Political Science with Teacher Certification in Social Studies (Preschool-Grade 12) (B.A.)

Students who wish to pursue P-12 teacher certification in Social Studies must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Once admitted, students will be matriculated into the B.A. in Secondary Education program as a second major.

Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required professional sequence of courses and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students also are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook. The course SASE 401 is the departmental requirement.

The social studies teacher is expected to have a broad understanding of the cultural and environmental factors which shape the individual and society. To meet the approved program for certification in social studies, course work is required in each of the following:

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • History
  • Political Science 
  • Sociology

A detailed description of the requirements is available in the office of the Social Studies Teacher Education Coordinator in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.  Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. Consult the Teacher Education Program Handbook for more information.

 
 
 


Program Requirements Overview

General Education Requirements27
World Languages and Cultures Requirements3
Major Requirements33
Social Studies Support Courses for Teacher Education21
Teacher Education Program Requirements36
Total Credits120

Major Requirements

Political Science Major
Required Courses
POLS 100Introduction to Politics3
POLS 101American Government and Politics3
POLS 201Comparative Politics3
POLS 202International Relations3
POLS 300Essentials of Political Thought3
Elective Courses
Select 18 credits from the list (see below). Up to 15 credits may be from any one group. 12 credits must be at the 300-400 level.18
Total Credits33

Political Science Major Electives

American Politics
POLS 214Women in Politics3
POLS 215Ethnic Politics in America3
POLS 216Urban Politics3
POLS 301American Party System3
POLS 302Public Opinion and Pressure Groups3
POLS 304State and Local Government3
POLS 306Campaign Politics3
POLS 312Black Politics in the United States3
POLS 313Politics and Technology3
POLS 314Seminar in Campaign Politics3
POLS 317The American Congress3
POLS 318The American Presidency3
POLS 319Politics and Film3
POLS 324Advanced Public Policy Analysis3
POLS 327Food and Politics3
POLS 420Seminar and Internship in Political Science4
POLS 425Politics of Federal Bureaucracy3
POLS 429Polling in the U.S3
POLS 436Political Science Washington, D.C., Internship1-7
American Law
JURI 210Perspectives on Law3
POLS 320Law in Society: Civil Law3
POLS 321Law in Society: Criminal Law3
POLS 322American Constitutional Law: The Federal System3
POLS 323American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties3
POLS 331Animal Rights: Law, Politics and Culture3
POLS 332U.S. Immigration: Law and Politics3
POLS 351Comparative Legal Perspectives: Israel and the United States3
Public Administration and Public Policy
POLS 205Introduction to Public Administration3
POLS 304State and Local Government3
POLS 310Public Personnel Administration3
POLS 311Governmental Budgeting3
POLS 315Urban Administration3
POLS 324Advanced Public Policy Analysis3
POLS 425Politics of Federal Bureaucracy3
POLS 426Seminar and Internship in Public Administration I4-6
POLS 427Seminar and Internship in Public Administration II4-6
Political Thought
JURI 300Essentials of Jurisprudence3
POLS 307American Political Thought3
POLS 331Animal Rights: Law, Politics and Culture3
POLS 333Special Topics in Political Thought3
POLS 334Politics of Science Fiction3
POLS 335Theories of Political Economy3
POLS 363Politics and Morality of War3
Comparative Politics
POLS 204Government and Politics of Africa3
POLS 206Government and Politics of China and Japan3
POLS 303Politics of Development and Modernization3
POLS 327Food and Politics3
POLS 329Narco-Terrorism3
POLS 335Theories of Political Economy3
POLS 339Contemporary Western European Politics3
POLS 340Government and Politics of India and South Asia3
POLS 341Government and Politics of Latin America3
POLS 342Government and Politics of the Middle East3
POLS 343Government and Politics in the Post-Soviet States3
POLS 351Comparative Legal Perspectives: Israel and the United States3
International Relations
JURI 474Human Rights Law3
POLS 203International Organizations3
POLS 207American Foreign Policy3
POLS 319Politics and Film3
POLS 329Narco-Terrorism3
POLS 353Intelligence and National Security3
POLS 362International Relations in Asia3
POLS 363Politics and Morality of War3
POLS 364War and International Security3
POLS 365Global Environmental Politics3
POLS 430International Law3
POLS 431Globalization and Security3
Other Major Electives
POLS 410Directed Study3-6
POLS 416Special Topics in Political Science3
POLS 497Honors Seminar-Political Science3

Social Studies Support Courses for Teacher Education

Related Social Science Requirements
EAES 170World Geography3
ECON 100Introduction to Economics3
or ECON 101 Applied Macroeconomics
or ECON 102 Applied Microeconomics
HIST 103Gods, Empires, Crusades Plague3
HIST 114Early Latin American History3
HIST 117Foundations of America3
HIST 118Emergence of the Modern United States3
HIST 141Emergence of the Modern World3
Total Credits21

Second Major in Secondary Education

Secondary Education (B.A.)

 

General Education Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.

A. New Student Seminar
Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course.1
C. Communication
1. Writing 3
2. Literature3
3. Communication3
D. Fine and Performing Arts
Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course.3
F. Humanities
2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives 3
H. Mathematics
Complete a 3 credit Mathematics course.3
I. Natural Science Laboratory
Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course that also fulfills the Teacher Education Health/Hygiene requirement..4
J. Physical Education
Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course.1
K. Social Science
1. American and European History
Foundations of America (Fulfilled in the Social Science Support Courses for Teacher Education area. )
2. Global Cultural Perspectives3
Early Latin American History (Fulfilled in the Social Science Support Courses for Teacher Education area. )
3. Social Science Perspectives
Psychological Foundations of Education (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
L. Interdisciplinary Studies
Public Purposes of Education: Democracy and Schooling (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
Total Credits27

World Languages and Cultures Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.

World Languages
Based on placement exam complete one language course.3
World Cultures
Early Latin American History (Fulfilled in the Social Science Support Courses for Teacher Education area. )
Total Credits3

Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion

This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years.  This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar1GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature3
GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing3GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication3
 4 6
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
SASE 3203SASE 3223
SASE 3213 
 6 3
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
SASE 4503SASE 4523
SASE 4513SASE 4539
Teaching Methods course(s)3-7 
 9-13 12
Total Credits 40-44