Majoring & Minoring

Programs and Requirements

The Major Program

The political science curriculum is organized around five fields: American government, comparative politics, political theory, public law, and methodology. Courses are offered in American government and comparative politics at the introductory and advanced levels. Courses in public law, political theory, and methodology are advanced courses, normally taken after students have completed introductory courses.

Political science majors can undertake independent study under individual faculty supervision, including practical applications and experiences such as internships with elected officials, interest groups, and government agencies. The department’s annual semester of study in Washington, D.C., one of the more distinguished programs of its kind in the country, includes interviews with some of America’s most influential politicians and decision makers, combined with a rigorous curriculum of in-class instruction.

The political science department uses local and regional resources with visits to the Oregon state legislature in Salem and to county and city political offices in the Portland metropolitan area. Other resources include numerous governmental agencies in the Portland area, interest groups, and political movements.

The political science curriculum is organized into the following concentrations:

American Government and Institutions
103 U.S.Government: National Politics
301 American Constitutional Law: Equal Protection and Due Process
302 Political Parties and Interest Groups
305 American Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties
307 Government and the Economy
350 Congressional Politics
351 Presidential Politics
359 Religion and Politics

Comparative Politics
102 Introduction to Comparative Politics
265 European Politics
315 Transitions to Democracy
321 Problems of Communism and Postcommunism
322 Ethnicity and Nationalism
354 Comparative Electoral Politics
430 Migration and Integration

Political Theory
309 American Political Thought and Ideology
310 Pillars of Western Political Thought: Plato to Machiavelli

Political Science 201
311 Pillars of Western Political Thought: Hobbes to Foucault
313 International Political Theory
402 Problems in Political Theory

Public Law, Policy, and Administration
275 Gender and Politics
301 American Constitutional Law: Equal Protection and Due Process
305 American Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties
353 The National Policy Process
410 Law, Lawyers, and Society
425 Legal Regulation of American Democracy

Methodology and Thesis
201 Research Methods in Political Science
252 Public Opinion and Survey Research
400 Senior Thesis

Note: Students planning to pursue a law degree, a master’s degree in public administration, or a public career will find courses in public law, policy, and administration particularly useful. Students planning to attend graduate school in political science will find courses in the other three concentrations especially useful.

Major Requirements

A minimum of 44 semester credits (11 courses), distributed as follows:

• Five core departmental courses: 102, 103, 201, 301 or 305, and 310 or 311
• One 200-, 300-, or 400-level comparative government or international affairs course
• One 300- or 400-level theory course
• One 300-level American government course
• Senior thesis (by invitation) or another advanced research course: 400, 402, 410, 425, or 430
• International Affairs 100
• Economics 100

For all majors, courses in European and U.S. history, macroeconomics, and international political economy, as well as a semester in Washington, D.C., are recommended. Majors planning to attend law school should add courses in English literature, philosophy (including logic), mathematics, and history. Majors planning to attend graduate school in political science should take courses in mathematics, statistics, and other social sciences. Majors planning a career in politics, public policy, or urban planning should add courses in statistics, communication, economics, and psychology.

Minor Requirements

A minimum of 20 semester credits (five courses), distributed as follows:

• Core departmental courses: 102, 103, and 310 or 311
• One course in American government and institutions selected from 301, 302, 305, 307, and 350, or a political science course taken in the Washington, D.C., program
• One course in public law, policy, and administration: 301 or 305

Practicum Program

The department encourages students to take advantage of its internships or practica. Practica prospects are announced each semester. Eligibility depends only on the student’s interest in working in a public or private agency that can provide an experience related to politics, law, or administration. The department usually makes practicum arrangements, but a student’s relevant community associations are considered. In the past, students have worked with city governments, law firms, civil rights groups, congressional offices, planning 202 Political Science agencies, and state administrative agencies. Students may earn up to 4 semester credits for practica.

Honors and Senior Thesis

In the spring semester, juniors who have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the major and overall are invited to apply to the department for placement in Political Science 400, Senior Thesis. Students who fall below a 3.0 GPA may be granted an exception on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the department.

For more information, see the L&C Catalog.