Honors Completion Form with all the appropriate signatures and submit it to the honors coordinator
  6. CAS Honors Program students only: In addition to presenting the work as described above, present work from the senior honors experience present at the Honors Symposium or the Honors Pecha Kucha

To become a candidate for honors in the major, a student must:

  1. Have a major GPA or 3.4 or higher
  2. Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
  3. Have completed at least 8 credits in Political Science courses at Suffolk University
  4. Apply to the honors coordinator by completing a Google form no later than April 1st of junior year

Political Science Major Learning Goals and Objectives

Learning goals and objectives reflect the educational outcomes achieved by students through the completion of this program. These transferable skills prepare Suffolk students for success in the workplace, in graduate school, and in their local and global communities.

Learning Goals Learning Objectives
Students will... Students will be able to...
Develop skills in using social science research methods to analyze social and political issues - Conduct research in the field of political science
- Perform data analysis
- Critically evaluate political science analytically
- Clearly interpret and communicate, both in written and oral form, the results of the analysis
Acquire broad background knowledge in the field of political science through study of one of three sub-fields - Define political science as a discipline
- Use a knowledge base of political science concepts to analyze public policy programs
Become informed, engaged citizens - Connect classroom learning with the experience of working in government, politics, or public affairs
- Develop capacity to think critically about local, state, national, and global politics