Political Science (BS)
This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2022–Spring 2023 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.
Bachelor of Science in Political Science
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Political Science
Academic Plan Code(s): POLSBS_LP.
Program Information
Bachelor of Science in Political Science program at UofL cultivates an understanding of policy, politics and governments in the United States and around the globe. We offer a wide range of courses including campaigns and elections, the Presidency and Congress, social movements and civil rights, terrorism and war, constitutional law, environmental policy, religious politics, urban politics and poverty, and international politics. The department is a particularly inviting environment for students, with small class sizes, our own building, a computer lab, and options to specialize via several tracks in our major.
Political Science majors at the University of Louisville have been extremely successful in earning prestigious scholarships and fellowships. The roster of recent successes includes numerous Fulbright Award winners and multiple Truman Scholars. Since 2010, three of our students have won the annual Mary Churchill Humphrey scholarship, often described as UofL’s Rhodes Scholarship because it supports graduate study in Great Britain. Many of our majors go on to have successful careers in government, international affairs, nongovernmental organizations, business, academia, and media.
Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.
Degree Summary
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 31 | |
| College/School Requirements | 13-15 | |
| Program/Major Requirements | 42 | |
| Supporting Courses | 33-35 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 121 | |
Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.
Accelerated BA-BS/MA in Political Science
Political Science majors who are considering pursuing a master’s degree (MA) in Political Science can speed up the process by applying some of their undergraduate credit hours toward a master's degree. Students accepted into the Accelerated BA-BS/MA take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor’s degree and the eventual master's degree.
Interested students must apply for admission to the program in the first semester of the senior year (i.e., after completing 90 hours). Applicants must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School and must submit an application to the Department of Political Science. Applicants should have an undergraduate major or minor in social science or have sufficient alternative preparation in the social sciences.
Departmental Admission Requirements
There are no specific admission requirements for this degree plan.
The Application for Major form can be found on the Arts & Sciences Advising Center website: louisville.edu/artsandsciences/advising/apply.
General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 31 | |
| The following courses are required by the program or program tracks and can satisfy the respective General Education Requirement(s): | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics - SB, D2 | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics - SB | ||
All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above). Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.
College/School Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Arts & Sciences Requirements | ||
| GEN 100 | Student Success Center First Year Experience | 1 |
| or GEN 101 | Arts & Sciences First Year Experience | |
| Foreign Language 1 | 6-8 | |
| Electives in Humanities or Natural Sciences at 300 level or above 2 | 6 | |
| WR—two approved courses at the 300 level or above 3 | ||
| Minimum Total Hours | 13-15 | |
Program/Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Political Science | ||
| POLS 201 | Introduction to American Government and Politics - SB | 3 |
| POLS 202 | Introduction to Comparative Politics - SB, D2 | 3 |
| POLS 325 | Public Administration | 3 |
| or POLS 326 | Public Policy - SB | |
| POLS 330 | International Relations | 3 |
| POLS 390 | Contemporary Political Research | 3 |
| POLS 495 | Senior Seminar - WR, CUE 6 | 3 |
| Law and Jurisprudence Area | ||
| Select three courses: | 9 | |
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Judicial Politics | ||
| Race, Law and Politics - D1, SB | ||
| Gender, Sexuality & Law | ||
| Civil Rights and the Law II | ||
| International Law - WR 5 | ||
| Law, Diplomacy and Power: The Foreign Relations of the U.S. | ||
| Public Policy Area | ||
| Select two courses: | 6 | |
| Urban Political Economy | ||
| Comparative Urban Politics | ||
| Urban Politics | ||
| Policy, Community & Service | ||
| Public Administration 6 | ||
| Public Policy - SB 6 | ||
| American Foreign Policy | ||
| Topics in Public Policy | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Topics in Urban and Public Policy | ||
| Louisville Metro Council Internship | ||
| Internship II | ||
| Frankfort Legislative Internship | ||
| Political Science electives | 9 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 42 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting Courses | ||
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics - SB | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics - SB | 3 |
| Electives in Social Science other than Political Science, with 6 hours at the 300 level or above | 12 | |
| Minimum Electives | 15-17 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 33-35 | |
No more than 6 hours of POLS 430, POLS 510, POLS 511 and/or POLS 512 may count toward the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Culminating Undergraduate Experience (Graduation requirement) | ||
| Requirement fulfilled by completing: | ||
| Senior Seminar - WR, CUE | ||
| 1 | Completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on the language taken |
| 2 | In addition to courses counted toward General Education |
| 3 | May be incorporated into other degree requirements |
| 4 | Fulfills general education requirement. |
| 5 | Fulfills WR requirement. |
| 6 | May not be double-counted for public policy area requirement if used for core requirement or for both a programmatic and supporting course. |
Flight Plan
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| GEN 101 or GEN 100 |
Arts & Sciences First Year Experience or Student Success Center First Year Experience |
1 |
| ENGL 101 | Introduction to College Writing - WC | 3 |
| POLS 201 | Introduction to American Government and Politics - SB | 3 |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S | 3 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences Lab - SL | 1 | |
| Foreign Language 1 | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 102 | Intermediate College Writing - WC | 3 |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S | 3 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Quantitative Reasoning - QR | 3-4 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Foreign Language 2 | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 16-17 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| POLS 202 | Introduction to Comparative Politics - SB, D2 | 3 |
| POLS 330 | International Relations | 3 |
| Social Science elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Oral Communication - OC | 3 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| POLS 325 or POLS 326 |
Public Administration or Public Policy - SB |
3 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics - SB | 3 |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences Historical Perspective - SBH | 3 | |
| Political Science Law course | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Humanities or Natural Sciences WR elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics - SB | 3 |
| Political Science Law course | 3 | |
| Political Science Public Policy course | 3 | |
| General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities US Diversity - AHD1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Humanities or Natural Science elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
| Social Science elective | 3 | |
| Political Science Law course | 3 | |
| POLS 390 | Contemporary Political Research | 3 |
| Social Science elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Political Science Public Policy course | 3 | |
| Political Science elective | 3 | |
| Social Science elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| POLS 495 | Senior Seminar - WR, CUE | 3 |
| Political Science elective | 3 | |
| Political Science elective | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 121-122 | |
Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan. What-if reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan. Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.
To create either report:
- Log into your ULink account.
- Click on the Academic Progress tile.
- Next, click on "View my Degree Audit" to run a Degree Audit report in the Undergraduate Advising area.
- To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."
Click here to run a Degree Audit report, or create a What-if report.
Flight Planner
Based on your major, the Flight Planner tool may be available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan. The Flight Planner can be found in the ULink Student Center. Consult with your advisor for assistance with the Flight Planner.
