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Chairperson: Barrett L. McCormick, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science website

Studying politics offers a way to engage in some of the most critical issues of our troubled times. Our country’s politics are deeply divided and our institutions suffer partisanship and gridlock. Our media, too, often substitutes hyperbole for reasonable discussion. Our economy is struggling amidst the turmoil of globalization. Meanwhile newly rising economies give other countries increasing power. We remain at war and also face new types of threats ranging from global environmental problems to terrorism. The political science department offers courses that engage these and other timely issues. Students can choose to specialize in world politics, law and politics, business and politics or general politics, drawing from courses in American politics, international politics, comparative politics and political philosophy. We offer hands-on experience in local internships and a semester in Washington D.C., at the Les Aspin Center. And our extensive alumni network can help start careers in fields as diverse as law, federal, state and local government, electoral politics, intelligence, business and international and domestic community service.

The major requires 33 credit hours of courses in any one of our four concentrations. Minors require 18 credit hours. Majors and minors are also offered for students in the College of Education pursuing a teaching specialization in political science. The accelerated five-year B.A./­M.A. in political science and in international affairs attracts a wide variety of students.

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5-Year B.A./M.A. Program

The Political Science Department offers a five-year B.A./M.A. in Political Science and International Affairs. Students admitted to this program, may count a number of courses taken during their senior year toward both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees. This enables a student to complete both a B.A. and a M.A. in five years instead of the six that would normally be required.

The M.A. programs in political science offer courses that can take a student far beyond the undergraduate level. Those who have completed our M.A. degree have gone on to some of the finest graduate schools, launched careers in a variety of government agencies and gained employment in various settings in the private sector.

Graduate courses in our program offer students the possibility to pursue topics of interest to them in more depth than they are able to in undergraduate classes. These courses couple smaller class sizes and more opportunities for participation with an emphasis on the refinement of student research skills.

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Department of Public Instruction Certification - Political Science Major

College of Education students pursuing Department of Public Instruction Certification should note that persons holding Wisconsin’s Broad Field Social Studies license will be qualified to teach political science, if they complete 9 credit hours in political science.

Students pursuing certification with a political science major must complete 33 credit hours of political science courses as specified in Concentration I, with the exception that they should complete one upper- division course in all four of the groups listed. It is important that prospective teachers carefully review the College of Education section of this bulletin and consult with their Political Science Department adviser regarding university and state requirements (in addition to department requirements) for teacher certification.

Concentration I: Politics
POSC 2201	American Politics	3
POSC 2401	Comparative Politics	3
POSC 2601	International Politics	3
POSC 2801	Justice and Power	3
Choose seven upper-division POSC courses as listed below:		21
Group I: Choose at least one course
Group II: Choose at least one course
Group III: Choose at least one course
Group IV: Choose at least one course
Choose three upper-division elective courses
Recommended Major Courses:
POSC 4191	The Logic of Social Inquiry: The Kennedy Assassination
POSC 4986	Internship in Political Science
Writing Development: Two courses (can include any used above)
Recommended cognate courses:
ECON 2003	Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 2004	Principles of Macroeconomics
ENGL 3210	Advanced Composition
MATH 1390	Finite Mathematics
MATH 1400	Elements of Calculus
Foreign Language: Any foreign language 3001 or 3100 level
Total Credit Hours		33