Academics

The political science curriculum at Radford University is intended to provide undergraduates with a broad background in the discipline while allowing them to specialize in a field of special interest.  The major and minor requirements in political science are intended to develop students’ skills in critical thinking, information literacy, oral and written communication, ethical citizenship, problem solving, understanding of diversity/global issues, and collaboration—in addition to their knowledge of politics and government.  For each concentration in the major, students may pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

For students desiring to teach political science at the secondary level, the teacher licensure option is offered through the Bachelor of Science program for Social Science.

***Your catalogue year is the year you entered Radford***

Catalogue Year 2015-2016 AND LATER

Public Affairs

Law, Justice, and Society

Foreign and National Security Policy

 

Catalogue Year 2015-2016 and Beyond

Core Curriculum Requirements (43-45 credits)

In College Core B, all majors in programs in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences are required to pass a second course in Social and Behavioral Sciences; i.e., CHBS majors cannot fulfill College Core B requirements with a Health and Wellness course. Note: Some concentrations in the major require specific courses to fulfill Core Curriculum requirements.

Total Credits Needed for Degree 120

Note:  POSC electives must be taken at the 300-400 level. Courses transferred in from community college are not eligible for credit as 300-400 level classes.

Concentrations

Public Affairs Concentration (39 credits)

Political Science Foundations (27 credits)

Upper Level Courses

Upper-Level Classes (12 credits) chosen from courses with AG, PT, or PA designations. Additionally, upper-level classes may include POSC 485 - Internships in Political Science and Public Administration and POSC 498 - Independent Study (AG; CG; IR; PA; PT: as designated).

Law, Justice, and Society Concentration (39)

Core Curriculum Requirements:

Core Curriculum Requirements (43-45 credits) of which the following are required:

University Core B:

College Core A:

College Core B:

Political Science Foundations

Political Science Electives (9)

Additional Courses (15 credits)

15 credit hours of course work chosen from the list below. Courses must be chosen from 3 different disciplines. At least 9 credit hours must be at 300-400 level.

Foreign and National Security Policy Concentration (39 credits)

Political Science Foundations (24 credits)

Upper Level Courses (15 credits)

Choose 15 hours from 300-400 level classes with a CG or IR designation.  Additionally, upper-level classes may include POSC 485 - Internships in Political Science and Public Administration and POSC 498 - Independent Study.

Recommended Courses

We recommend a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree for this concentration.  Students will increase their marketability and credibility in international affairs with language training. Particularly useful are strategic languages Radford offers are Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

Recommended Core Curriculum Courses:

We also recommend the following course from other departments for students interested in this concentration:

B.S. Requirements (6 credits)

Bachelor of Science requirements for political science majors consist of six semester hours chosen from the following:

Note(s):  Students should consult with their academic advisors to determine which degree option best suits their needs. The department strongly encourages students to take a foreign language, but also recognizes that there is no one program of study that is equally suited to every student. Regardless of whether students pursue the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, they are encouraged to include some of the above courses in their elective curricula.

B.A. Requirements (6-8 credits)

Note(s): Completion of a minimum of two semesters of one language in a foreign/sign language program. Students will be placed in the appropriate level of their chosen language depending on their previous foreign language experience and on the placement examination results as determined by the Foreign Language department. 

Graduation Requirements

To graduate with a major in Political Science, a student must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher in all courses taken with a POSC prefix.

Teaching Licensure

Students wishing to teach government at the secondary level should declare a social science major Social Science, B.A. and/or Social Science, B.S.). To strengthen credentials as a government teacher, students should consider a double major in both social science and political science.

B.S. Requirements (6 credits)

Bachelor of Science requirements for political science majors consist of six semester hours chosen from the following:

  • STAT 200 - Introduction to Statistics
  • ECON 105 - Principles of Macroeconomics OR
  • ECON 106 - Principles of Microeconomics

B.A. Requirements (6-12 credits)

The Bachelor of Arts degree requires completion of the B.A. language requirements described in the undergraduate catalog.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate with a major in Political Science, a student must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher in all courses taken with a POSC prefix.

Teaching Licensure

Students wishing to teach government at the secondary level should declare a social science major (see Social Science, B.A. and/or Social Science, B.S.). To strengthen credentials as a government teacher, students should consider a double major in both social science and political science.

Minor in Political Science (18 Semester Hours)

The minor in political science consists of two courses from among POSC 110, POSC 120, POSC 231, and POSC 241; and twelve additional hours in the department, at least nine of which are at the 300- or 400-level.