Political Science, B.A.

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Political scientists study the formal and informal political processes that shape public policy. As a discipline, political science combines both humanistic and scientific perspectives in order to understand the behavior of individuals, groups, nations, and international organizations. The Department offers courses in all of the major fields of the discipline (American Government and Politics, Comparative Politics, Constitutional Law, International Relations, Political Theory, Quantitative Methods, Public Administration, and Public Policy.)

The major is designed to provide a firm foundation in all sub-fields and to provide sufficient flexibility for students to pursue their own intellectual interests with both breadth and depth. It provides a basis for informed participation in community organizations, electoral politics, national and world affairs, and public policy. Students receive a solid foundation for graduate study, including law, as well as for a wide variety of careers in both the public and private sector. Students often explore these possibilities through internships with government agencies, parties and groups, law firms, and selected businesses and non-profits.

Requirements for Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Political Science must complete a minimum of 120 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, satisfy the College’s residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for First Year Seminar and all courses taken as part of Foundations. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.

The General Education Requirements of the college require students to successfully complete a First Year Seminar, Foundations, Disciplinary Perspectives, and a Constellation. Students who enter the college with 30 credit hours completed will not take a First Year Seminar and therefore must take an additional 3 credits for graduation. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation.

In addition, students majoring in Political Science must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in the course requirements of the major and earn a grade of 2.0 or higher in all Political Science courses.

General Education Requirement

Constellation Requirement

The Constellation requirement is met when a student completes four courses from a minimum of three disciplines within the Constellation requirements. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation except for Education majors.

Required Major Courses:

Core Requirements (27 credits)

PS 101 (PS141) American Government and Citizenship 3 credit hours
PS 110 Introduction to Political Science 3 credit hours
PS 151 Introduction to Public Administration 3 credit hours
PS 242 State and Local Government 3 credit hours
PS 260 Comparative Politics 3 credit hours
PS 262 Quantitative Analysis 3 credit hours
PS 302 International Relations 3 credit hours
PS 368 Ancient Political Thought 3 credit hours OR
PS 369 Modern Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 450 Senior Seminar 3 credit hours

Political Science Upper Division Electives (21 credits)

Students must choose seven Political Science courses at the 300 level or above from the following:

PS 303 American Foreign Policy 3 credit hours
PS 304 American-East Asian Relations 3 credit hours
PS 305 Parties, Campaigns, and Elections 3 credit hours
PS 306 International Organizations 3 credit hours
PS 307 International Law 3 credit hours
PS 308 International Political Economy 3 credit hours
PS 309 International Organizations 3 credit hours
PS 312 Politics of Public Policy 3 credit hours
PS 317 Principles of Law 3 credit hours
PS 327 Environmental Law 3 credit hours
PS 337 Administrative Law 3 credit hours
PS 352 Introduction to Public Finance 3 credit hours
PS 357 Health Law and Policy 3 credit hours
PS 361 American Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 362 The Congress 3 credit hours
PS 363 The Presidency 3 credit hours
PS 367 Judicial Politics 3 credit hours
PS 368 Ancient Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 369 Modern Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 371 American Constitutionalism (I): Structures of Government 3 credit hours
PS 372 American Constitutionalism (II): Civil Rights and Liberties 3 credit hours
PS 406 International Peace and Security 3 credit hours
PS 473 Social Movements Around the World 3 credit hours
PS 479 European Union 3 credit hours
PS 480 European Union 3 credit hours
PS 490 Internship 3 credit hours each semester
PS 491 Internship 3 credit hours each semester
PS 498 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours
PS 499 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours

Political Science Electives (6 credits)

Students must choose two additional Political Science courses from the following:

