School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Political Science (B.A.)
Political Science involves the study of interesting and important topics about citizenship, government and politics. These topics include the influence of citizens on what government does, the scope, responsibilities and effectiveness of government itself, and the activities of both elected and appointed public officials. These topics are important parts of what political scientists know about American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, political behavior, political economy, political institutions, and political theory. Political scientists and public administrators pay particular attention to the design, implementation, and evaluation of laws and public policies that may affect people's well-being.
The Political Science Program at The University of Texas at Dallas provides:
- the foundations for more advanced, graduate study of citizenship, government and politics in Political Science;
- the special core knowledge needed for subsequent professional education in law and public policy analysis;
- the opportunity to acquire useful skills for careers in federal, state, and local government, community l service, educational, and other nonprofit organizations, and business firms.
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
I. Core Curriculum Requirements1: 42 hours
A. Communication (6 hours)
3 hours Communication (RHET 1302)
3 hours Communication Elective (PSCI 3325)2
B. Social and Behavioral Sciences (15 hours)
6 hours Government (GOVT 2301 and 2302)
6 hours American History
3 hours Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective (SOC 1301, CRIM 1301, ECON 2301, or ECON 2302)2
C. Humanities and Fine Arts (6 hours)
3 hours Fine Arts (ARTS 1301)
3 hours Humanities (HUMA 1301)
D. Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (6 hours)
3 hours Mathematics (at or above level of College Algebra, recommended: MATH 1306 or 1314)
4 hours Quantitative Reasoning (SOCS 3405)2
E. Science (9 hours including at least one course with a substantial laboratory component)
1 Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from accredited institutions of higher education. The courses listed in parenthesis are the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
2 A Core Curriculum Requirement that also fulfills a Major Requirement. Hours are counted in the Core Curriculum.
II. Major Requirements: 55 hours
GOVT 2301 Constitutional Foundations and Political Behavior in the U.S. and Texas2
GOVT 2302 Political Institutions in the U.S. and Texas2
PSCI 3325 American Public Policy2
SOCS 3405 Introduction to Social Statistics with Lab2
One of: 2
CRIM 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
or ECON 2301 Principles of Macroeconomics
or ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics
or SOC 1301 Introduction to Sociology
Major Core Courses (18 hours)
PSCI 3301 Political Theory
PSCI 3322 Constitutional Law
PSCI 3333 Political Behavior
PSCI 3362 American Political Institutions
PSCI 4329 Global Politics
One of the following:
CRIM 3301 Theories of Justice
PSCI 3303 Civil Liberties
PSCI 3326 Politics and Business
PSCI 3364 Campaigns and Elections
PSCI 4364 Civil Rights Law and Society
Major Core Concentration (9 hours)
Three courses from one of the following concentrations:
Theory Concentration
PSCI 3306 Political Economy
PSCI 3323 American Federalism
PSCI 4330 The Bible and Politics
PSCI 4354 Contemporary Political Thought
Law Concentration
PSCI 3303 Civil Liberties
PSCI 3351 Comparative Courts and Law
PSCI 3353 Law and Gender
PSCI 4341 Politics of the Judicial Process
PSCI 4345 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
PSCI 4357 Human Rights and the Rule of Law
PSCI 4364 Civil Rights Law and Society
PSCI 4365 Law and Medicine
American Politics Concentration
PSCI 3310 Public Administration
PSCI 3323 American Federalism
PSCI 3340 Film and Politics
PSCI 3364 Campaigns and Elections
PSCI 4311 The Political Economy of Modern Texas
PSCI 4326 Political Parties and Interest Groups
PSCI 4342 Legislative Decision Making
PSCI 4343 Congress and Public Policy
PSCI 4344 Race and Redistricting
PSCI 4349 The Politics of the Bureaucratic Process
PSCI 4364 Civil Rights Law and Society
PSCI 4368 Leadership
Global Politics Concentration
PSCI 3327 American Foreign Policy
PSCI 3328 International Relations
PSCI 3350 Comparative Politics
PSCI 3351 Comparative Courts and Law
PSCI 4331 Mexican Politics
PSCI 4332 Latin American Politics
PSCI 4346 War and Peace
PSCI 4347 The War on Drugs
PSCI 4348 Terrorism
PSCI 4356 International Political Economy
PSCI 4357 Human Rights and the Rule of Law
Public Policy Concentration
PSCI 3326 Politics and Business
PSCI 3327 American Foreign Policy
PSCI 3353 Law and Gender
PSCI 3364 Campaigns and Elections
PSCI 4326 Political Parties and Interest Groups
PSCI 4343 Congress and Public Policy
PSCI 4347 The War on Drugs
PSCI 4349 The Politics of the Bureaucratic Process
Major Related Courses (27 hours)
27 hours Major and Related electives3
3 Most students take upper-division PSCI courses. However, subject to advisor approval, courses from other disciplines may be used to satisfy this requirement.
III. Elective Requirements: 23 hours
Advanced Electives (6 hours)
All students are required to take at least six hours of advanced electives outside their major field of study. These must be either upper-division classes or lower-division classes that have prerequisites.
Free Electives (17 hours
This requirement may be satisfied with lower- and upper-division courses from any field of study. Students must
complete at least 51 hours of upper-division credit to qualify for graduation.
Minor in Political Science (18 hours)
For a minor in Political Science, students must take GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302. In addition students must take four upper-division courses with a PSCI prefix with the exception of PSCI 4V97, PSCI 4V98, and PSCI 4V99.
