2024-2025 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Core Requirements | ||
| Required Political Science Courses | ||
| PSCI 1034 | Introduction to International Studies and Political Science | 3 |
| PSCI 2014 | Introduction to Political Theory | 3 |
| PSCI 2024 | Research Methods in Political Science | 3 |
| PSCI 2054 | Introduction to World Politics | 3 |
| or PSCI 2064 | The Global Economy and World Politics | |
| Required Political Science Core Elective Courses | ||
| Select nine hours of courses in Political Science, six of which must be at the 3000 or 4000 level | 9 | |
| Subtotal | 21 | |
| Political Science Major Requirements | ||
| PSCI 1014 | Introduction to United States Government and Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 1024 | Comp Gov & Politics | 3 |
| Advanced Theory and Practice in Political Science | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Political Theory | ||
| Political Theory | ||
| Seminar in Diplomacy and Security | ||
| Seminar in Global Political Economy | ||
| Seminar in Global Development | ||
| The Politics of Cybersecurity | ||
| Future of Security: Integrative Solutions for Complex Security Systems | ||
| Climate Change and the International Policy Framework | ||
| Senior Seminar in Political Behavior | ||
| Senior Seminar in Political Institutions | ||
| Senior Seminar in Constitutional Law | ||
| Senior Seminar in Public Administration | ||
| Senior Seminar in Comparative Politics | ||
| Senior Seminar in International Relations | ||
| Senior Seminar in Policy Analysis | ||
| Senior Seminar in Political Theory | ||
| Internship Program | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Undergraduate Research | ||
| Subtotal | 9 | |
| Requirements for the Political Science Major (Social and Political Justice Option) | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Food Politics | ||
| Topics in Global Public Policies | ||
| Global Development | ||
| Global Development | ||
| The Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Gender | ||
| The Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Gender | ||
PSCI 3264 | ||
| Judicial Process | ||
| Global Environmental Issues: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | ||
| Constitutional Law: Civil and Political Rights | ||
| Politics of Global and Comparative Migration | ||
| Comparative Politics of Immigrant Inclusion | ||
| State and Local Government | ||
| Urban Politics | ||
| Administrative Law and Policy | ||
| Human Rights: Global Issues | ||
| Indigenous Peoples and World Politics | ||
| The U. S. Policy Process | ||
| Poverty and Welfare Policy | ||
| Public Policy Analysis | ||
| American Political Theory | ||
| Contemporary Democratic Theory | ||
| Marxian Political Analysis | ||
| Origins of the State | ||
| Seminar in Global Political Economy | ||
| Seminar in Global Development | ||
| Senior Seminar in Constitutional Law | ||
| Senior Seminar in Public Administration | ||
| Select a minimum of 3 additional hours of courses in Political Science 1 | 3 | |
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| African American Images in Film | ||
| African American Leadership for Social Change | ||
AFST 3864 | ||
| Community Education and Development | ||
| Systems of Justice | ||
| Economic Justice | ||
| Economics of Poverty and Discrimination | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Public Economics | ||
| Economics of Health Care | ||
| Gender and Linguistics | ||
| Appalachian Literature | ||
| The Postcolonial Novel | ||
| Ethnic American Literature | ||
| Literature and the Law | ||
| Topics in World Novels | ||
| Community Writing | ||
| Intercultural Issues in Professional Writing | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| The U.S. City | ||
| Community Analytics | ||
| Issues in Aging | ||
| Advanced Family Relationships | ||
| Gender And Family Diversity | ||
| Women in U S History | ||
| Women in U S History | ||
HIST 3114 | ||
| American Environmental History | ||
| Native American History | ||
| The Holocaust | ||
| Age of Globalization | ||
| International Communication | ||
| Social Media Analytics | ||
| Social Media Theory and Practice | ||
| Communication Ethics | ||
| Free Speech in Cyberspace | ||
| Ethical Theory | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Ethical Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Public Health Policy and Administration | ||
| Global Society, Violence and the Prospects for Peace | ||
| Schools, Violence, and Justice | ||
| Social Inequality | ||
| Gender Relations | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Appalachian Communities | ||
| Gender and Work in the U.S. | ||
| Appalachian Community Research | ||
| Sociology of Law | ||
| Medical Sociology | ||
| Sociology of Mental Illness | ||
| Future of Cities | ||
| Data and the Art of Policy-Making and Planning | ||
| Science and Technology in Modern Society | ||
| Technology and Disability | ||
| Medical Dilemmas and Human Experience | ||
| Energy and Society | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Science, Technology, and Society | ||
| Narrative Medicine | ||
| Gender and Science | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning | ||
| Gender, Environment, and International Development | ||
| Law of Critical Environmental Areas | ||
| Land Use and Environment: Planning and Policy | ||
| Legal Foundations of Planning | ||
| Global Feminisms | ||
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| Select remaining courses to complete 120 credit hour graduation requirement | 30 | |
| Subtotal | ||
| Pathways to General Education | ||
| Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse | ||
| Select one of the following: | 6 | |
| First-Year Writing and First-Year Writing | ||
| Communication Skills and Communication Skills | ||
| Select 3 credit hours in Pathway 1a | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities | ||
| Select six credits in Pathway 2 | 6 | |
| Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences | ||
| Introduction to United States Government and Politics (Met by Major Requirements) | ||
| Comp Gov & Politics (Met by Major Requirements) | ||
| Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences | ||
| Select six credits in Pathway 4 | 6 | |
| Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking | ||
| Select six credits in Pathway 5f | 6 | |
| Select three credits in Pathway 5a | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts | ||
| Select six credits in Pathway 6d and Pathway 6a | 6 | |
| Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States | ||
| Introduction to United States Government and Politics (Met by Major Requirements) | ||
| Subtotal | 66 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Limit on Repeatable Courses: No more than six credit hours in any one of the following courses may contribute toward the 54 hours required by the major: internship (PSCI 4754 Internship Program), undergraduate research (PSCI 4994 Undergraduate Research), independent study (PSCI 4974 Independent Study).
PSCI majors (all options) must complete the requirements for the Pathways to General Education. More details and course listings can be found at the following link: https://www.pathways.prov.vt.edu.
To proceed satisfactorily toward a degree, a student must complete PSCI 1014 Introduction to United States Government and Politics, PSCI 1024 Comp Gov & Politics, and PSCI 2024 Research Methods in Political Science by the end of the semester in which 60 hours have been attempted; must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0 and must maintain an in major GPA of 2.0
A total of 120 hours is required to graduate with a Political Science degree.
All of the courses in the Degree Core Requirements, Major Requirements, and Option Requirements are included in the in-major GPA. The overall and in-major GPAs required for graduation are 2.0.
Hours not required by the Curriculum for Liberal Education or the major are “free electives” and may be taken anywhere in the university.
Some courses required for this major have pre-/co-requisite and/or enrollment requirements. Please refer to Undergraduate Course Catalog or consult your advisor for information about pre-/co-requisite and enrollment requirements. These courses are noted with Footnote 1.
The Department of Political Science offers majors in Political Science, International Studies, International Relations, National Security and Foreign Affairs, and International Public Policy as well as minors in Political Science, International Studies, International Relations, National Security and Foreign Affairs, and International Public Policy. Courses for the majors and minors overlap significantly. Therefore, Political Science majors may not pursue multiple majors and/or minors within the department.
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