Political Science Requirements

Political Science Major

Requirements for the Political Science Major:

Minimum of 34 credits (12 courses) in Political Science, distributed as follows:

• 101 U.S. Government and Politics; or 107 Freedom, Equality, and Power
• 105 International Relations; or 108 Intro to Comparative Politics
• 209 Political Science Research Methods
• 489 Senior Thesis Methods (must be taken the same semester as 490)
• 490 Senior Thesis
• Seven additional courses in the discipline, including at least three classroom courses at the 300 level.

The department encourages all majors to acquire a broad exposure to the discipline by sampling courses in all four of the principal areas of study. A model program would include at least one course above the 100 level from each of the following areas:

(A) U.S. Politics
(B) International Relations
(C) Comparative Politics
(D) Political Theory

This model is required for departmental distinction.

To graduate with distinction in Political Science students must:

• Have a Political Science major GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Have taken at least one class beyond the 100-level in each of the four sub-fields of Political Science
• Receive an A- or higher in POSC 490: Senior Thesis.

Normally, the department will accept no more than three transferred Political Science courses (up to the equivalent of 9 Hartwick credits) toward the Hartwick College Political Science major.

Senior Thesis:

All political science majors at Hartwick are required to complete a senior thesis. While researching and writing their thesis, students work closely with their faculty thesis advisor, usually meeting once a week. In addition to individual direction offered by the thesis advisor, there are a number of opportunities, during the thesis class, for group discussions and consultations with the department faculty as a whole. The final research paper is submitted to the faculty and then defended in an oral presentation.

Three-Year Degree Option

For students majoring in political science, Hartwick’s Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree Program is a unique opportunity to earn a degree in three years. For more information visit the Program website at www.hartwick.edu/threeyeardegree.

Political Science Minor

Requirements for the minor:

Minimum of six courses (18 credits) in Political Science, distributed as follows:

• 101 U.S. Government and Politics, or 107 Freedom, Equality, and Power
• 105 International Relations, or 108 Intro to Comparative Politics
• At least one classroom course at the 300 level
• Three additional courses in the discipline

Legal Studies Minor

Requirements for the minor:

The legal studies minor program consists of three components: three required courses, three electives, and an internship. The coursework must total a minimum of 18 credits, and one course must be taken at the 300-level. No more than six credits may be double-counted toward a student’s major or an alternative minor.

Three Required Courses:

• POSC 101: US Government and Politics
• Either POSC 230: Courts and Judicial Process, or SOC 250: Introduction to
  the Law
• Either POSC 270: Constitutional Law and Government Power, or POSC 280:
  Constitutional Law and Civil Rights

Three Elective Courses From This List:

Note: POSC 230, SOC 250, POSC 270, and POSC 280 may also count as electives if not counted as requirements. Students may petition the Legal Studies Coordinator to count courses not on this list toward the legal studies minor.

Internship Requirement: All students are required to complete at least one internship credit in a law-related setting. This credit can be fulfilled in one of two ways:

Option A: Complete a conventional internship in a legal setting, such as the courts or a law office. The internship option can be fulfilled during either semester, January, or the summer months.

Option B: Complete a one credit exploratory internship consisting of at least five hours of observing court proceedings, interviewing at least two officers of the court about their work, and going on a police ridealong for at least two hours. Evaluation will be based on a final written portfolio reflective of the internship experience. This exploratory internship experience is designed to be completed in the students’ home communities during the summer months or January.