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University of Montana Catalog 2024-2025

Political Science B.A. - Public Administration and Public Policy

General Degree Requirements

To earn a baccalaureate degree, all students must complete successfully, in addition to any other requirements, the University of Montana General Education Requirements. Please refer to the General Education Requirements page for more information. 

Additional requirements for graduation can be found on the Degree/Certificate Requirements for Graduation page

Unless otherwise noted in individual program requirements, a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all work attempted at the University of Montana-Missoula is required for graduation. Please see the Academic Policies and Procedures page for information on how your GPA is calculated.

Courses taken to satisfy the requirements of a major, minor, or certificate program must be completed with a grade of C- or better unless a higher grade is noted in the program requirements.

BACHELOR OF ARTS - POLITICAL SCIENCE; PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY CONCENTRATION

  • Students pursuing a Major in Political Science must take a minimum of 37 credits of political science (PSCI) courses, 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.
  • Students can use the same 300/400 course to fulfill both an upper-division field requirement and the degree electives for the concentration, but they cannot double-count the course credits.
  • A legislative or administrative internship is strongly recommended.

Course Requirements

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
Advanced Writing Requirement
Complete the following course:
PSCI 400Advanced Writing in Political Science1
Electives in Public Administration and Public Policy
Complete four of the following courses: 12
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
Politics of Global Migration
Health Care Policy
Experimental Offering: Public Administration
Development Administration
Ethics and Public Policy
Research Goals and Strategies
Management and Policy Skills (enrollment with consent of instructor)
Required Upper Division Field Courses
Complete one upper-division course in four of the five fields listed below. 112
Public Administration and Public Policy
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
Development Administration
Ethics and Public Policy
Management and Policy Skills (enrollment with consent of instructor)
Political Theory
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
Comparative Government
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
Origins of Democracy and Authoritarianism
International Relations
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
American Politics
Honors Seminar (Democracy)
American Foreign Policy
Experimental Offering: American Government
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
American Constitutional Law
Civil Rights
Total Hours37
1

PSCI 480 may apply to any of the categories with the consent of the instructor. Courses may only count toward one category of requirements.

 
 

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