Political Science (BA)
The Political Science major encompasses four subfields: political theory, international relations, comparative politics, and American politics. The major allows students flexibility to explore their interests by taking a variety of classes across subfields or to dive deeper into one or two subfields that interest them. Students can also participate in our robust internship programs both in Chicago and in Washington, DC.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PLSC Requirements | ||
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Political Theory | ||
| American Politics | ||
| International Relations in an Age of Globalization | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Subfield Requirements | ||
| One (1) course in American Politics Subfield | 3 | |
| One (1) course in Political Theory Subfield | 3 | |
| One (1) course in Comparative Politics Subfield | 3 | |
| One (1) course in International Relations Subfield | 3 | |
| Four (4) PLSC Electives | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
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If students take PLSC 100, 101, or 102 as the three required courses for the major, they can also take PLSC 103 and have it count as an elective in the major. Students in the BA/MA Political Science and Students in the BA/MA in International Affairs can count two of the graduate level courses (at the 400 or 500 level) that they take in their senior year as electives in the PLSC major, alongside the other two courses at the 200 or 300 level.
Curricular Notes
- The Political Science internship program (PLSC 370), a 3- or 6-credit hour course, counts as one of the four Political Science electives. Only 3 credits of PLSC 370 may count toward the PLSC major, the other three will be counted as general electives. An exception is made for students who complete an internship in Chicago as well as an internship via the Washington, DC program. In that case, 3 credit hours from each internship may be applied to the major.
- The following courses do not fulfill subfield requirements but do count as electives toward the PLSC major: PLSC 396 Directed Readings and PLSC 216 Political Numbers (PLSC 216 also fulfills the core quantitative reasoning requirement.)
- The following courses neither fulfill subfield requirements nor count as electives toward the PLSC major: PLSC 395 Political Science Honors Seminar. This is an extra course that students take beyond the major requirements in order to graduate with Honors in Political Science.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
- Students can begin the Political Science (BA) degree at any point in their undergraduate studies, in consultation with their advisor. While there is no set sequence of classes, students are encouraged to take introductory classes (PLSC 100, PLSC 101, PLSC 102, and PLSC 103) before taking upper division classes in those subfields. For example, although it is not required, students may benefit from taking PLSC 101 American Politics before taking an upper division class on Campaigns and Elections in the United States. Once students have declared the major, they are encouraged to contact the Political Science Department’s Undergraduate Program Director for further guidance on how best to progress with their studies.
Subfield Courses
American Politics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PLSC 202 | Mock Trial 1 | 3 |
| PLSC 203 | Moot Court 1 | 3 |
| PLSC 208 | Representation in the United States | 3 |
| PLSC 215 | Politics of Marginalized Groups | 3 |
| PLSC 218 | African-American Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 236 | Political Communication | 3 |
| PLSC 238 | Political Advocacy | 3 |
| PLSC 251 | Women in American Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 300A | Contemporary Political Issues: American Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 318 | Politics & the Economy | 3 |
| PLSC 319 | Women, Law & Public Policy | 3 |
| PLSC 320 | Constitutional Law-Due Process | 3 |
| PLSC 321 | Constitutional Law-Powers of Government | 3 |
| PLSC 322 | Constitutional Law-Rights and Liberties | 3 |
| PLSC 323 | Children, Law & Public Policy | 3 |
| PLSC 324 | Civil-Military Relations | 3 |
| PLSC 326 | American National Security | 3 |
| PLSC 327 | Political Psychology | 3 |
| PLSC 328 | Political Behavior | 3 |
| PLSC 329 | Interest Group Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 332 | Politics of American Bureaucracies | 3 |
| PLSC 334 | Urban Policies and Problems | 3 |
| PLSC 335 | Urban Semester Seminar | 3 |
| PLSC 357 | Hollywood and Law | 3 |
| PLSC 372 | Crime, Race & Violence | 3 |
| PLSC 376 | Political Behavior and Public Opinion | 3 |
| PLSC 377 | American Public Policies | 3 |
| PLSC 378 | Intro to Political Economy | 3 |
| PLSC 379 | The Legislative Process | 3 |
| PLSC 380 | Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PLSC 381 | The American Presidency | 3 |
| PLSC 384 | The Judicial Process | 3 |
| PLSC 385 | Introduction to Law | 3 |
| PLSC 386 | Campaigns and Elections | 3 |
| PLSC 387 | Politics and the Press | 3 |
| PLSC 389 | State Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 390 | Urban Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 391 | Chicago Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 392 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 393 | Black Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 398 | Washington DC Internship Seminar 2 | 3 |
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This course is Engaged Learning.
