Political Science Major

About the Political Science Major

From the local village to the global village, the study of political science prepares students for a lifetime of leadership and service.  Since its founding by Plato more than two millennia ago, political science has sought to understand, promote, and preserve the common good.  Still today, political scientists seek to learn how people can govern themselves for their common benefit, under conditions that all too often tend toward conflict and corruption.  Political science at Houghton introduces students to an intellectually challenging and ultimately very practical body of knowledge, as well as a venerable tradition of inquiry for continued learning.

Structure of the Political Science Major

The core consists of six required courses.  Students begin with one of several courses introducing the study of political science; they go on to courses focusing on the subfields of American politics, international relations, and political thought; they take a course on research methodology; and the major culminates in the capstone senior seminar, in which students write and defend a major research paper on a topic of their choice.

Electives cover a range of topics in all the major subfields of the discipline, from the Presidency, Congress, and public policy; to international development and foreign policy; to the regional politics of Russia, China, and the Middle East; to courses on philosophical topics such as loyalty and conservatism.

Field study, internship, and independent or collaborative research opportunities exist as well.  Selected courses include required field study components.  Many students receive credit for supervised internship work at the local, state, national, or international level.  Students can apply to do independent study on topics not covered by regular courses.  And qualified juniors can apply to do senior honors work involving independent research and writing under the tutelage of a professor from the department.

The major requires a total of 36 hours of coursework; the minor requires any 16 hours of POLS coursework.  Click here for course offerings.

Typical Political Science Schedule

(All courses are 4 hours)

First Year:

  • POLS 201 (Introduction to Politics), 202 (Aristotle), 203 (Immigration and
    Citizenship), or 204 (Introduction to Democracy)
  •  POLS 220 The American Political System

Second Year:

  • POLS 230 Introduction to International Relations
  •  POLS 260 Introduction to Political Thought

Third Year:

  • POLS 212 Social Science Research Methods
  • POLS Elective

Fourth Year:

  • POLS Elective
  • POLS Elective
  • POLS 480 Senior Capstone: Politics Seminar