Political Science
This is an archived copy of the 2022-23 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.
Major Requirements
Major: Political Science - Standard
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 120
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution.
- Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU resident credits as defined in #7.
- Within the 36 resident credits, a minimum of 15 must be in courses numbered 300 or higher and 15 credits in the major field of study.
- At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories. |
- A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
AHSS Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level required.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for a student whose primary degree is a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in a major from the College of AHSS. These additional 9 credits are not required for the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree, Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Environmental Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Bachelor of Music degree, for any student whose primary major or degree is not in the College of AHSS, or the student is earning two majors or two different degrees.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, TIPS or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| POLS 110 | Introduction to Political Science (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| or POLS 115 | American Government | |
| POLS 220 | International Politics | 3 |
| or POLS 225 | Comparative Politics | |
| POLS 240 | Political Ideologies | 3 |
| POLS 325 | Applied Research Methods | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics | 3 |
| Select a minimum of five courses from at least three of the four areas listed below (Area 1-4): | 15 | |
Area 1: | ||
| Women and Politics | ||
| Political Behavior-Executive-Legislative Process | ||
| Political Behavior-Political Parties | ||
| State and Local Politics | ||
| Public Policy Analysis | ||
Area 2: | ||
| Constitutional Law-Civil Liberties | ||
| Constitutional Law-Criminal Justice | ||
| Crime and Public Policy | ||
Area 3: | ||
| Global Policy Issues | ||
| International Law | ||
| Ethnic Conflicts | ||
| Environmental Policy and Politics | ||
| International Criminal Law | ||
Area 4: | ||
| Global Policy Issues | ||
| Politics of the Developing Countries | ||
| Politics of the Industrialized Countries | ||
| Comparative Political Economy | ||
| Environmental Policy and Politics | ||
| Comparative Democratic Institutions | ||
| Political Science Electives | 9 | |
| Any POLS prefix class except POLS 397 and no more than 3 credits of POLS 494 and POLS 496. | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Optional accelerated/combined program in Political Science (BS/BA) and Public Policy (MPP) notes
- Students may apply for admission to the accelerated MPP program upon completing 60 undergraduate credits.
- Students need a 3.5 overall GPA for admission to the accelerated MPP program.
- GRE is not required for admission to the accelerated MPP program.
- Students admitted to the accelerated MPP program must complete a Combined/Accelerated Degree Program Declaration Form upon admission.
- Students admitted to the accelerated MPP program may count up to 15 graduate credits toward the undergraduate degree. These 15 credits must come from 600 and 700 level classes that fulfill requirements for the MPP program. Courses taken at the 600 level fulfill the same area I-IV requirements as their 400 level equivalents. Additional 600 and 700-level courses will be treated as major electives.
Major Requirements
Major: Political Science - Pre-Law Option
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 120
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution.
- Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU resident credits as defined in #7.
- Within the 36 resident credits, a minimum of 15 must be in courses numbered 300 or higher and 15 credits in the major field of study.
- At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories. |
- A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
AHSS Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level required.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for a student whose primary degree is a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in a major from the College of AHSS. These additional 9 credits are not required for the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree, Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Environmental Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Bachelor of Music degree, for any student whose primary major or degree is not in the College of AHSS, or the student is earning two majors or two different degrees.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, TIPS or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| POLS 115 | American Government | 3 |
| POLS 231 | Law and Society | 3 |
| POLS 230 | Judicial Process | 3 |
| POLS 430 | Constitutional Law-Civil Liberties | 3 |
| POLS 431 | Constitutional Law-Criminal Justice | 3 |
| POLS 444 | International Law | 3 |
| or POLS 446 | International Criminal Law | |
| COMM 212 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| or COMM 308 | Business and Professional Speaking | |
| or COMM 318 | Argumentation and Advocacy | |
| or COMM 383 | Organizational Communication I | |
| ENGL 358 | Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences | 3 |
| or ENGL 320 | Business and Professional Writing | |
| PHIL 111 | Professional Responsibility and Ethics | 3 |
| or PHIL 210 | Ethics | |
| PHIL 157 | Critical Thinking and Informal Logic | 3 |
| or PHIL 257 | Traditional Logic | |
| PHIL 475 | Philosophy of Law (or any other 400 level POLS course) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 required in courses with the POLS prefix.
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of two minor programs of study, a second major, or a second degree is required.
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level and a minor are required.
Major Requirements
Major: Political Science - Public Service Option
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 120
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution.
- Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU resident credits as defined in #7.
- Within the 36 resident credits, a minimum of 15 must be in courses numbered 300 or higher and 15 credits in the major field of study.
- At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories. |
- A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
AHSS Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level required.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for a student whose primary degree is a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in a major from the College of AHSS. These additional 9 credits are not required for the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree, Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Environmental Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Bachelor of Music degree, for any student whose primary major or degree is not in the College of AHSS, or the student is earning two majors or two different degrees.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, TIPS or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| POLS 110 | Introduction to Political Science (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| or POLS 115 | American Government | |
| POLS 220 | International Politics | 3 |
| or POLS 225 | Comparative Politics | |
| POLS 240 | Political Ideologies | 3 |
| POLS Elective | 100 or 200 level | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| Political Science - Public Service Emphasis: | ||
| POLS 215 | Problems and Policies In American Government | 3 |
| POLS 325 | Applied Research Methods | 3 |
| or CJ 325 | Applied Research Methods | |
| POLS 420 | Political Behavior-Executive-Legislative Process | 3 |
| POLS 422 | State and Local Politics | 3 |
| POLS 423 | Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| POLS 430 | Constitutional Law-Civil Liberties | 3 |
| or POLS 431 | Constitutional Law-Criminal Justice | |
| POLS 442 | Global Policy Issues | 3 |
| or POLS 444 | International Law | |
| or POLS 446 | International Criminal Law | |
| POLS 450 | Politics of the Developing Countries | 3 |
| or POLS 451 | Politics of the Industrialized Countries | |
| or POLS 452 | Comparative Political Economy | |
| POLS 489 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| POLS 496 | Field Experience | 9 |
| Supplemental Requirements: Pre-requisites apply to all courses. Select 5 courses from the following: | 15 | |
| Elements of Accounting I | ||
| Elements of Accounting II | ||
| Foundations of Management | ||
| Organizational Communication I | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Emergencies, Disasters, and Catastrophes | ||
| Business and Professional Writing | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| Children, Families and Public Policy | ||
| Total Credits | 66 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 required in courses with the POLS prefix.
Minor Requirements
Minor: Political Science
Required Credits: 21
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 110 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| or POLS 115 | American Government | |
| POLS 220 | International Politics | 3 |
| or POLS 225 | Comparative Politics | |
| POLS 240 | Political Ideologies | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Any POLS prefix classes with no more than 3 credits of POLS 494 and POLS 496. Minimum of 6 credits must be at or above 300 level. | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |