Nov 21, 2024

2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Political Science, (BA)

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Degree Requirements: 120 Credits

General Education	41
Major Core	31
Experiential Learning	3
Major Electives	18
Electives	27
Total Credits	120

Students majoring in political science (BA) are required to complete sixteen courses (48 hours) in Political Science and select allied fields of Social Studies. The subject areas that the major encompasses include: U.S. Government & Politics, Comparative Government & Politics, World Politics & International Relations, Constitutional & Environmental Law, Political Philosophy, and the Senior Seminar on Globalization and Political Development. The allied field courses include Service Learning, Criminal Justice, Economics, and Tusculum’s cross-disciplinary Citizenship course.

Requirements for the political science major (BA) are:

General Education Curriculum

University Success Skills

(1 credit)

OREN 105 - The Tusculum Experience Credit(s): 1

Communication

Take ENGL 110 (3 credits), ENGL 111 (3 credits), and one course in COMM or SPCH (3 credits) for a total of 9 credits.

ENGL 110 - Composition I: Close Reading And Analysis Credit(s): 3
ENGL 111 - Composition II: Research And Rhetoric Credit(s): 3
COMM 210 - Interpersonal Communication Credit(s): 3
COMM 212 - Team And Small Group Communication Credit(s): 3
COMM 220 - Argumentation And Debate Credit(s): 3
SPCH 101 - Public Speaking Credit(s): 3

Mathematics

Take one MATH course for 3 or 4 credits.

MATH 140 - Statistics Credit(s): 3

Arts and Humanities

Take one literature course (3 credits) and one additional course from either category (3 credits) for a total of 6 credits.

Literature

ENGL 201 - Literature Of Sexuality Credit(s): 3
ENGL 204 - Introduction To Poetry Credit(s): 3
ENGL 205 - Introduction To Short Fiction Credit(s): 3
ENGL 206 - Folklore And The Fairytale Credit(s): 3
ENGL 207 - Myth And Making Credit(s): 3
ENGL 213 - British Literature I Credit(s): 3
ENGL 214 - American Literature I Credit(s): 3
ENGL 215 - World Literature I Credit(s): 3
ENGL 217 - Science Fiction Credit(s): 3
ENGL 219 - Theatre Of The World Credit(s): 3
ENGL 223 - British Literature II Credit(s): 3
ENGL 224 - American Literature II Credit(s): 3
ENGL 225 - World Literature II Credit(s): 3
ENGL 227 - Appalachian Literature Credit(s): 3
ENGL 228 - Minority Voices In American Literature Credit(s): 3
ENGL 231 - Introduction To Film Credit(s): 3
ENGL 245 - Nature Writing And Environmental Literature Credit(s): 3
ENGL 250 - Special Topics In Literature Credit(s): 3

Fine Arts and Humanities

ARTS 110 - Introduction To Art Credit(s): 3
ARTS 204 - Ancient Through Renaissance Art History Credit(s): 3
ARTS 208 - Baroque Through Modern Art History Credit(s): 3
ENGL 120 - Introduction To Creative Writing Credit(s): 3
HUMA 222 - Philosophy Through The Humanities Credit(s): 3
MUSC 101 - Introduction To Western Music Credit(s): 3
RELG 101 - Introduction To The Old Testament Credit(s): 3
RELG 102 - Introduction To The New Testament Credit(s): 3
RELG 201 - World Religions Credit(s): 3
RELG 230 - Hebrew And Christian Traditions Credit(s): 3
RELG 260 - Physical Settings of the Bible: Israel Credit(s): 3
THEA 104 - Introduction To The Theatre Credit(s): 3

Natural Science

Take one science course (3 credits) along with that course’s lab (1 credit) for a total of 4 credits.

BIOL 105 - Introductory Biology Credit(s): 3 (w/ BIOL 105L - Introductory Biology Lab Credit(s): 1)
or
BIOL 110 - General Biology I Credit(s): 3 (w/ BIOL 110L - General Biology I Lab Credit(s): 1)
or
BIOL 251 - Anatomy And Physiology I Credit(s): 3 (w/ BIOL 251L - Anatomy And Physiology I Lab Credit(s): 1)
or
CHEM 101 - General Chemistry I Credit(s): 3 (w/ CHEM 101L - General Chemistry I Lab Credit(s): 1)
or
EVSC 111 - Environmental Science Credit(s): 3 (w/ EVSC 111L - Environmental Science Lab Credit(s): 1)
or
GEOL 101 - Physical Geology Credit(s): 3 (w/ GEOL 101L - Geology Lab Credit(s): 1)
or
NSCI 105 - Physical Science Credit(s): 3 (w/ NSCI 105L - Physical Science Lab Credit(s): 1)
or
PHYS 201 - General Physics I Credit(s): 3 (w/ PHYS 201L - General Physics I Lab Credit(s): 1)

Behavioral Wellness and Social Science

Behavioral, Wellness, and Social Science: Choose 2 courses for a total of 6 credits. No more than 1 course may be from the Wellness category.

Social Science

BUSN 201 - Principles Of Macroeconomics Credit(s): 3
BUSN 202 - Principles Of Microeconomics Credit(s): 3
CRJU 105 - Introduction To Criminal Justice Credit(s): 3
GEOG 200 - Introduction To Geography Credit(s): 3
POLS 210 - Comparative Government Credit(s): 3
POLS 220 - World Politics And International Relations Credit(s): 3
PSYC 101 - Essentials Of Psychology Credit(s): 3
PSYC 206 - Life Span Development Credit(s): 3
PSYC 207 - Educational Psychology Credit(s): 3
SOCI 101 - Introduction To Sociology Credit(s): 3
SOCI 105 - Contemporary Social Issues Credit(s): 3

Wellness

SPSC 201 - Foundations Of Physical Fitness And Wellness Credit(s): 3
PSYC 102 - Psychology Of Adjustment Credit(s): 3

History

Choose two courses for a total of 6 credits.

HIST 101 - The West And The World I Credit(s): 3
HIST 102 - The West And The World II Credit(s): 3
HIST 201 - U.S. History Survey I Credit(s): 3
HIST 202 - U.S. History Survey II Credit(s): 3
HIST 250 - Thematic Surveys in History Credit(s): 3
HIST 251 - American Environmental History Credit(s): 3
HIST 280 - The History Of Representative Government In The Western Tradition Credit(s): 3
POLS 280 - The History Of Representative Government In The Western Tradition Credit(s): 3

Religion

Choose one course for 3 credits - Must be a different religion course if used above to satisfy a requirement in the Arts and Humanities general education core.

RELG 101 - Introduction To The Old Testament Credit(s): 3
RELG 102 - Introduction To The New Testament Credit(s): 3
RELG 201 - World Religions Credit(s): 3
RELG 230 - Hebrew And Christian Traditions Credit(s): 3
RELG 260 - Physical Settings of the Bible: Israel Credit(s): 3

Civic Studies

Choose one course for 3 credits. Must be a different political science course if used above to satisfy a requirement in the Social Science general education core.

CIVS 223 - The Philosophy Of Social Science Inquiry Credit(s): 3
CIVS 251 - Theory And Practice Of Citizenship Credit(s): 3
POLS 110 - American Government Credit(s): 3
POLS 230 - State And Local Government Credit(s): 3
SOCI 252 - Race and Ethnic Relations Credit(s): 3

Major Core

POLS 110 - American Government Credit(s): 3
CIVS 155 - U.S. Constitution Seminar Credit(s): 1
POLS 210 - Comparative Government Credit(s): 3
POLS 220 - World Politics And International Relations Credit(s): 3
POLS 240 - Introduction to Public Policy Credit(s): 3
POLS 280 - The History Of Representative Government In The Western Tradition Credit(s): 3
or
HIST 280 - The History Of Representative Government In The Western Tradition Credit(s): 3
CIVS 317 - Fundamentals of Social Science Research Credit(s): 3
POLS 325 - Constitutional Interpretation Credit(s): 3
SVLN 354 - Service-Learning In Northeast Tennessee Credit(s): 3
POLS 455 - Senior Capstone in Political Science Credit(s): 3
POLS 480 - Senior Seminar On Globalization Credit(s): 3

Experiential Learning

Choose one or more courses for a total of 3 credits.

POLS 345 - Political Science Practicum Credit(s): 1-3
POLS 451 - Internship Credit(s): 1-9
POLS 452 - Government Internship Credit(s): 1-12

Major Electives

Must take a total of 18 credits from the following:

BUSN 201 - Principles Of Macroeconomics Credit(s): 3
CIVS 223 - The Philosophy Of Social Science Inquiry Credit(s): 3
CIVS 251 - Theory And Practice Of Citizenship Credit(s): 3
CRJU 201 - Introduction To Criminal Courts And Procedures And The U.S. Constitution Credit(s): 3
POLS 230 - State And Local Government Credit(s): 3
POLS 310 - The Presidency And Public Policy Credit(s): 3
POLS 315 - Congress And Public Policy Credit(s): 3
POLS 330 - The Election Credit(s): 3
POLS 335 - Civil Rights And Liberties Credit(s): 3
POLS 350 - Special Topics Credit(s): 3
POLS 360 - American Foreign Policy Credit(s): 3
POLS 410 - Origins Of The Civic Republican Tradition Credit(s): 3
POLS 420 - Political Behavior Credit(s): 3
POLS 430 - International Law Credit(s): 3
POLS 440 - Environmental Law And Public Policy Credit(s): 3
POLS 450 - Independent Study Credit(s): 1-6