Program Contact: Jennifer Sacco 203-582-8972
The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science program provides courses that balance social scientific analysis of power relations with a focus on the politics and values of community. Through their coursework and activities, students develop foundational knowledge regarding the causes and consequences of socioeconomic inequalities in the U.S. and around the world; the rise of the U.S. as a global power and how that power is used; the major environmental, political and socioeconomic threats facing the global community; and the historical development of American democracy and its application to contemporary political challenges.
Political science majors also develop the ability to engage in normative and empirical forms of inquiry: they can explain how different subfields in the discipline approach the study of politics scientifically, and they can critically analyze the justifications for individual political actions and governmental policies using normative and ethical reasoning. Students complete the major with a senior seminar in which they engage major questions in political science and develop a sustained, independently conceived contribution to these questions in the form of a senior thesis. Upon graduation, political science majors have the tools necessary for active, informed and sustained engagement with the political process.
In addition to the core requirements common to all political science majors, students may choose to concentrate their studies either in the politics track, the public policy and leadership track, or the global affairs track. For more information about these three tracks, see the Tracks tab. The department strongly advises students as they design their academic and professional development outside the political science major. Extracurricular leadership activities, courses in diversity, and a background in statistics and economics are encouraged as ways to support learning in the public policy and leadership track.
Because experiences in government or politics are key to learning how to apply and transfer knowledge gained in the classroom to the professional or civic realm, political science majors at Quinnipiac are required to have a for-credit experiential learning course or internship. Students may choose between an advanced internship, a course in the QU in DC program, a political science course taken as part of a Study Abroad semester, or a course where academic learning is integrated with a community service learning project. More information about the experiential learning requirement can be found on the Curriculum tab.
BA in Political Science Curriculum
The BA in Political Science requires the completion of courses in the University Curriculum, the CAS curriculum and the political science core curriculum, with a minimum grade of C in all courses. No more than 6 credits of internship (PO 295, PO 395) may count toward the completion of the major. Students majoring in political science must meet the following requirements for graduation:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| PO 131 | Introduction to American Government and Politics | 3 |
| PO 211 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| PO 215 | Political Theory | 3 |
| PO 225 | American Political Movements | 3 |
| PO 303 | Political Inquiry | 3 |
| PO 408 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| 3-6 |
| 15 |
| 17 |
| Total Credits | 120-126 |
Experiential Requirement
At Quinnipiac, political science majors are required to have a for-credit experiential learning course or internship. Students may choose between an advanced internship, a course in the QU in DC program, a political science course taken as part of a Study Abroad semester, or a course where academic learning is integrated with a community service learning project. Students should plan with their academic advisers early to complete this requirement before the start of their senior year. With department approval, this requirement may be completed with one of the following:
- A political science advanced internship PO 395 of 3 or more credits;
- A political science course taken in a study abroad program;
- A political science course taken in the QU in DC program or PO 365;
- A service learning course in any discipline (must have “SL” designation).
