Creighton University

Department of Political Science

There are three ways that students can complete a major in political science at Creighton, and there is a major in International Relations as well.  The general political science major program offers a broad introduction to political science, its methodology, and the operation of public institutions and political processes in a number of contexts. 

Most students follow this program (see option A).  Two specialized programs for completing a political science major allow the student to develop a greater background in either Legal Studies or Public Policy.  The alternative tracks for the major are more structured in both course requirements and in the choice of supporting courses and would be attractive to students with more focused interests. 

Students electing to follow either the public policy or legal studies option should indicate this when they apply to major in the political science department.

The general political science major requires a range of courses to develop a broad understanding of the questions, concepts, and methods of political science.  Majors complete these four courses (12 credit hours) during their undergraduate years:

PLS121	American Government and Politics	(Freshman Year)
PLS215	Comparative Political Systems	(Sophomore Year)
PLS310	Political Science Research Methods	(Sophomore or Junior year)
PLS591	Senior Research Seminar	(Fall of Senior year)

In addition, students must complete upper-level (numbered 200 or higher) departmental elective courses totaling 21 hours which include at least one, three-credit course in each of five sub-fields of political science -- American Government, International Relations, Comparative Government, Political Philosophy and Theory , and Public Policy and Law.

Each major must present a departmentally-approved sequence of twelve hours in an approved department or topic area.  Such courses must be approved by the student’s academic adviser, must be clearly related to the study of politics, and may not include courses used to fulfill general education requirements.  Common support departments for political science are economics, sociology, journalism-mass communications, history, philosophy, management, and modern languages.

This specialization provides fundamental preparation in the discipline of political science and an understanding of law as a component of government and human social life as well as an examination of legal institutions.  Based in a liberal arts tradition, this course sequence is appropriate preparation for students planning to attend law school or for students who may wish to pursue careers in other law-related positions such as court administration, legal investigation, public policy analysis or who wish to seek graduate education in criminal justice, dispute resolution, or legal system administration.

Students completing a political science major under this program complete these requirements:

• A core of Political Science courses:  PLS121, PLS215, PLS310, and PLS591.
• A legal studies core:  PLS320, PLS337 and PLS367.
• One course (three hours) in legal studies electives from among PLS438, PLS437, PLS/HIS372, PSY363, PSY463, SOC320, SOC321, SOC423.
• Three hours of advanced course (300-500 level) in each of three areas of political science:  Comparative Politics; International Relations; Public Policy or American Politics.

Supporting courses:  With the assistance of the department adviser, students will select 12 hours of supporting courses at the 200 level or higher that clearly advance their legal studies interests.  Supporting courses should be in a single relevant department such as history, economics, sociology or philosophy, or in a well defined topical area such as social welfare, environmental policy, urban studies, business, etc.

The major with a specialization in public policy gives students a strong grounding in political science with an emphasis on the processes and problems of policy-making in modern societies.  The central concern of this program is the analysis of the origins, administration, and impact of public programs in response to policy problems.  A knowledge of appropriate research methodology is also required.  Within the specialization, students are to concentrate on either economic or social policies and programs in the supporting requirements.  Students completing a political science major under this program complete these requirements:

• A core of Political Science courses:  PLS121, PLS215, PLS310 and PLS591.
• The public policy core courses:  PLS331 and PLS433.
• Two courses (six hours) in Public Policy electives from among PLS332, PLS333, PLS334, PLS335, PLS336, PLS337, PLS338, PLS339, PLS372, PLS435, PLS436, and PLS438.
• One course (three hours) in American Institutions and Processes from among PLS320, PLS322, PLS324, PLS325 and PLS326.
• One course (three hours) in International Relations at the 300 level or above.
• One course (three hours) in Comparative Politics at the 300 level or above.

The supporting course requirement is met by choosing either the economic policy option or social policy option.

