American flag

Degrees & Certifications

B.A. in Political Science

To earn the B.A. with a major in political science, you must fulfill the requirements of IPFW and the School of Arts and Sciences. In addition, you must complete 30 credits in political science (POLS) courses, including Y205 (writing course), Y395 (statistics course), and Y490 (senior seminar), with not more than six credits of 100-level POLS courses.

B.A. with a Major in Political Science

Course No. Course Title Credits

IPFW General Education Requirements
Area I—Linguistic and Numerical Foundations
COM 114 Fundamentals of Speech Communication 3
One of the following: 3
ENG W131 Elementary Composition I
ENG W140 Elementary Composition—Honors
One of the following: 3
MA 153 Algebra and Trigonometry I
MA 168 Mathematics for the Liberal Arts Student
Area II—Natural and Physical Sciences 6
See Part 2 of the General Education Requirements for approved courses
Area III—The Individual, Culture, and Society
See Part 2 of the General Education Requirements for approved courses
Additional credits in Area III 3
Area IV—Humanistic Thought 6
See Part 2 of the General Education Requirements for approved courses
Area V—Creative and Artistic Expression 3
See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses
Area VI—Inquiry and Analysis (not in POLS) 3
See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

School of Arts and Sciences Requirements

English Writing
POLS Y205 Elements of Political Analysis (credits included in Major Courses, below) 0

Foreign Language
Requirements in Arts and Sciences Part B 14
Distribution (not in POLS)
Requirements in Arts and Sciences Part C 9

Cultural Studies
Requirements in Arts and Sciences Part D 6

Core and Concentration (Major) Courses
POLS Y205 Elements of Political Analysis 3
POLS Y395 Quantitative Political Analysis 3
POLS Y490 Senior Seminar in Political Science 3
POLS Yxxx additional POLS credits, 100 level or above 6
POLS Yxxx additional POLS credits, 200 level or above 15

General Elective Courses
Sufficient additional credits to bring the total to 124.
Total 124

NOTE: Neither Y398 (Internship in Urban Institutions) nor Y482 (Practicum) may count for more than 6 credits for the major; these two courses together may not count for more than 9 credits for the major.