Electives: Tracks in Political Science
Students choosing to focus their studies in the politics track, the public policy and leadership track, or the global affairs track, may choose from among the following electives beyond the core required courses:
Politics Track
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| 15 |
| Issues in Politics | |
| Public Policy and Administration | |
| Ethics and Public Policy | |
| Environmental Politics and Policy (ENV 209) | |
| American Political Thought | |
| Feminist Political Thought (WGS 219) | |
| Introduction to Latin America | |
| The Politics of Intimacy | |
| Elections and Political Parties (SL: Service Learning) | |
| International Political Economy | |
| Actors and Processes in U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| Congress and the President | |
| Internship in Political Science | |
| Simulating International Organizations | |
| Independent Study in Political Science | |
| Special Topics | |
| The Global Civic Dilemma | |
| Topics in International Relations | |
| Philosophy of War and Peace (PL 312) | |
| Development, Globalization and Colonialism | |
| Democratic Theory and Practice | |
| International Law (LE 317) | |
| International Interventions | |
| Comparative Government | |
| Political Psychology and Public Opinion | |
| Politics and Governance in Africa | |
| Topics in Comparative Government | |
| European Politics | |
| Topics in African Politics | |
| Politics of Race and Ethnicity | |
| Contemporary Social and Political Philosophy (PL 335) | |
| Human Rights: Theory and Practice (PL 337) | |
| Comparative Constitutional Law (LE 342) | |
| Political Communication (MSS 349) | |
| American Constitutional Law (LE340) | |
| Civil Rights and Civil Liberties | |
| Topics in American Politics | |
| Presidential Election Campaigns (SL: Service Learning) | |
| Inside Washington, D.C. | |
| State and Local Government | |
| Women and Public Policy (WGS 387) | |
| Urban Public Policy | |
| Independent Study in Political Science | |
| 3 | |
| Globalization and International Business | |
| Social Psychology | |
| Power and Social Institutions | |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Public Policy and Leadership Track
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| 15 |
| Public Policy and Administration | |
| Ethics and Public Policy | |
| Environmental Politics and Policy (ENV 209) | |
| American Political Thought | |
| The Politics of Intimacy | |
| Elections and Political Parties (SL: Service Learning) | |
| Actors and Processes in U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| Congress and the President | |
| Democratic Theory and Practice | |
| Political Psychology and Public Opinion | |
| Politics of Race and Ethnicity | |
| Political Communication (MSS 349) | |
| American Constitutional Law (LE340) | |
| Civil Rights and Civil Liberties | |
| Topics in American Politics | |
| Presidential Election Campaigns (SL: Service Learning) | |
| Inside Washington, D.C. | |
| State and Local Government | |
| Women and Public Policy (WGS 387) | |
| 3 | |
| Social Psychology | |
| Power and Social Institutions | |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Global Affairs Track
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| 15 |
| Issues in Politics | |
| Environmental Politics and Policy (ENV 209) | |
| Introduction to Latin America | |
| International Political Economy | |
| Actors and Processes in U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| Topics in International Relations | |
| Philosophy of War and Peace (PL 312) | |
| Development, Globalization and Colonialism | |
| International Law (LE 317) | |
| International Interventions | |
| Comparative Government | |
| Middle Eastern History and Politics | |
| Topics in African Politics | |
| Politics of Race and Ethnicity | |
| Human Rights: Theory and Practice (PL 337) | |
| Comparative Constitutional Law (LE 342) | |
| 3 | |
| Globalization and International Business | |
| Total Credits | 15 |
College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum
The College of Arts and Sciences offers bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees. As the home of the liberal arts at Quinnipiac, CAS encourages students to pursue a balanced program of study across multiple disciplines. In pursuit of that goal, CAS imposes additional requirements beyond the University Curriculum.
All CAS students (both bachelor of science and bachelor of arts) must complete one foreign language through the 102-level. Foreign language classes may also count toward the UC Personal Inquiry II requirement.
Additionally, students earning a bachelor of arts must fulfill separate requirements for breadth and depth of study:
For the breadth requirement, students must complete at least 3 credits in each of the four CAS disciplinary areas other than the area of the student’s major. These areas are: fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. For example, a student majoring in political science—a social science discipline—would complete at least 3 credits each in fine arts, humanities and natural science. A course taken to fulfill the CAS breadth requirement may not simultaneously fulfill any UC requirement.
For the depth requirement, students must complete at least 9 credits within a single subject area other than that of the major. (A “subject area” is identified with a catalog subject code, such as PL, CJ, WS, MA, etc.) CAS depth courses may also count toward UC requirements.
Students pursuing a bachelor of science, a double major, or certain accelerated degree programs are exempt from the CAS breadth and depth requirements, but must complete the foreign language requirement.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will achieve the following competencies:
- Understanding: Knowledge and understanding of the scope of political theory, history, diverse human interests and cultures, and a wide range of political phenomena (e.g., intercultural relations, institutions, systems of power, electoral systems, political behavior, policy issues, forms of political action, and rival accounts of political stability and change).