PS 102 Contemporary Global Issues 3 credit hours
PS 243 Government and Politics of Africa 3 credit hours
PS 244 Government and Politics of East Asia 3 credit hours
PS 245 Government and Politics of Latin America 3 credit hours
PS 246 Government and Politics of the Middle East 3 credit hours
PS 247 Government and Politics of Russia 3 credit hours
PS 248 Government and Politics of the Caribbean 3 credit hours
PS 250 Government and Politics of South Asia 3 credit hours
PS 303 American Foreign Policy 3 credit hours
PS 304 American-East Asian Relations 3 credit hours
PS 305 Parties, Campaigns, and Elections 3 credit hours
PS 306 International Organizations 3 credit hours
PS 307 International Law 3 credit hours
PS 308 International Political Economy 3 credit hours
PS 309 International Organizations 3 credit hours
PS 312 Politics of Public Policy 3 credit hours
PS 317 Principles of Law 3 credit hours
PS 327 Environmental Law 3 credit hours
PS 337 Administrative Law 3 credit hours
PS 352 Introduction to Public Finance 3 credit hours
PS 357 Health Law and Policy 3 credit hours
PS 361 American Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 362 The Congress 3 credit hours
PS 363 The Presidency 3 credit hours
PS 367 Judicial Politics 3 credit hours
PS 368 Ancient Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 369 Modern Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 371 American Constitutionalism (I): Structures of Government 3 credit hours
PS 372 American Constitutionalism (II): Civil Rights and Liberties 3 credit hours
PS 406 International Peace and Security 3 credit hours
PS 473 Social Movements Around the World 3 credit hours
PS 479 European Union 3 credit hours
PS 480 European Union 3 credit hours
PS 490 Internship 3 credit hours each semester
PS 491 Internship 3 credit hours each semester
PS 498 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours
PS 499 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours

Targeted Electives (6 credits)

Students must choose two of the following courses:

ECO 200 Principles of Economics (Macro) 3 credit hours
ECO 201 Principles of Economics (Micro) 3 credit hours
ECO 205 (ECO300) Economic Perspectives 3 credit hours
ECO 315 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics 3 credit hours
ECO 340 Economic Development 3 credit hours
ECO 345 The Economics of Urban Revitalization 3 credit hours
ECO 350 Intermediate Microeconomics 3 credit hours
ECO 360 Intermediate Macroeconomics 3 credit hours
ECO 370 Money and Banking 3 credit hours
ECO 375 History of Economic Thought 3 credit hours
ECO 390 Managerial Economics 3 credit hours
ECO 450 Economics Seminar 3 credit hours
ECO 490 Economics Internship I 3 credit hours
ECO 491 Economics Internship II 3 credit hours
G 100 (G243) World Regional Geography 3 credit hours
G 241 International Service Learning: Making a Difference in a Globalizing World 1 credit hour
G 242 International Service Learning: Making a Difference in a Globalizing World 2 credit hours
G 261 (G361) Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 3 credit hours
G 331 Urban Land Use & Sustainability 3 credit hours
G 332 Globalizing Economic World 3 credit hours
G 336 Historical Geography of North America 3 credit hours
G 348 Cultures and Environments Field Series 3 credit hours
G 349 Cultures and Environments Field Series 3 credit hours
G 352 Geographic Perspectives on Sustainability 3 credit hours
G 461 Advanced Geographic Information Systems 3 credit hours
G 470-479 Selected Topics in Geography 3 credit hours
G 481 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours
G 482 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours
G 491 Internship 3 credit hours
G 492 Internship 3 credit hours
HIS 101 The Foundation of the West 3 credit hours
HIS 102 The West in the World 3 credit hours
HIS 111 American Civilization I 3 credit hours
HIS 112 American Civilization II 3 credit hours
HIS 121 World History I 3 credit hours
HIS 122 World History II 3 credit hours
HIS 140 History of Africa I 3 credit hours
HIS 200 Methods and Theory in History 3 credit hours
HIS 205 Oral History: Techniques and Research 3 credit hours
HIS 206 Introduction to Museum Studies 3 credit hours
HIS 301 Medieval Civilization 3 credit hours
HIS 310 Medieval Military History 3 credit hours
HIS 315 History of Technology to 1550 3 credit hours
HIS 320 Europe after 1914 3 credit hours
HIS 330 History of Britain I and II 3 credit hours
HIS 331 History of Britain I and II 3 credit hours
HIS 333 British Empire 3 credit hours
HIS 350 American Colonial History (1607-1760) 3 credit hours
HIS 352 The Revolutionary Era in America 3 credit hours
HIS 353 The Jacksonian Era (Middle Period, 1816-1846) 3 credit hours
HIS 362 Human Trafficking and Slavery, Then and Now 3 credit hours
HIS 363 Coming of the Civil War 1846-1861 3 credit hours
HIS 364 Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877 3 credit hours
HIS 365 The Emergence of Modern America, 1877-1914 3 credit hours
HIS 366 Twentieth Century American History, 1914-1945 3 credit hours
HIS 367 Recent America, 1945-Present 3 credit hours
HIS 370 History of Alcohol and Drugs in American Life 3 credit hours
HIS 371 American Constitutionalism (I): Structures of Government 3 credit hours
HIS 372 American Constitutionalism (II): Civil Rights and Liberties 3 credit hours
HIS 375 American Economic History 3 credit hours
HIS 386 Historical Geography of North America 3 credit hours
HIS 387 North American Environmental History 3 credit hours
HIS 388 Race and Racism in the Americas 3 credit hours
HIS 390 Women in the United States: A History 3 credit hours
HIS 391 Women and War 3 credit hours
HIS 395 Special Topics in American History 3 credit hours
HIS 396 Special Topics in American History 3 credit hours
HIS 397 Special Topics in World History 3 credit hours
HIS 398 Special Topics in World History 3 credit hours
HIS 399 Special Topics in Public History 3 credit hours
HIS 400 Greece and Rome Exposed 3 credit hours
HIS 401 The Vikings 3 credit hours
HIS 402 The Black Death 3 credit hours
HIS 403 The European Witch Craze 3 credit hours
HIS 409 The Middle Ages in Film 3 credit hours
HIS 420 The First World War 3 credit hours
HIS 421 Nazi Germany and the Holocaust 3 credit hours
HIS 422 Holocaust in Film 3 credit hours
HIS 440 History of Terrorism 3 credit hours
HIS 441 Native American History 3 credit hours
HIS 452 Creation of the American Nation 3 credit hours
HIS 460 The Civil Rights Movement 3 credit hours
HIS 461 America in the Sixties 3 credit hours
HIS 462 U.S. in Vietnam 3 credit hours
HIS 470 Baseball History 3 credit hours
HIS 473 Social Movements in the World 3 credit hours
HIS 489 Special Topics in American History 3 credit hours
HIS 490 Special Topics in American History 3 credit hours
HIS 491 Special Topics in World History 3 credit hours
HIS 492 Special Topics in World History 3 credit hours
HIS 493 Special Topics in British History 3 credit hours
HIS 494 Special Topics in British History 3 credit hours
HIS 495 History Internship 3 credit hours
HIS 496 History Internship 3 credit hours
HIS 497 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours each semester
HIS 498 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours each semester
HIS 499 Senior Seminar in History 3 credit hours