• Economic policy:  Economics 203 and 205; Sociology 101; and nine hours selected from:  Economics 303, 305, 315, 318, 353, 408, 413, 423, 433, 518, 528, 538; Finance 343, 361 and Accounting 301.
• Social Policy:  Sociology 101; Economics 203 and 205, or Economics 301; and nine hours selected from Sociology 215, 223, 225, 235, 301, 307, 309, 317, 321, 323, 331, 341, 355 and 411.  Social Work 261, 301, 371, 373 and 409; Finance 343.

We recommend that students take at least 3 hours in PLS483 Public Affairs Internship.  SOC202 Social Statistics and CSC107 Introduction to Computing Concepts are also recommended.

The major in international relations offers students a fundamental grounding in the discipline of political science and a substantial exposure to the interdisciplinary area of international relations.  Students completing an international relations major under this program complete these requirements:

• A core of introductory Political Science courses:  PLS105 Introduction to World Politics, PLS121 American Politics and Government; PLS215 Comparative Political Systems, PLS310 Political Science Research Methods, and PLS591, Senior Research. 
• An international relations core:  PLS340 International Politics; and two courses from PLS345 International Political Economy, PLS347 International Regimes, and PLS472 International Conflict.
• Two courses (six hours) in comparative politics from among:  PLS301, PLS302, PLS303, PLS305, PLS307, PLS311, PLS313, PLS314, PLS315, PLS317 and PLS415.
• One course (three hours) selected from PLS319, PLS405, PLS410 and PLS435.
• One course (three hours) selected from PLS591 Senior Research Seminar or PLS492 Senior Reading Seminar.
• One course from PLS341, PLS342, PLS343, PLS440, PLS451 and PLS537.
• ECO 203, Microeconomics, and ECO 205, Macroeconomics, are required prerquisites for the major.

Mastery of a modern foreign language is strongly urged of all students.  Students in this sequence should possess a solid knowledge of Geography.  Education 315 “World Geography” is recommended for those whose geography background is weak.  Economics 203 and 205 are also strongly recommended.

A political science minor is available for students majoring in another department.  The minor may complement a student’s primary major and enhance career preparation.

 

The Minor Programs

There are six ways that students can complete a minor in political science at Creighton. The department offers minors in American Government and Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Legal Studies, Political Science, and Public Policy. The general political science minor program offers a broad introduction to political science, its methodology, and the operation of public institutions and political processes in a number of contexts.

Minors offer students the opportunity to develop substantial knowledge in areas outside their majors and achieve the second and third College learning outcomes listed in the College Bulletin.

Students may not pursue a specific combination of a major with a minor if all the required courses in those programs, as shown in their respective Programs of Study, share the same three-letter prefix. (For example, a student who is majoring in Biology may not minor in Biology, since both the major and the minor require only BIO courses; but a Biology major may minor in Biological Physics since that minor, which it includes BIO credits, also includes some PHY credits.) *The fact that a required course may be cross-listed in another program of study is irrelevant to this restriction.

Please see the section titled "Minor" for more details.

A International Relations minor is available for students majoring in another department.  The minor may complement a student’s primary major and enhance career preparation.

 

The Minor Programs

There are six ways that students can complete a minor in political science at Creighton. The department offers minors in American Government and Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Legal Studies, Political Science, and Public Policy. The general political science minor program offers a broad introduction to political science, its methodology, and the operation of public institutions and political processes in a number of contexts.

Minors offer students the opportunity to develop substantial knowledge in areas outside their majors and achieve the second and third College learning outcomes listed in the College Bulletin.

Students may not pursue a specific combination of a major with a minor if all the required courses in those programs, as shown in their respective Programs of Study, share the same three-letter prefix. (For example, a student who is majoring in Biology may not minor in Biology, since both the major and the minor require only BIO courses; but a Biology major may minor in Biological Physics since that minor, which it includes BIO credits, also includes some PHY credits.) *The fact that a required course may be cross-listed in another program of study is irrelevant to this restriction.

Please see the section titled "Minor" for more details.

Courses taken in study abroad and appropriate internship experience may be considered.  The usual college rules apply.  Courses counted toward the co-major must be separate from those used to complete the major requirement in the field of concentration.