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Political Science

Requirements for a bachelor's degree
Requirements for a minor in Political Science.
Honors Program.
Honor Society.
London Internship Program.
Washington Internship Program.
Courses of Instruction
Pre Law

(POSC)

Available as a major and a minor on the B.A. and B.S. degrees.

The Department offers students options for course concentrations in the following subfields: American politics, political theory, international politics, comparative politics, public law, research methods, and public affairs internships.

Students seeking certification for teaching Political Science/Government at the secondary school level should be advised by the departmental secondary certification advisor. Specific requirements for Political Science as a teaching field include:


10133 American and Texas Government 3
20093 Scope and Methods of Political Science 3
20203 Introduction to Political Theory 3
or 20303 International Politics 3
30103 Topics in American Politics 3
30303 Topics in International Politics 3
30403 Topics in Public Law 3
30503 Topics in Comparative Politics 3
Total 24

Pass/No Credit Policy. Courses applied to any of the Department's three majors including associated requirements and the accompanying minors may not be taken on a Pass/No Credit basis except by the specific consent of a student's academic advisor, duly recorded in the student's advisement file.

Requirements for a bachelor's degree

The B.A. degree with a major in Political Science requires 27 hours of Political Science courses passed with a grade of "C" or better and a maximum of 12 hours below the 30000 level. The degree requires POSC 20093 (Scope and Methods of Political Science), 20203 (Introduction to Political Theory), 20303 (International Politics), and 30203 (Topics in Political Theory), plus 6 hours at the 30000 level in a first subfield, 6 hours at the 30000 level in a second subfield and 3 hours in a third subfield. Any "Topics" courses may be repeated provided the specific subject matter changes. Students intending to do graduate work in international or comparative fields are encouraged to continue foreign language study beyond the 20000 level. No more than six hours of internship credit may be counted. The three-hour seminar taken in conjunction with the Washington Center internship program may be counted in addition to six hours of internship. A minor is required; any minor approved for the B.A. degree is acceptable.

The B.S. degree with a major in Political Science requires 27 semester hours of Political Science courses passed with a grade of "C" or better with a maximum of 12 hours below the 30000 level. The degree requires POSC 20093 (Scope and Methods of Political Science), POSC 20203 (Introduction to Political Theory), 20303 (International Politics), and 30093 (Topics in Political Science Methods), plus 6 hours at the 30000 level in the American Politics field, 6 hours at the 30000 level in a second subfield, and 3 hours at the 30000 level in another subfield.

The B.S. degree has the following associated requirements, a total of twelve hours chosen from each of the following groups:

I. Statistics (3 hours)

DESC 20153 Statistical Analysis
MATH 10043 Elementary Statistics

II. Computer Applications (3 hours)

COSC 10403 Introduction to Computer Science COSC 10203 Computer Literacy
MANA 20103 Business Applications of Information Systems
PSYC 10514 Principles of Behavior (substitutes one-for-one for 3-hour course)

III. Methods of Social Research (3 hours)

ECON 30313 Research Methods in Economics
ECON 50343 Econometrics
HIST 30063 Introduction to Historical Research
PSYC 30503 Behavioral Research
SOCI 30383 Research Methods in Sociology

IV. Enrichment of Research Skills (3 hours)

DESC 30253 Introductory Operations Research
DESC 30353 Regression Analysis
ENGL 30223 Technical Writing
ENGL 30283 Cyberliteracy
JOUR 40513 Media Analysis and Research
JOUR 40903 Research Methods for Mass Media
MARK 40113 Marketing Research
MATH 30803 Elements of Probability and Statistics
PHIL 30133 Symbolic Logic I
PHIL 30323 Philosophy of Science
PSYC 30263 Problem Solving in Task Oriented Groups

Students intending to do graduate work in the social sciences or business are encouraged to take the B.S. degree program. It is also recommended for students interested in employment in government and politics. Students should be aware that some graduate programs in the social sciences require calculus (MATH 10283 or 10524) for admission. Any "Topics" courses may be repeated provided the specific subject matter changes. Students intending to do graduate work in international or comparative fields are encouraged to study relevant foreign languages. No more than six hours of internship credit may be counted. The three-hour seminar taken in conjunction with the Washington Center internship program may be counted in addition to six hours of internship. A minor is required; any minor approved for the B.S. degree is acceptable.

The B.A. degree in Political Science with emphasis in International Relations requires 27 hours passed with a grade of "C" or better and a maximum of 12 hours below the 30000 level. Required courses are: POSC 20303 (International Politics), 20093 (Scope and Methods of Political Science), 20203 (Introduction to Political Theory), and either 30093 (Topics in Political Science Methods) or 30203 (Topics in Political Theory), plus 6 hours at the 30000 level in the International Politics field, 6 hours at the 30000 level in the Comparative Politics field, and 3 hours at the 30000 level in another field. No more than 6 hours of internship credit may be counted. The three-hour seminar taken in conjunction with the Washington Center internship program may be counted in addition to six hours of internship.

