2025-2026 Catalog

Contents
Catalog Links

Political Science, BA, BS

Degree Requirements - 126 credits

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

Political Science Major Requirements: 11 courses, 41 credits

Core Requirements (5 courses, 17 credits)

POLS-110Introduction to American Politics

4
POLS-H110Honors Introduction to American Politics

4
POLS-120Research Methodology for Political Science

4
POLS-H120Honors Research Methods

4
POLS-181Introduction to Comparative Politics

4
POLS-H181Honors Introduction to Comparative Politics

4
POLS-201Data Analysis and Politics

4
POLS-501Senior Seminar

1
Students in the Honors Program have the option of completing the Honors version of a course.

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.

About the Political Science Major

Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this major.

View the Program Page

Concentrations

American Politics Concentration: 6 courses, 24 credits

Core Requirements (3 course, 12 credits)

POLS-223American Politics and Institutions

4
POLS-224Getting on the Agenda: Public Policy Processes and Procedures

4
POLS-345Public Policy Writing

4

Electives (3 courses, 12 credits)

Choose three POLS electives (12 credits), 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 Political Science and Legal Studies

4
POLS-523Washington Internship

8-12
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-534Experiential Learning in Political Science

1-12
POLS-H534Honor Experiental Learning in Government

1-12

Credits earned in excess of the major elective credit requirement count toward a student’s overall credit requirement for the degree.

Public Policy and Law Concentration: 6 courses, 24 credits

Core Requirements (4 course, 16 credits)

POLS-224Getting on the Agenda: Public Policy Processes and Procedures

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

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

4
POLS-H245Honors Courts, Public Policy and Legal Research

4
POLS-345Public Policy Writing

4
Students in the Honors Program have the option of completing the Honors version of a course.

Electives (2 courses, 8 credits)

Choose two POLS electives (8 credits), 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 Political Science and Legal Studies

4
POLS-523Washington Internship

8-12
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-534Experiential Learning in Political Science

1-12
POLS-H534Honor Experiental Learning in Government

1-12

Credits earned in excess of the major elective credit requirement count toward a student’s overall credit requirement for the degree.

Political Theory Concentration: 6 courses, 24 credits

Core Requirements (2 courses, 8 credits)

POLS-275Ancient and Medieval Political Theory

4
POLS-276Modern Political Theory

4

Electives (4 courses, 16 credits)

Choose four POLS electives (16 credits), including internship options. Students are strongly encouraged, in consultation with their advisors, to select courses that provide a broad and balanced knowledge of Political Theory. 

Students in the Honors Program have the option of completing the Honors version of a course.

About the Political Science Major

Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this major.

View the Program Page

 

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

About the Political Science Major

Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this major.

View the Program Page

Honors in the Major

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

  1. Have an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher.
  2. Have a major GPA of 3.75.
  3. Students must have also taken all 100 level courses within the respective major by the time of application at the end of the Sophomore year. Students must expect to be entering their Junior year. 
  4. Once invited to apply, students must upload an unofficial transcript, fill out the department’s application with a short written component addressing the following: 
    1. What is your major? 
    2. What are your extracurricular and/or work experience? 
    3. Why are you drawn to seek honors in the major? 
    4. What academic goals do you wish to achieve with honors in the major? 

Deadline: April 15 of Sophomore year. 
Admissions decisions will be conducted by the chair, the honors coordinator, and 1-2 representative faculty from the respective major which will form the department honors committee.  
 

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

  1. Successful competition of CAS H322, the Junior Honors Interdisciplinary Real World Problems course
  2. Prepare a major research paper
  3. Present at the Honors Symposium
  4. Present at the PSLS Student Research Conference in April
  5. Graduate with a major GPA of 3.75 or higher and an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher 

 

 

 

 

About the Political Science Major

Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this major.

View the Program Page

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.

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

Learn more about the experiences and opportunities available within this accelerated bachelor's/master's degree.

View the Program Page