UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMSMajor in Political Science
The major in political science, coupled with the CLAS general education requirements, leads to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. Students may choose from two tracks:
This option allows students ample opportunity to build a solid foundation while pursuing some of their own interests within the discipline.
The Public Policy Concentration
This option was designed for students who specifically desire to pursue careers in public policy and/or public administration in the public or nonprofit sectors. Grounded in basic political-science theory and familiarity with American, comparative, and international politics, this B.A. track emphasizes the specifically political aspects of public-policy processes and settings. Cases will emphasize key policy issues confronting U.S. local, state, and national decision-makers and citizens. A focus on politics and the policy-making process will prepare students conceptually and methodologically to move beyond partisan politics to address how leaders can best mobilize resources to achieve constituent goals consistent with the public interest.
General Requirements for Both Tracks
Undergraduate students must declare their intention to major in political science by the time they have completed 60 semester hours, and must complete a minimum of 36 semester hours in political science, of which at least 21 must be upper-division courses. Fifteen of the 36 hours must be taken from Downtown Denver Campus faculty. To count for the major, all coursework must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better. Students choosing an individual internship (PSC 3939) to fulfill their experiential learning requirement should go to the Career Center in Tivoli-260 before the start of the semester in which they plan their internship. For a listing organizations that have hosted Political Science interns, please see the Internship subsection under Student Resources.
Requirements for the Traditional Major
Required courses, 9 Credit Hours Total
| P SC 1001. Introduction to Political Science:The Quest for Freedom & Justice | 3 |
| P SC 1101. American Political System | 3 |
| P SC 3011. Research Methods | 3 |
One 4000-level course in each of three fields, 9 Credit Hours Total
- American politics
- Comparative politics
- International relations
Any two of the following political theory courses, 6 Credit Hours Total
| P SC 4207. Theories of Social and Political Change | 3 |
| P SC 4407. Early Political Thought | 3 |
| P SC 4417. Modern Political Thought | 3 |
| P SC 4427. Law, Politics, and Justice | 3 |
| P SC 4437. Coercion and the State | 3 |
| P SC 4457. American Political Thought | 3 |
Experiential-learning requirement* one of the following, 3 Credit Hours
| P SC 3914. The Urban Citizen | 3 |
| P SC 3939. Individual Internship | 3 |
| P SC 4002. Internship in Ethnic and Gender Politics | 3 |
| P SC 4217. Human Rights in Theory and Practice | 3 |
| P SC 4934. CU at the Capitol | 3 |
| Experiential learning project in any P SC class | 3 |
| Significant political life experience in the community | 3 |
*Discuss hardship cases with advisor.
Elective courses, upper or lower division, minimum of 9 Credit Hours Total
In addition to the required 36 credit hours in Political Science, any two of the following cognate courses, 6 hours
| ECON 2012. Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 2022. Principles of Economics: Microeconomics | 3 |
| HIST 1016. World History to 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 1026. World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 1211. Western Civilization I | 3 |
| HIST 1212. Western Civilization II | 3 |
| HIST 1361. U.S. History to 1876 | 3 |
| HIST 1362. U.S. History Since 1876 | 3 |
Requirements for the Public Policy Track
Required courses, 9 Credit Hours Total
| P SC 1001. Introduction to Political Science:The Quest for Freedom & Justice | 3 |
| P SC 1101. American Political System | 3 |
| P SC 3011. Research Methods | 3 |
One 4000-level course in each of the following three fields, 9 Credit Hours Total
| American Politics | |
|---|---|
| P SC 4002 State Politics | 3 |
| P SC 4014 Media and Politics | 3 |
| P SC 4024 Legislatures and Legislation | 3 |
| P SC 4025 Local Governance and Globalization | 3 |
| P SC 4044 The Presidency | 3 |
| P SC 4094 American Politics and Policy | 3 |
| P SC 4114 Law, Policy and Conflict | 3 |
| P SC 4124 Denver Politics | 3 |
| P SC 4324 Politics, Public Policy and Leadership | 3 |
| P SC 4354 Environmental Politics | 3 |
| P SC 4374 Public Priorities for the 21st Century | 3 |
| P SC 4477 Constitutional Law I | 3 |
| P SC 4487 Constitutional Law II | 3 |
| P SC 4545 Immigration Politics | 3 |
| Comparative Politics and International Relations | |
| P SC 4085 Comparative Public Policy | 3 |
| P SC 4124 Introduction to International Political Economy | 3 |
| P SC 4185 Corruption in the U.S. and Abroad | 3 |
| P SC 4226 The UN in World Affairs | 3 |
| P SC 4236 American Foreign Policy | 3 |
| P SC 4266 International Law | 3 |
| P SC 4326 IPE: Globalization | 3 |
| P SC 4645 Comparative Political Leadership | 3 |
| Public Policy and Administration | |
| P SC 4007 Beyond Political Correctness | 3 |
| P SC 4009 Politics of the Budgetary Process | 3 |
| P SC 4024 State Politics: Focus on Colorado | 3 |
| P SC 4084 Local Government and Administration | 3 |
| P SC 4274 Conflict Resolution and Public Consent Building | 3 |
| P SC 4414 Organizational Change Agents | 3 |
| P SC 4644 Ethical Responsiblities of Leaders | 3 |
Elective courses, 9 Credit Hours Total
Choose any two additional courses from the list above. And choose one other upper or lower division P SC course.
Two political theory courses, 6 Credit Hours Total
| P SC 4427 Law, Politics and Justice |
3 |
| P SC 4437 Coercion and the State | 3 |
One of the following experiential-learning options, 3 Credit Hours
| P SC 3939. Individual Internship (public policy focus) |
3 |
| P SC 4934. CU at the Capitol | 3 |
The following two cognate courses, 6 Credit Hours
| ECON 2012. Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 2022. Principles of Economics: Microeconomics | 3 |
