Program Codes:
BAPOLPL
Bachelor of Arts
Introduction
The political science major is designed to prepare students for graduate school, law school, and careers such as journalism, teaching, foreign service, public service, public policy, and public administration. In addition to the standard political science major, the department offers two concentrations: Pre-Law and International Relations. Students with an interest in other subfields of the discipline including public administration and/or policy, environmental politics, and campaigns and elections may choose to focus their studies in these areas. The department also offers three minors: political science, international relations and diplomacy, and public policy.
The department works closely with students, each of whom chooses their advisor. They meet each semester with their advisor to schedule classes for the following semester, discuss internships, and, in the spring semester, complete a “spring review.” All majors are required (unless waived by the department) to complete an internship, study abroad program, or another department-approved experience. The department has an active chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha (the national political science honor society), a pre-law society, and other extracurricular activities. The department also operates a computer-assisted telephone interviewing facility where students and faculty work together to conduct public opinion polls on a wide range of topics.
Mission Statement
We seek to foster life skills such as reading, writing, persuading, negotiating, and presenting; the ability to think spatially; understanding of numerical data; historical awareness; and international, cross- and multi-cultural appreciation. These life skills also include an understanding of how political scientists think, gather evidence, process data, and reach tentative conclusions. Graduates will develop an ability to think critically about political phenomena and thought, and be prepared for the worlds of work (formal employment in the labor market) and citizenship (civic and community life) and have a solid academic foundation for graduate studies or law school. Thus, specific career plans and interests aside, graduates will be well-prepared to comprehend and interact with the political world.
As liberal arts college graduates with a particular interest in politics, they should receive enough in-depth training and a wide enough breadth of perspectives to follow their own inclinations to interact politically with that world whether as “simply” citizens, professional business men and women, journalists, lawyers, interest group participants, active electoral involvement, government or private sector analysts, or academic political scientists. We attempt to reveal the importance and personal impact of political events and issues; and, more significantly, we seek to equip them to be able to understand, evaluate, and potentially shape the political events, actions, and problems/solutions of the future.
These are crucial components of a liberal arts education and, along with knowledge of politics and government, key components of the sort of civic education on which democracy depends.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the political science program, including any of its concentrations, graduates will be able to:
While students can attend law school after completing a range of majors, a plurality of law students majored in political science as undergraduates. The combination of skills (e.g., writing, critical thinking, analytical) and course content prepare political science students for the challenges of law school. Since 1993 our students have been accepted to dozens of law schools across the nation. Pre-Law students are designated as such on their degree and college transcript. The department has a pre-law advisor who helps students select courses and internships that will prepare them for the law school application process and the academic challenge of law school. Pre-law students are encouraged to join the Pre-Law Society and must complete the required courses for the standard political science major while selecting their elective classes from the courses listed below. A 2.5 G.P.A. must be maintained in the major.
A survey of the legal principles found in transactions typified in today's business world. Emphasis is placed on the case study method along with real-world examples. Topics covered include: alternative dispute resolution, structure of the court system, contracts, sales, property law, insurance law, and corporate ethics.
The second course of study in the legal series. Strongly recommended for all business majors; required in some states for the CPA exam. The case study method and real-world examples are used to cover the following topics: agency and employment law, types of business entities, negotiable instruments, bankruptcy, securities law, antitrust laws and environmental regulation. Not offered every year.
BADM-310
This is an introduction to the liberal arts study of law. It examines fundamental questions about the nature and functions of law in society. Topics include legal reasoning, discretion, wealth and power, role of the police, profession of law, juries and community participation, conflict resolution, and the conflicting images of law relative to freedom and obedience.
Course explores impact of the Supreme Court on the doctrine of Separation of Powers and Federalism. Topics include presidential, congressional, and judicial powers; inter-branch constitutional relations; and the division of power between state and federal governments. Recommended for pre-law students. POLI 100 recommended to be taken before taking this course.
An examination of Supreme Court cases dealing with civil liberties and civil rights such as the freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and press. The course also covers due process rights and issues related to criminal law are examined by analyzing Supreme Court cases. The analysis of civil rights and liberties is placed in the context of the American political system and its search for ordered liberty. It is recommended that students complete POLI 100 prior to taking this course.
The application of psychological principles, research and knowledge to legal issues, and proceedings is growing rapidly. This course will deal broadly with the interface between psychology and the law. As such, it will critically investigate the wide range of contemporary applications of psychology to a variety of topics including: understanding the origins and treatment of criminally deviant behavior, psychological autopsies, criminal profiling, jury selection, eye witness testimony, repressed memory, persuasive communication in the courtroom, child abuse investigations, competence determination, and the insanity defense.
An exploration of the purposes and process of criminal and civil law in the U.S. with emphasis on the actual operation of the legal system. Topics covered include the police, types of courts, the legal professions, corrections and the role of law in social change.