Political Science Major, B.S.

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Political Science, International Affairs, and Public Administration

Political Science Program Information

Box 70651
Phone: (423) 439-4217
Web Address: www.etsu.edu/cas/PoliSci

Political Science is the study of government, politics, and public policy in the United States and other countries, and of the relations among nations and states in the world community. The Political Science curriculum is designed to provide students with factual knowledge of these subjects and with the ability to analyze and evaluate different governmental systems, ideologies, political practices, and policy proposals. The Political Science major prepares students to be informed and engaged citizens and to pursue careers in government, law, public administration, education, journalism, international institutions, and political organizations.

The total number of credits required for graduation in the Political Science major is 120. A minor field of study, of 18-27 credit hours, is required. The Political Science major requires the university-wide standard of a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA). Double counting of credits for the Political Science major and for another major or a minor is limited and must have the approval of the Coordinator of the Political Science major or the Chair of the Political Science Department. Transfer students should note that the Political Science major requires that at least 15 of the 36 credit hours required must be completed at East Tennessee State University.

For further information about the Political Science major contact Prof. Andrew Battista, Coordinator, at battista@etsu.edu or 423-439-6628. The main office of the Department of Political Science may be reached at 423-439-4217. To find and contact an academic advisor in the Political Science major follow this link: www.etsu.edu/advisement/continuingstudents/default.aspx

General Program Information

To earn a degree from ETSU, there are specific course requirements put forth by ETSU, by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), by each college, and by each department. All students must meet the degree requirements at each of these levels. Please follow the format below:

University-level Degree and Graduation Requirements

• Degree and Graduation Requirements 
• Completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours is required.
• CSCI 1100 or the proficiency exam
• Proficiency Intensive Course Requirements
• California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST)  (Senior Exit Exam)
• Additional Requirements for Transfer Students
• Second Bachelor Degrees
• Double Majors/Double Degrees

Total Credit Hours for Degree: 120

College of Arts and Sciences B.S. Degree Requirements

Students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences must meet the following requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Some requirements must be taken in addition to the General Education Core, whereas others specify which courses from the General Education Core must be taken.

TBR General Education Requirements: 41 - 42 Credit Hours

Below you will see the categories and courses specified under TBR General Education Requirements. Note that certain courses are required for this degree, specific to this major. Thus, these courses will satisfy both a TBR General Education requirement AND a requirement of this major. (Other majors may require different General Education courses.) Where specific courses are required for this major, we only list those courses under the category. If there are no specific major requirements for a category, all course options appear.
 

Communication

9 credits, consisting of 6 credits of written composition and 3 credits of oral communication.

Written Composition

Complete both of the following: 

• ENGL 1010 - Critical Reading and Expository Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 1020 - Critical Thinking and Argumentation (3 credits)

• Students required to complete learning support in writing must enroll in a learning support-designated section (L01-L99) of ENGL 1010  during their first 15 hours at ETSU (not including summer) unless they are also required to complete learning support in reading. Students needing learning support in both reading and writing should enroll in ENGL 1010-Lxx immediately upon completing learning support in reading. Additional information may be found on the University Advisement Center website www.etsu.edu/uac/learningsupport. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in ENGL 1010  and ENGL 1020 .

   

Oral Communication

Complete one of the following:

• SPCH 1300 - Introduction to Communication Studies (3 credits)
• SPCH 2300 - Public Speaking (3 credits)
• SPCH 2320 - Argumentation and Debate (3 credits)

• When one of the oral communication courses listed above is completed to meet the general education core requirement, that course will not count toward ETSU’s oral communication-intensive requirement. (See “Other Graduation Requirements.”) Any additional course from this list that is completed will count toward the oral communication-intensive requirement.

Humanities and Fine Arts

9 credits, consisting of 3 credits of literature, 3 credits of fine arts, and 3 credits of humanities electives.

Literature

Complete one of the following: 

• ENGL 2030 - Literary Heritage (3 credits)
• ENGL 2110 - American Literature I (3 credits)
• ENGL 2120 - American Literature II (3 credits)
• ENGL 2210 - British Literature I (3 credits)
• ENGL 2220 - British Literature II (3 credits)
• ENGL 2330 - World Literature (3 credits)
• ENGL 2430 - European Literature (3 credits)

Fine Arts

Complete one of the following:

• ARTH 2010 - Art History Survey I (3 credits)
• ARTH 2020 - Art History Survey II (3 credits)
• DANC 1500 - Dance as a Human Experience (3 credits)
• HUMT 2310 - Arts and Ideas I (3 credits)
• HUMT 2320 - Arts and Ideas II (3 credits)
• MUSC 1030 - Introduction to Music (3 credits)
• MUSC 1035 - History of Jazz (3 credits)
• THEA 1030 - Introduction to the Theatre (3 credits)

Humanities Electives

Complete one of the following:

• ENGL 3150 - Literature, Ethics, and Values (3 credits)
• ENGL 3280 - Mythology (3 credits)
• ENTC 3020 - Technology and Society (3 credits)
• HIST 1110 - World History to 1500 (3 credits)
• HIST 1120 - World History Since 1500 (3 credits)
• PHIL 1030 - Introduction to Philosophy (3 credits)
• PHIL 2020 - Introduction to Ethics (3 credits)
• PHIL 2040 - Philosophy as Conversation (3 credits)
• PHIL 2640 - Science and the Modern World (3 credits)
• RELI 2210 - Introduction to the Study of World Religions (3 credits)

Social and Behavioral Sciences

6 credits, consisting of two of the following: 

