Degree Requirements
All students are required to complete overall degree requirements in addition to their major. Please see Degree Completion Requirements for full details for students entering in the 2024-2025 catalog year.
Those students who started at Hiram prior to the 2024-2025 academic year will follow the Degree Requirements outlined in your catalog of record.
Major Requirements
The major in political science requires a total of nine political science courses plus a capstone experience. Classes must include: POLS 10900 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT:CA,ES and one course from each of the four departmental subfields:
- American politics,
- Comparative politics,
- International relations, and
- Political philosophy
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| POLS 10900 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT:CA,ES | 4 |
| Department Subfields | ||
| Select one course from each of the following subfields: | 12-16 | |
| American Politics | ||
| POLITICS OF JOURNALISM:CA | ||
| POL PARTIES/INTEREST GROUPS:CA | ||
| THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY | ||
| PUBLIC POLICY MAKING | ||
| THE AMERICAN FOUNDING:IM,CA | ||
| COURT/CONSTITUTION GOV:IM,ES | ||
| THE U.S. CONGRESS | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY:CA | ||
| POLITICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS:ES | ||
| COMPARATIVE POLITICS: CA,EW | ||
| POLITICS DEVELOPG AREAS:CA,EW | ||
| COMPARATIVE ELECTIONS | ||
| POLITICAL VIOLENCE:CA | ||
| INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM:CA | ||
| LOGIC & SCOPE POLIT INQUIRY:MM | ||
| International Relations | ||
| INTERNATIONAL LAW | ||
| INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION:ES | ||
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICS:CA | ||
| INT'L RELATIONS S. ASIA:CA,EW | ||
| THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATION:EW | ||
| TOWARDS A GLOBAL STATE | ||
| THE ART OF WAR:ES | ||
| POLITICAL PHIL DANGEROUS WORLD | ||
| Political Philosophy | ||
| ANARCHY:IM | ||
| MODERN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ||
| CLASSICAL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ||
| POLITICAL PHIL DANGEROUS WORLD | ||
| TPC POLS PHIL: | ||
| Independent Capstone | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1-4 | |
| SENIOR SEMINAR | ||
| INDEPENDENT RESEARCH | ||
Internship | ||
| Additional 4 Courses to meet 9 class requirement | 13-16 | |
| Total Hours | 30-40 | |
Independent Capstone
Political science majors must complete a program capstone in consultation with their academic advisor. The capstone course must be taken after a student achieves senior status. A formal programmatic, campus-wide, or public oral presentation of the project is part of this requirement. This requirement differs for program honors candidates, as is explained in the following paragraph.
Honors
Candidates for program honors must achieve a general grade-point average and a program grade-point average whose sum equals at least 6.8. During their senior year, honors candidates will register for POLS 48200 ADVANCED INDEPENDENT RESEARCH. Completion of this course will involve a paper of substantial length and quality, to be closely supervised by an advisor. This paper will be reviewed and must be accepted by all program faculty. The completion of the project will satisfy the capstone requirement.
Pathway
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall 12 Week | Hours | |
| UCS 10101 | FIRST-YEAR ENDURING QUESTIONS | 4 |
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| UCS 20201 | ADDRESSING URGENT QUESTIONS | 4 |
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 3-4 |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall 12 Week | ||
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Elective Course | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 4 |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 3-4 |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall 12 Week | ||
| UCS 30301 | URGENT CHALLENGE SEMINAR:TT | 4 |
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| Political Science Elective or Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall 12 Week | ||
| POLS XXXXX | Political Science Elective | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| Political Science Elective or Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| POLS 48XXX | Political Science Capstone | 4 |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Total Hours | 120-126 | |