This emphasis requires an interdisciplinary minor, which consists of 18 semester hours selected from the following groups:

I. Third-year foreign language-6 hours

II. Upper division international ECON, or upper division ECON approved by the advisor-3 hours

III. Upper division, internationally-related courses from ANTH, ECON, GEOG, HIST, JOUR or RELI, selected with department approval-9 hours

No more than 6 hours of the above can be taken from any one department. Additional courses may be considered for the minor if taken at the TCU London Center, the TCU-UDLA program, or other international TCU programs, with the permission of the department.

The department strongly encourages students to participate in an international educational experience; it especially encourages an international educational experience in a setting where the student's language of study is used.

Requirements for a minor in Political Science. A minor requires 18 semester hours in Political Science passed with a grade of "C" or better. No more than three semester hours may be earned at the 10000 level and no more than nine semester hours may be earned below the 30000 level. Students must take either POSC 20093 or 20203. Any "Topics" course may be repeated provided the specific subject matter changes. No more than six hours of internship credit may be counted. The three-hour seminar taken in conjunction with the Washington Center internship program may be counted in addition to six hours of internship.

Honors Program. Political Science majors who plan to pursue Departmental Honors must be members of the Honors Program and should enroll in POSC 30003 during their junior year and POSC 40003 during the fall semester of their senior year.

Honor Society. The Department sponsors the Beta Lambda Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, national honor society in Political Science. Membership in Pi Sigma Alpha requires completion of a minimum of 10 semester hours of political science courses (at least six of which must be in regular classroom courses on TCU's campus and at least three of which must be advanced, i.e., 30000-level or above) and members must have at least a 3.0 GPA in political science courses and at least a 3.5 GPA overall. Applicants need not be political science majors or minors.

London Internship Program. TCU's London Internship Program is part of TCU's London Centre, which provides an academic program, as well as housing and supervision of internships. A student in any major may apply for an internship appropriate to her or his career interests. The work obligation of each intern will be either three days per week (9 credit hours) or four days per week (12 credit hours). Students may take academic courses at The London Centre to total 15 credit hours. Professor Jackson (Political Science) is the Director of the London Internship Program.

Washington Internship Program. TCU is affiliated with the Washington Center, which provides placements, supervision, and housing for students who seek a professional experience in a public or private organization in the nation's capital. Students selected for the program are required to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and must return to TCU for at least one semester after internship. Students apply each fall, a year in advance of their internship, and are required to attend a noncredit preparatory seminar in the spring. Students may earn up to 15 hours of credit through this program, which is multi-disciplinary and available to students in any major field.


The following is a complete list of courses offered by this department. Go to Class Search on the Registrar's Page to see which courses are being taught this semester.

Courses of Instruction


"Topics" courses are described only in terms of the field designations. The specific subjects for each such course are determined in advance and published in the Schedule of Classes each semester. The Department also prepares detailed course descriptions and circulates them among Political Science majors and other interested students each semester.

Political Science as a Discipline

10093 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE. Introduces students to varying thought on and divergent practices of politics in a variety of nations.

10433 FIRST YEAR SEMINAR: THE POLITICS OF FREEDOM AND ORDER. Introduction to an assessment of the delicate balance between maintaining order in society and guaranteeing political freedom.

20093 SCOPE AND METHODS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE. Prerequisites: Prior completion of or concurrent enrollment in MATH 10043 (Elementary Statistics) or an equivalent course. Introduction to political science as a field of study and to the major issues in relating theory and empirical research to the study of political behavior.

30003 HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Examination of a significant political issue. This is generally offered on a tutorial basis and the specific topic is determined jointly by the student and the instructor. POSC 30003 and 40003 cannot be taken simultaneously.

30093 TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE METHODS. Prerequisites: POSC 20093 or consent of the instructor and COSI 10403 (Introduction to Computer Science) or MANA 20103 (Introduction to Data Processing.) Topics include political science methods applied to various research problems such as political behavior, public policy analysis, and program evaluation.

40003 SENIOR HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. The writing of a substantial research paper under the supervision of a three person faculty committee. A grade of "I" (Incomplete) will be carried in this course until the paper is completed. The sequence of POSC 30003 and 40003 must be planned so that 40003 is taken prior to the student's final semester of undergraduate work.


American Government and Politics



10123 ISSUES IN AMERICAN POLITICS. Introduction to the dynamics of American governmental institutions and political processes through the study of significant contemporary issues in the American political arena. The particular issues may vary from semester to semester in accordance with the changing interests of students and instructor.

