Department of Political Science
College of Arts and Sciences
302 Bowman Hall
Tel: 330-672-2060
Fax: 330-672-3362
Web: http://www.kent.edu/cas/polisci

Political Science Major

American Politics Concentration—2009-2010 Roadmap [Degree Requirements]

The American politics concentration under the Bachelor of Arts in political science provides a broad grounding in the general field of political science (domestic and global politics and policy, as well as theory and methods) while also focusing attention on the specific topics of political processes, behaviors, institutions and policies.  This concentration is a likely option for pre-law students, for those seeking entry-level positions in government, for those interested in pursuing graduate coursework in this American politics, and for those generally interested in studying how politics works in the United States.

General Concentration—2009-2010 Roadmap [Degree Requirements]

The general concentration under the Bachelor of Arts in political science provides a broad grounding in the general field of political science (domestic and global politics and policy, as well as theory and methods) while also permitting students to take advanced coursework in the field without concentrating in any specific area.  The general concentration is a likely option for those seeking entry-level positions in government as well as for those interested in pursuing graduate coursework in undetermined subfield.

International Relations-Comparative Politics Concentration—2009-2010 Roadmap [Degree Requirements]

The international relations-comparative politics concentration under the Bachelor of Arts in political science provides a broad grounding in the general field of political science while focusing on questions of governing the global political economy. Topics include governmental functions (e.g., holding elections; legislating; justice; etc.) and how they are performed across diverse nations, as well as how diverse nations are united under common global mechanisms for governing such as the UN. This concentration is a likely option for those seeking entry-level positions in government, as well as for those interested in pursuing graduate coursework in this field.

Public Policy Concentration—2009-2010 Roadmap [Degree Requirements]

The public policy concentration under the Bachelor of Arts in political science provides a broad grounding in the general field of political science while focusing attention on how actors in the public sector (i.e., governmental or quasi-governmental employees) satisfy individual preferences while providing collective solutions to public problems. This concentration is a likely option for students seeking entry-level positions in government, as well as for those interested in pursuing a Master's degree in Public Administration (M.P.A.), which generally leads to a career in managing public agencies.

Political Science Minor

Course requirements for political science minor (21 credits):

* POL 30991 Seminar: Columbus Program in Intergovernmental Issues and POL 40991 Washington Program in National Issues may be applied to meet the upper-division hour requirement. POL 40995 Selected Topics in Political Science may be applied toward the upper-division hour requirement as approved by the department. POL 40992 Public Service and POL 40996 Individual Investigation may not be applied toward the upper-division hour requirement.

Minimum cumulative 2.00 GPA required for graduation.