- Empirical Inquiry: Ability to assess diverse theories and empirical evidence in the political science field, to independently frame a research question with a research design, and to then carry out a basic exploratory investigation.
- Normative Inquiry: Capacity for normative analysis of politics, founded on knowledge of the core concepts and history of political theory: Major texts, multiple schools of thought, and diverse cultural theoretical perspectives.
- Responsible Engagement: Capability for reflection on one’s own experiences of action in civic or political engagement, in a way which synthesizes empirical inquiry, normative inquiry, ethical responsibility, and respect for diverse perspectives in the political world.
- Communication: Verbal and written ability to communicate one's political judgments in clear, organized, concise and reasoned persuasive arguments, supported by analysis of moral norms, empirical evidence.
Politics Track
The politics track provides students with a general background in political issues, policies and topics according to the interests of the student. Students may select any of the electives offered in the department to complete this track. The politics track is ideal for students interested in experiencing a wide variety of topics and exploring diverse forms of political phenomena—from local government to national policy to global issues.
Public Policy and Leadership Track
The public policy and leadership track provides students with the opportunity to undertake an academic and experiential program that will develop the intellectual tools for leadership and public service in government and nongovernmental organizations. Courses and experiential programs within this concentration emphasize the study of civic engagement, leadership skills, institutional design, the policymaking process and the ethical responsibilities of leadership within an increasingly diverse community. This track is distinctive in how it combines the study of public policy with analysis of the increasingly important ethical dilemmas of public leadership in issues of gender, race and ethnicity.
Global Affairs Track
The global affairs track provides students with the experience and intellectual tools for service and leadership in governmental and nongovernmental organizations that operate in the international/global realm. The program of study emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of politics and organization at the international level; in addition to work in political science, a student following this track is encouraged to pursue upper-level courses in anthropology, sociology, history, economics, language and management. Students may choose to further specialize with a geographic region of focus based around the study of comparative politics or an institutional focus based around the study of international law and organizations.
Admission Requirements: College of Arts and Sciences
The requirements for admission into the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences programs are the same as those for admission to Quinnipiac University.
Admission to the university is competitive, and applicants are expected to present a strong college prep program in high school. Prospective first-year students are strongly encouraged to file an application as early in the senior year as possible, and arrange to have first quarter grades sent from their high school counselor as soon as they are available.
For detailed admission requirements, including required documents, please visit the Admissions page of this catalog.
Seamless Transfer Agreement with Gateway Community College (GCC), Housatonic Community College (HCC) and Norwalk Community College (NCC)
Under this Transfer Agreement, GCC, HCC and NCC graduates will be guaranteed admission into a bachelor’s degree program with third year (junior) status at Quinnipiac University on the condition that they:
- Graduate with an associate in arts, an associate in science in business, College of Technology engineering science, nursing or an allied health degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (this may be higher in specific programs).
- Satisfy all other Quinnipiac University transfer admission requirements and requirements for intended major.
Quinnipiac University agrees to accept the general education embedded in these associate degree programs in accordance with Quinnipiac preferred choices for general education as meeting all the requirements of its undergraduate general education except for the Integrative Capstone Experience and where courses are encumbered by the major (e.g., General Chemistry for the Disciplinary Inquiry Natural Science requirement for a Biochemistry major).
Suggested Transfer Curriculum for BA in Political Science
A minimum of 60 credits is required for transfer into the BA in Political Science program. Students are recommended to take either Introduction to Political Science or Introduction to International Relations (or both), as well as a data analysis or statistics course. Below is a recommended plan of study for the first two years prior to matriculation at Quinnipiac University.
Plan of Study Grid
| First Year |
|---|
| Fall Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| | Credits | 15 |
| Spring Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3-4 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| | Credits | 15-16 |
| Second Year |
|---|
| Fall Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3-4 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| | Credits | 15-16 |
| Spring Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| | Credits | 15 |
| | Total Credits | 60-62 |
