University of Montana Catalog 2023-2024

Political Science B.A.

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science

General Education Requirements

Information regarding these requirements can be found in the General Education Section of the catalog. 

Summary

Lower-Division Required Courses12
Upper-Division Writing1
Required Upper-Division Field Courses12
Degree Electives12
Total Hours37

Degree Specific Credits: 37

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: Students pursuing a general political science degree must take a minimum of 37 credits of political science, including one 300-400 level course in four of the five major fields.

  • 21 of the 37 credits must be in upper-division courses.
  • No more than 7 credits of PSCI 492 and PSCI 498 combined may count toward the 37 required credits.
  • A maximum of 60 PSCI credits can count towards the Political Science Major. An internship is strongly recommended.

Lower-Division Required Courses

Complete all of the following courses:
PSCI 210SIntro to American Government3
PSCI 220SIntro to Comparative Government3
PSCI 230XIntro to International Relations3
PSCI 250EIntro to Political Theory3
Total Hours12

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Upper-Division Writing

Complete the following course:
PSCI 400Advanced Writing in Political Science1
Total Hours1

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Required Upper Division Field Courses

Rule: Complete one upper-division course in four of the five fields listed below -- 12 total credits required. Any field course can also be counted toward a Political Science concentration.

Note: PSCI 480 (Research Goals and Strategies) may apply to any of the following categories with the consent of the instructor.

Public Administration and Public Policy

Complete 3 credits from the following courses:3
Practical Applications in Nonprofit Administration
Advanced Nonprofit Admin
American Foreign Policy
State and Local Government
US Multicultural Politics
Montana Government and Politics
Experimental Offering: Public Administration
Public Administration
Public Policy Issues and Analysis
Global Health Issues
Politics of Global Migration
Health Care Policy
Experimental Offering: Public Administration
Administrative Law
Human Resource Management
Development Administration
Public Policy Cycle
Ethics and Public Policy
Management and Policy Skills (enrollment with consent of instructor)
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Political Theory

Complete 3 credits from the following courses:3
Honors Seminar (Democracy)
Experimental Offering: Political Theory
American Political Thought
Contemporary Issues in Political Theory
Experimental Offering: Political Theory
Utopianism and its Critics
Modern Political Theory
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Comparative Government

Complete 3 credits from the following courses:3
Tribal Sovereignty
Revolution & Reform in Modern China
Experimental Offering: Comparative Politics
Politics of Europe
Politics of Latin America
Politics of Africa
Politics of Mexico
Politics of China
Global Health Issues
State Formation
Experimental Offering: Comparative Politics
Politics of Social Movements
Chinese Politics & Societal Thought
Origins of Democracy and Authoritarianism
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-

International Relations

Complete 3 credits from the following courses:3
Experimental Offering: International Relations
Global Environmental Politics
International Security
American Foreign Policy
European Union
Model United Nations
Experimental Offering: International Relations
Politics of Global Migration
International Law & Organization
Development Administration
Politics of the World Economy
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-

American Politics

Complete 3 credits from the following courses:3
Honors Seminar (Democracy)
American Foreign Policy
Experimental Offering: American Government
Political Parties and Election
Media, Public Opinion, Polling
State and Local Government
American Political System
US Multicultural Politics
Montana Government and Politics
American Political Thought
Public Policy Issues and Analysis
Courts and Judicial Politics
Experimental Offering: American Government
Politics of Social Movements
American Political Participation
Political Psychology
Health Care Policy
Public Policy Cycle
American Constitutional Law
Civil Rights
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Degree Electives

Note: PSCI courses may only count toward one category of requirements.

Complete twelve additional elective credits from PSCI courses numbered 300 and above.12
Total Hours12

Minimum Required Grade: C-