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CURRICULUM
The political
science curriculum comprises the systematic study of the theory and
practice of politics and government at various levels domestic,
foreign, and international. Depending on the area studied,
particular emphasis may be given to questions of a philosophical
nature, to the role and performance of institutions and political
systems, or to the political behavior of individuals and groups.
Courses in political science are structured on four levels: introductory (numbered below 200); lower-level intermediate (200-299); upper-level intermediate (300-399); and advanced (400-499). Unless otherwise specified, courses above 400 can be counted toward the department's seminar requirements. There are six introductory courses (encompassing four fields) which assume no prior background in the discipline: PLSC 111 (American Politics), PLSC 112 (Cultural Forces in World Politics), PLSC 113 (Comparative Politics), PLSC115 (Political Theory), PLSC 117 (International Politics), and PLSC 210 (American Pluralism). These serve as prerequisites for other courses but may be skipped by students who have equivalent prior coursework in political science or related disciplines including advanced placement credit in American government or comparative politics.
POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR
Requirements
for the BA in political science include 10 courses in political science,
including not more than three introductory courses (PLSC 111, 112, 113,
115, 117, 210), not more than two independent study courses, and at least
two 400-level seminars to be taken in residence at
Binghamton University. In selecting their courses, students
must take at least one four-credit course in three of four
subfields: American politics, political theory, comparative
politics, and international relations. Courses acceptable in
meeting these distribution requirements are identified as
American (A), theory (T), comparative (C), and international
(I) in the course descriptions that follow. With the
approval of the undergraduate director, appropriate
alternative courses may be used to satisfy the distribution
requirements.
The Political Science Department views the grade of D as passing but unsatisfactory. Courses passed with a grade of D do not fulfill requirements for the major or the related field requirement. Courses taken Pass/Fail do not count toward the major or in fulfillment of the related field requirement.
Four courses complementing political science and in at least three other departments and disciplines are also required. These should be selected in conjunction with the student's particular interests in political science. Normally, these should be diversified courses in other social sciences or, if outside social sciences, related to the student's curricular purposes.
Transfer students must take at least four political science courses in residence at Binghamton. Transfer course grades must be C- or better to count toward the major. No transfer course counting toward the major may be taken pass/fail.
Upper-class students with appropriate political science background are allowed to take graduate-level courses with the instructor's permission. Successful completion of such a course will be counted toward the seminar requirement of the political science requirement. The department urges students who intend to do graduate work in the discipline to consider taking at least one of the following courses: PLSC 361, 362, or 470. Majors are also strongly encouraged to complete at least one substantial paper, based on their own investigation of a problem in an area of the political science discipline, either as part of a regular course, through independent study, or as an honors research project thesis (PLSC 498 and 499).
Prior to pre-registration each semester, students who major in political science should review their programs of study with their advisors. If, for any reason, students are unable to do so, they should be in touch with the department's director of the undergraduate program.
Honors
Program
Majors
who earn a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in at least six political science
courses are contacted in April of their junior (standing) year and invited
to a general informational meeting. In May (junior year) the
honors thesis topic and committee are secured.
Students who are abroad are given until the second
week of September to develop a topic and identify a committee. They are
expected to return to the University with a well-developed topic, placing
them even with their colleagues. The thesis is the
intellectual centerpiece of the honors program. The
thesis represents the culmination of the student’s
academic career. The thesis is presented in final
form to the Committee on or before April 15th, with the oral defense scheduled
no later than the last day of classes in the spring semester. The thesis
is to follow normal academic standards of footnotes,
bibliography, and presentation.
PLSC 498 Honors Independent Research Paper – Fall semester; Design and execution of an analytical research project under the supervision of the honors project advisor.
PLSC 499 Honors Thesis – Spring semester; Preparation and defense of an honors thesis – an extension of the research project undertaken in PLSC 498.
Students are encouraged to complete a graduate seminar related to the thesis topic or an appropriate sub-field of the discipline.
Students who earn a grade of B+ or better in PLSC 498 may continue their honors work by enrolling in PLSC 499 during the spring semester.
Students must be of senior standing when the honors program is completed. Graduation with Honors in Political Science requires successful completion of the thesis, including an oral defense.
Independent Study and Internships
Independent and internship courses
are open only to juniors and seniors and, except for
PLSC 394, require a substantial paper
incorporating advanced political analysis.
Guidelines for internships: 1) junior
standing, 2) at least 3.0 GPA, 3) at least
three PLSC courses appropriate for the
internship in question. No credit is given
for internships as such: students must do
specific academic work to earn credit based
on their internships. In addition, students
contemplating internships or independent
study projects must secure prior approval
for the analyses they plan to undertake.
For internship requirements and eligibility,
see the "internships for Political Science Majors" webpage. You should also check the
university's internships wepage.
Concentrations in the Major
Students
majoring in political science may
also choose to specialize in one or
both of the concentrations offered
by the department. Students are not
required to specialize if they do
not want to do so. The department is
currently offering two
concentrations:
2) Global and International Affairs
You may also want to consult the Frequently Asked Questions regarding the concentrations
Pi Sigma Alpha
Pi
Sigma Alpha is the Political Science
National Honor Society. The
purpose of Pi Sigma Alpha is
to encourage and reward high
achievement in the study of
political science. There are
currently over 460 chapters
of Pi Sigma Alpha throughout
the country, including a
chapter here at Binghamton
University.
prelaw studies
For information on prelaw studies for Political Science majors, visit Prelaw for Undergraduates.