• ANTH 1240 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)

•  

• ECON 1050 - Economics and Society (3 credits) or
• ECON 2210 - Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credits)

•  

• ECON 2220 - Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits)
• GEOG 1012 - Introduction to Cultural Geography (3 credits)
• HDAL 2310 - Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
• HDAL 2340 - Understanding Cultural Diversity (3 credits)
• PSCI 1110 - Political Life (3 credits)
• PSCI 1120 - Introduction to American Government (3 credits)
• PSYC 1310 - Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
• SOCI 1020 - Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
• SOCI 2020 - Social Problems (3 credits)
• SRVL 1020 - Introduction to Service-Learning in the Community (3 credits)
• WMST 2010 - Introduction to Women’s Studies (3 credits)

History

6 credits, consisting of both of the following:

• HIST 2010 - The United States to 1877 (3 credits)
• HIST 2020 - The United States since 1877 (3 credits)

• Note:  HIST 2030 History of Tennessee  (3 credits) may be substituted for 3 credits of United States History.

Natural Sciences

Eight (8) credit hours in a SINGLE laboratory science from the following*:

• ASTR 1010 - Astronomy I (4 credits)

• and

• ASTR 1020 - Astronomy II (4 credits)

•  

• BIOL 1010 - Biology for Non-majors I (4 credits)
• BIOL 1011 - Biology for Non-majors Laboratory (0 credit)

• and

• BIOL 1020 - Biology for Non-majors II (4 credits)
• BIOL 1021 - Biology for Non-majors Laboratory II (0 credit)

•  

• BIOL 1110 - Biology for Science Majors Lecture I (4 credits)
• BIOL 1111 - Biology for Science Majors Laboratory I (0 credit)

• and

• BIOL 1120 - Biology for Science Majors Lecture II (4 credits)
• BIOL 1121 - Biology for Science Majors Laboratory II (0 credit)

• or

• BIOL 1130 - Biology for Science Majors Lecture III (4 credits)
• BIOL 1131 - Biology for Science Majors Laboratory III (0 credit)

•  

• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry Lecture I (4 credits)
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry Laboratory I (0 credit)

• and

• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry Lecture II (4 credits)
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry Laboratory II (0 credit)

•  

• GEOG 1110 - Earth Science: Weather and Climate (4 credits)

• and

• GEOG 1120 - Earth Science: Landforms and Processes (4 credits)

•  

• GEOL 1040 - Exploring Geology Lecture (3 credits)
• GEOL 1041 - Exploring Geology Laboratory (1 credit)

• and

• GEOL 1050 - Life through Time (3 credits)
• GEOL 1051 - Life through Time Laboratory (1 credit)

•  

• PHYS 2010 - General Physics I-Noncalculus (3 credits)
• PHYS 2011 - General Physics Laboratory I-Noncalculus (1 credit)

• and

• PHYS 2020 - General Physics II-Noncalculus (3 credits)
• PHYS 2021 - General Physics Laboratory II-Noncalculus (1 credit)

• or

• PHYS 2110 - Technical Physics I-Calculus Based (5 credits)

• and

• PHYS 2120 - Technical Physics II-Calculus Based (5 credits)

• * Higher-level laboratory courses in these departments also meet this requirement.

Mathematics

Students will enroll in the appropriate general education math course during their first calendar year of enrollment at ETSU. Students required to complete learning support in mathematics must enroll in a learning support-designated section (L01-L99) of MATH 1530  during their first 15 hours at ETSU (not including summer) unless they are also required to complete learning support in reading or writing. Students needing learning support in reading or writing in addition to learning support in math should enroll in MATH 1530-Lxx immediately upon completing their other learning support requirements. Additional information may be found on the University Advisement Center website www.etsu.edu/uac/learningsupport/

Complete one of the following:

• MATH 1530 - Probability and Statistics – Noncalculus (3 credits)

• or

• MATH 1910 - Calculus I (4 credits) as specified by major.

Political Science Major Requirements: 36 Credit Hours

The following courses are required in this program of study.  Some can also be used to fulfill certain General Education requirements.  If students take other general education courses, they must still satisfy these requirements in the major.

• PSCI 1110 - Political Life (3 credits)
• PSCI 1120 - Introduction to American Government (3 credits)

• PSCI 1110 and PSCI 1120 can also be counted toward the Social/Behavioral Sciences component of the General Education Core requirements.

• PSCI 2210 - Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 credits) or
• PSCI 2220 - Introduction to World Politics (3 credits)

•  

• PSCI 3440 - Research Methods (3 credits)

Minor: 18 - 27 Credit Hours

Electives: 6-16 Credit Hours

Additional Information

Click here to view the Political Science Major Suggested Course Sequence .

Transfer Students–Transfer students must meet the specific requirements for the major or minor and must complete at least 15 credit hours and maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in their courses in Political Science (see section of this catalog on transfer students  for other requirements).

Teaching Program Information

Teacher Education–Students interested in pursuing a teacher education program for certification as a government teacher in grades 7-12 are asked to see an advisor in the Department of Political Science, International Affairs, and Public Administration and the professional advisor in the College of Education in 321 Warf-Pickel Hall.

Pre-Teacher Education–Declaration of Intent-All students desiring to complete a teacher education program or other public school licensure program must file a Declaration of Intent in 321 Warf-Pickel Hall. For filing deadlines and other information, see the professional advisor in 321 Warf-Pickel.

Professional Education Requirements–There is a total of 36 credit hours required for professional education. Please refer to the Secondary Education Minor  section in this catalog for a list of the required courses that must be taken with the professional semester.