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Jul 02, 2025
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2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Political Science, B.A.
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 Return to: Programs of Study
Majors in the Department of Political Science
The Department of Political Science offers the B. A. degree with a major in political science, the B.S. degree with a major in public policy and administration and the B.A. degree with a major in international affairs.
Coordinator: Dr. Scott Hammond
Location: Miller Hall, Room 2127
Email: hammonsj@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-6313
For a major in political science, the student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 39 credit hours, including:
- A 17-hour core introducing students to the conduct of political inquiry in the major areas of the discipline, an awareness of global issues and cultural diversity, and the techniques of original research.
- An 18-hour depth requirement in which students take at least one course from three of the major areas of political inquiry and acquire additional experience in the application of research techniques.
- A four-hour capstone experience designed to bring together knowledge gained in different courses into a coherent whole, to foster a capacity for lifelong learning, to connect the major to experiences outside the university and to provide the opportunity to work individually with a faculty member.
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Degree and Major Requirements
Required Courses
- General Education 41 Credit Hours 1
- Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required) 0-14 Credit Hours 2
- Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) 3 Credit Hours
- University electives 25-36 Credit Hours
- Major requirements (listed below) 39 Credit Hours
Footnotes
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232) or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Language’s placement test. Electives
In addition to the core requirements, political science majors must elect 18 hours of approved courses as shown, including at least one upper-level course from each of the three major areas of political inquiry. Students are encouraged to complete the core requirements before taking elective courses. A political science major may seek permission to count a completed Senior Honors Project as a three-credit elective within the major. Students must consult with the political science program coordinator prior to conducting an honors project to clarify the specific nature of its potential applicability to the major’s elective options. Choose one course from each of the four areas: 12 Credit Hours
Two additional electives chosen from the 300 or 400 level: 6 Credit Hours
For three of these six credit hours, students may also take one of the following courses:
Senior Capstone
Students should fulfill the senior capstone requirement for each major and minor separately. This means that senior experiences completed for one major or minor cannot normally be counted for another. Students who have questions about a particular situation should see the academic unit head or appropriate academic unit coordinator for clarification. |
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