Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
MAJOR AND MINOR DESCRIPTIONS BY DEPARTMENT
POLITICAL SCIENCE
A major in political science is designed to help students understand the complexity of political developments in the United States and throughout the world. The major also provides students with a broad education that will help them to prepare for a wide variety of careers in various levels of government service, law, education, journalism, business, and the nonprofit sector. Those interested in government service careers may wish to complement their study of political science with courses in public service offered through the College of General Studies and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.
The political science department offers many courses that meet the international/foreign cultures requirements of the core curriculum of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, as well as requirements for the wide range of certificate programs sponsored by the University Center for International Studies (African Studies, Asian Studies, European Union Studies, Global Studies, Latin American Studies, Russian and East European Studies, West European Studies, Global Service Center).
Major Requirements
The major requires the completion of 33 credits.
The political science department offers a large number of courses in four substantive fields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Core courses provide a survey of each field and with the methods employed in the contemporary study of politics. The field courses, at 1000-level, provide students with advanced coursework in each of these areas of specialization. The combination of core and field courses provides students with a comprehensive overview of political science as a discipline while permitting students to concentrate in a particular field or fields.
BA in Political Science
Core Courses
Students take all five of the core courses, which provide first and second year students with a survey of each of these fields and with the methods employed in the contemporary study of politics.
- PS 0200 American Political Process: An introduction to the institutions and political processes in the United States. The course surveys the presidency, Congress, and the judicial system as well as political behavior, public opinion, political attitudes, and the party system.
- PS 0300 Comparative Politics: An introduction to political systems outside the United States. The course surveys a variety of theoretical approaches to the comparison of political systems and an examination of the political processes, institutions, and current political developments in a variety of political systems in all of the major regions of the world.
- PS 0500 World Politics: An introduction to the study of foreign policy, covering the international political environment in which nation-states and other actors operate, as well as the specific policies adopted by particular states.
- PS 0600 Political Theory and Analysis: An introduction to the history of Western political ideas, including the thought of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Locke, Mill, and Marx.
- PS 0700 Research Methods in Political Science: An introduction to the methods used in political science research, covering the logic of social scientific inquiry, the basics of research design, and the quantitative and qualitative methods that are commonly used by political scientists to investigate important questions about the political world.
Field Courses
At the 1000 level, students must take a total of six courses (18 credits), distributed across a major field (three courses), a minor field (two courses) and one course in an elective field. In the major field, one of the courses must be a capstone seminar.
In each of the four substantive undergraduate fields of political science, a wide variety of advanced (1000-level) courses is offered on a regular basis. Some courses are offered annually, while others are offered less frequently. For details on course offerings and content, see the Undergraduate Course Descriptions.
American Politics
- PS 1201 Constitution and Civil Liberties
- PS 1202 American Constitutional Law
- PS 1203 Judicial Politics
- PS 1204 Women in Politics
- PS 1211 Legislative Process
- PS 1212 American Presidency
- PS 1213 Law and Politics
- PS 1230 Interest Group Politics
- PS 1231 Political Parties and Elections
- PS 1233 Political Psychology
- PS 1234 Electoral Behavior and Democratic Process
- PS 1235 Media and Politics
- PS 1252 State Government
- PS 1261 American Public Policy
- PS 1275 Religion and Politics
- PS 1281 Capstone Seminar in American Politics
Comparative Politics
- PS 1302 Political Development
- PS 1311 Western European Government and Politics
- PS 1314 German Government and Politics
- PS 1317 Politics of the European Union
- PS 1321 Latin American Politics
- PS 1324 US-Latin American Relations
- PS 1330 European Union Capstone Seminar
- PS 1332 Government and Politics of Contemporary China
- PS 1333 Government and Politics of Japan
- PS 1336 Contemporary China: Politics, Society, and Economy
- PS 1341 Government and Politics of the USSR and the Russian Federation
- PS 1348 Xenophobia in Modern Europe