Elective Courses (18 credits)

Students may choose any 18 credits of elective courses.

Suggested Course Sequence:

Freshman Year (30 credits)

FCO 105 Rhetorical Communication 3 credit hours
FYS 100 First-Year Seminar 3 credit hours
PS 101 (PS141) American Government and Citizenship 3 credit hours
PS 110 Introduction to Political Science 3 credit hours
PS 151 Introduction to Public Administration 3 credit hours
Disciplinary Perspectives course 3 credit hours
Disciplinary Perspectives course 3 credit hours
Foundations - American Citizenship course 3 credit hours
Foundations - Quantitative Fluency course 3 credit hours
Foundations - Global Citizenship course 3 credit hours

Sophomore Year (30 credits)

PS 242 State and Local Government 3 credit hours
PS 262 Quantitative Analysis 3 credit hours
Disciplinary Perspectives course 3 credit hours
Disciplinary Perspectives course 3 credit hours
Elective course 3 credit hours
Elective course 3 credit hours
Foundations - Advanced Communication course 3 credit hours
Political Science Elective course 3 credit hours
Targeted Elective course 3 credit hours
PS 260 Comparative Politics 3 credit hours

Junior Year (30 credits)

PS 302 International Relations 3 credit hours
PS 368 Ancient Political Thought 3 credit hours
OR
PS 369 Modern Political Thought 3 credit hours
Constellation course 3 credit hours
Constellation course 3 credit hours
Elective course 3 credit hours
Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Upper Division Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Upper Division Elective course 3 credit hours
Targeted Elective course 3 credit hours

Senior Year (30 credits)

PS 450 Senior Seminar 3 credit hours
Constellation course 3 credit hours
Constellation course 3 credit hours
Elective course 3 credit hours
Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Upper Division Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Upper Division Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Upper Division Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Upper Division Elective course 3 credit hours
Political Science Upper Division Elective course 3 credit hours