10133 AMERICAN AND TEXAS GOVERNMENT. (May not be counted toward a major or minor in political science.) The American political system at national and state levels, including a survey of the federal and Texas Constitutions. This course satisfies the Texas state certification requirements for education majors.

30103 TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS. Topics related to the study of American political institutions, processes, behavior, and policy, such as Congress, the Presidency, political parties and elections, interest groups, social and defense policy, and Texas politics.


Political Theory

20203 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY. Introduction to the normative or value dimensions of political inquiry through the study of selected "classics" in political literature.

30203 TOPICS IN POLITICAL THEORY. Topics will be selected from varying periods of Western history: ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary. Topics may focus on individual thinkers (Hobbes), groups of thinkers (the Liberal Tradition), or on policy questions (Human Nature and Public Policy).


International Politics

20303 INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. Introduction to both the major actors and issues which comprise contemporary international politics. A major goal of the course is to familiarize students with non-western perspectives on international phenomena.

30303 TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS. Topics studied include such areas as U.S. foreign policy, Russian foreign policy, and various regional issues.

Public Law

30403 TOPICS IN PUBLIC LAW. The course sequence includes Gender and Sexual Orientation in Contemporary Law, International Human Rights, and several courses on American Constitutional Law. A simulation of the U.S. Supreme Court is offered in alternate years.


Comparative Politics

30503 TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS. European politics, Latin American politics, Middle Eastern politics, developing political systems, etc.


Independent Study

40900 INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Washington Center or at The London Centre. Full-time internships with a public or private agency in Washington, D.C. or in London, England, offered either through the Washington Center or through TCU's London Centre. The internship will allow students to integrate theory and practice in a supervised professional setting. (up to 12 sem. hrs.)

40950 INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Internships (usually local in Tarrant County) arranged with the consent of an instructor, taken on a strictly Pass/No Credit basis. (3 sem. hrs.)

40970 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. Prerequisite: A specific program of study approved by instructor prior to enrollment. (1-6 sem. hrs.)


Pre-Law
Pre-law students should complete a four-year curriculum leading to the B.A. or B.S. degree or the equivalent. Pre-legal education at TCU is not a degree program, but rather an advisory program involving courses from the University Curriculum Requirements and free elective credit hours. Law schools do not require completion of any specific undergraduate major as a condition of admission, but they do prefer a broad undergraduate liberal education. Law schools expect their applicants to demonstrate high levels of academic achievement in their undergraduate studies and to show aptitude for law school as reflected by good scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Specialists in legal education, as well as students enrolled in law schools, emphasize the importance of the following in preparation for law school and for a legal career:

1. Obtain an outstanding command of the English language. This includes the ability to read rapidly with good comprehension, to write lucidly and grammatically, and to speak clearly and forcefully. Emphasis should be placed in courses in English composition and persuasive communication. While extensive work in literature may not of itself fulfill this objective, courses that require substantial writing assignments are very important for the pre-law student.

2. Obtain a good grounding in logic, philosophy, political theory, constitutional law, and a general understanding of social, cultural, economic and governmental processes. Apart from constitutional law, pre-legal studies should not necessarily include courses in specific legal fields that will eventually be covered in law school.

3. Develop the ability to think logically, analytically and quickly under pressure and to express ideas clearly. Courses that require a student to understand and master complex verbal abstractions are especially important. Courses in philosophy and courses with highly theoretical orientations are especially important. Mathematics courses may also be useful in developing skills with abstractions, although lawyers usually work with the sorts of verbal abstractions commonly found in the humanities and social sciences.

4. Obtain a basic grounding in accounting. A great deal of legal work requires familiarity with financial records and accounts. If such preparation is not obtained as an undergraduate, the law student is often compelled to take courses in accounting while in law school.

5. Be certain that a legal career is really desired. Many students view the law degree as a means of entry into fields for which other professional training is more appropriate. The fact that many people with law degrees enter other fields does not mean that the study of law is the best preparation for those fields; rather it often reflects the reality that law is a crowded field in which some law school graduates do not find fulfillment of their career expectations.

Donald Jackson of the Political Science Department is the University Pre-Law Advisor. Joanne Green and James Riddlesperger, Jr., both also of Political Science, serve as Associate University Pre-Law Advisors. They should be consulted early in one's studies for pre-legal academic and career counseling and for advice on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and on law school admission. A student must also have a primary academic advisor in the department of his/her major. Pre-legal advisement is complementary to departmental advisement, rather than a substitute for it. The University Pre-Law Office is located in Sadler Hall Room 205, (817) 257-7468.