The Political Science Minor
A minor in Political Science or in one of the sub-fields of American Politics, Public Law, Public Administration/Public Policy, Political Theory, International Relations, or Comparative Politics/Area Studies may be earned by successful completion of a minimum of five political science courses, for graded credit. No more than one of these may be at the 100 level; no fewer than three of these five courses must be taken within this department. The overall GPA for Political Science courses counted toward the minor must be at least 2.0.
Curricular Information
The minor in political science may serve a variety of purposes and objectives. For students with professional majors where the profession is increasingly involved with governmental regulation or funding (e.g., business, engineering, education, agriculture, public health), a minor in political science will help students understand the process that is vital to the growth and development of their chosen profession. For students majoring in a related social science discipline and who hope to teach social studies in secondary school, a political science minor may provide needed breadth and enhance career possibilities. In many cases, one of the sub-fields of political science will complement the perspectives provided by the major department. The link between public law and the pre-law and legal studies student, between public administration and business administration, between political theory and philosophy or between social thought and political economy can be especially fruitful to the student by offering a political perspective which sometimes supplements, sometimes challenges the reigning perspective in the student’s major field. And, finally, we expect that some students may engage in a political science minor to help them make sense of an increasingly complicated political world that confronts them in their roles as citizens.
