Academic Bulletin Department of Political Science - 2014-15

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Department of Political Science

Faculty in the Department of Political Science: Ethan Hollander (chair), Michael Burch, Shamira Gelbman, Scott Himsel, and Alexandra Hoerl

Aristotle called politics “the queen of the sciences.” Knowledge of politics is important for all liberally educated people. At Wabash, the department offers introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses to all students in four areas: American politics, comparative politics, political theory, and international relations. We offer opportunities for non-majors to seek answers to perennial questions of politics and to learn more about how government works in their own country and around the world.

By studying political science, students learn to analyze and interpret the significance of political events and governmental processes in order to understand, evaluate, and even shape them. As a department, we hope to turn interested students, whatever their career plans or other interests, into politically literate college graduates who are able to comprehend their political world in ways appropriate to their individual inclinations, as intelligent and responsible citizens, journalists, attorneys, active participants in business, community or electoral politics, as candidates for office, public officials, or academic political scientists.

Requirements for the Major: Majors in Political Science are required to take nine course credits (and may take as many as eleven) distributed as follows:

• Four introductory courses:

PSC 111—Introduction to American Politics

PSC 121—Introduction to Comparative Politics

PSC 131—Introduction to Political Theory

PSC 141—Introduction to International Politics

The Political Science Department encourages all prospective majors to complete these four introductory courses during their first two years. 

• Four 200- or 300-level political science courses (Students may count PSC 297 as one of these four courses.)

• Political Science majors must complete one full credit (or two half credits) in a statistics course. These include PSC 297; or MAT 103 & 104; or DV3 252/ECO 253; or PSY 201. Students are strongly encouraged to complete this requirement before the start of their junior year.

• PSC 497—Senior Seminar in Political Science (a fall semester course).

• Collateral requirements: Political Science majors are also required to take ECO 101 and HIS 102.

Note: Students may count either PHI 213 (Philosophy of Law) or a departmentally-approved offering listed under PHI 219 (Topic in Ethics and Social Philosophy) toward the major or minor in Political Science. No more than one course credit in Philosophy may be counted toward the Political Science major or minor. 

The following chart summarizes the requirements for a major in Political Science:

The Senior Comprehensive Examination: The comprehensive consists of six hours of written examinations administered over two days. The student must also pass the oral component of the examination.

Requirements for the Minor: Political Science minors are required to take five classes, distributed as follows:

• Two of the four introductory courses, PSC 111, 121, 131, 141

• Three 200- or 300-level Political Science courses

Advanced Placement: Students who have received a score of 4 or higher on either the AP Comparative Government or AP United States Government exams will receive one back-credit upon completing a 300-level course in American politics (to receive credit for AP US Government) or comparative politics (to receive credit for AP Comparative Government) with a grade of B- or higher.

Secondary Licensure Program: The Department of Education Studies offers a minor in Education Studies, and an additional licensure preparation program for students interested in becoming licensed to teach at the secondary level (middle and high school grades 5-12). With a major in this department and a minor in Education Studies, students may also choose to complete the licensure preparation program by applying in the spring of the junior year. For more information about the licensure program, students are advised to meet with faculty in the Department of Education Studies. Requirements for the minor and licensure preparation program are outlined in the Department of Education Studies section of the Academic Bulletin.