- PS 1350 Russia, the CIS, and the Expanding European Union
- PS 1351 Government and Politics of the Middle East
- PS 1352 Introduction to African Politics
- PS 1353 African Liberation Movements
- PS 1361 Comparative Political Party Systems
- PS 1381 Capstone Seminar in Comparative Politics
International Relations and Law
- PS 1501 Theory of International Relations
- PS 1503 International Organization
- PS 1504 Nationalism
- PS 1509 Conflict and War Theory
- PS 1510 Cold War: Soviet Union and the West
- PS 1511 American Foreign Policy
- PS 1513 Foreign Policies in a Changing World
- PS 1521 Eastern Europe in World Politics
- PS 1522 Latin America in World Politics
- PS 1523 East Asia in World Politics
- PS 1530 New International Relations of Europe
- PS 1542 Global Environmental Politics
- PS 1543 Globalization and International Politics
- PS 1551 Cognitive Psychology and International Relations
- PS 1581 Capstone Seminar in International Relations
Political Theory and Analysis
- PS 1601 Political Theory: Plato to Machiavelli
- PS 1602 Political Theory: Machiavelli to Rousseau
- PS 1603 Contemporary Political Thought
- PS 1607 American Political Thought
- PS 1610 American Political Theory
- PS 1614 Theories of Justice
- PS 1622 Women and Political Theory
- PS 1629 Topics in Political Theory
- PS 1681 Capstone Seminar in Political Theory
Additional Offerings
- PS 1701 Field Methods of Political Research
- PS 1702 Analysis of Political Variables
- PS 1710 Formal Political Analysis
- PS 1900 Internship
- PS 1901 Independent Study
- PS 1902 Directed Reading
- PS 1903 Directed Research
Capstone seminar
The University of Pittsburgh requires students to complete one writing-intensive course in their major. The Capstone Seminar, which is taken in the major field, fulfills the university-wide requirement of an intensive writing course (W-course) in the major and allows students to undertake advanced work under the direction of faculty in a smaller seminar setting.
Departmental honors requirements
Departmental honors are conferred upon students who maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 and achieve a GPA of 3.7 or better in political science.
Related area
A minimum of 12 credits is required in any one Arts and Sciences department chosen in consultation with the major advisor. The completion of an official Arts and Sciences minor or an Arts and Sciences or UCIS certificate also satisfies this requirement.
Grade requirements
A minimum GPA of 2.0 in departmental courses is required for graduation. In addition, a student must earn a grade of at least C- for a course to satisfy a PS requirement.
Satisfactory/No Credit option
No course to be counted toward the major can be taken on an S/NC basis.
BS and BPhil in Political Science
Outstanding and motivated students seeking an even more challenging academic experience, especially those who are considering graduate school, should consult with an advisor about the option of a BS or BPhil in Political Science. The BS degree requires the departmental minor field to be Methods and Models in Political Science (PS 1702 and 1710), as well as 12 credits of additional coursework in cognate fields and an original paper of high quality. The BPhil degree, which is offered through the University Honors College (UHC), requires a plan of cognate fieldwork and a thesis approved by the department and UHC. For more information on the BPhil, see http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/bphil-degree.
Second Language
None required beyond the requirements of Arts and Sciences. Study of a second language is highly recommended for students with an interest in politics outside of the United States and for all those considering graduate work in comparative politics or a career in government agencies concerned with international affairs.
Statistics
Not required for majors, but highly recommended for all those interested in graduate education in political science, business, or public policy.
Independent Study
Students who have completed the field course may explore a particular subject in greater depth in a tutorial with the appropriate faculty member. Permission of the instructor is required.
Minor
A minor in political science is composed of one core course and four field courses in one of the four fields of political science.
Internships
A wide range of internships related to the study of politics at the local, national, and international levels are available in both the public and private sectors in Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and other major cities. Students must work closely with a faculty advisor to assure full academic credit.
Study Abroad
Majors in political science receive full academic credit for participation in all study abroad programs. The University of Pittsburgh is a participant in a wide range of programs of international study.
Honors Society
Students who have achieved a GPA of 3.0 in political science are encouraged to join Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honors society in political science. This society sponsors many extracurricular activities linked to the study of politics.
Advising
Questions about courses, departmental requirements, and extracurricular opportunities should be addressed to the undergraduate advisors.