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This course is Writing Intensive.
Political Theory
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PLSC 300B | Contemporary Political Issues: Political Theory | 3 |
| PLSC 301 | Political Justice | 3 |
| PLSC 302 | American Political Thought | 3 |
| PLSC 303 | Conservatism | 3 |
| PLSC 304 | Ancient Political Thought | 3 |
| PLSC 306 | Modern Political Thought | 3 |
| PLSC 307 | Democratic Theory | 3 |
| PLSC 308 | Contemporary Political Thought | 3 |
| PLSC 309 | Socialism | 3 |
| PLSC 310B | Catholic Political Thought | 3 |
| PLSC 312 | Feminist Theory | 3 |
| PLSC 313 | Resistance and Obligation | 3 |
| PLSC 314 | Liberalism | 3 |
| PLSC 330 | Global Justice | 3 |
| PLSC 331 | Islamic Political Thought | 3 |
| PLSC 339 | Political Ideologies | 3 |
| PLSC 373 | Politics and Literature | 3 |
| PLSC 388 | The Morality and Legality of War | 3 |
Comparative Politics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PLSC 232 | Politics of the United Kingdom | 3 |
| PLSC 300C | Contemporary Political Issues: Comparative Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 336 | Politics in Contemporary China | 3 |
| PLSC 337 | Terrorism | 3 |
| PLSC 339 | Political Ideologies | 3 |
| PLSC 342 | African Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 343 | Latin American Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 344 | Contemporary Issues in Latin America | 3 |
| PLSC 345 | South & Southeast Asian Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 346 | East Asian Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 347 | The European Union | 3 |
| PLSC 348 | Soviet & Post-Soviet Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 349 | Eastern European Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 352 | Canadian Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 355C | Women and Politics: A Cross-National Perspective | 3 |
| PLSC 359 | Revolutions | 3 |
| PLSC 360 | Western European Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 362 | Politics Developing Societies | 3 |
| PLSC 365 | Italian Politics & Government | 3 |
| PLSC 366 | Dictatorship | 3 |
| PLSC 368 | Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| PLSC 374 | Democracy | 3 |
| GLST 303 | Technological Change and Society | 3 |
International Relations
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PLSC 204 | Conflict Management | 3 |
| PLSC 213 | International Human Rights | 3 |
| PLSC 252 | Capitalism and Its Discontents | 3 |
| PLSC 300D | Contemporary Political issues in International Relations | 3 |
| PLSC 316 | Politics of Genocide | 3 |
| PLSC 317 | Politics of International Health | 3 |
| PLSC 325 | American Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PLSC 333 | Crossing Borders: The Politics of Immigration | 3 |
| PLSC 340 | International Relations of Africa | 3 |
| PLSC 350 | Politics of International Economic Relations | 3 |
| PLSC 351 | Latin American International System | 3 |
| PLSC 353 | International Law | 3 |
| PLSC 354 | Global Environmental Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 356 | Intervent in World Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 358 | War, Peace and Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 358D | The Scientific Study of War | 3 |
| PLSC 363 | International Politics | 3 |
| PLSC 364 | UN & International Organization | 3 |
| PLSC 367 | Model United Nations 1 | 3 |
| PLSC 369 | Politics of Energy | 3 |
| GLST 302 | States and Firms | 3 |
| GLST 305 | Globalization and Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
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This course is Engaged Learning.
Transferring Credit
At least 17 credit hours of PLSC courses must be completed at Loyola.
Double Dipping Policy
Political Science adheres to the CAS Double Dipping Policy.
College of Arts and Sciences Graduation Requirements
All Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to take two Writing Intensive courses (6 credit hours) as well as complete a foreign language requirement at 102-level or higher (3 credit hours) or a language competency test. More information can be found here.
Additional Undergraduate Graduation Requirements
All Undergraduate students are required to complete the University Core, at least one Engaged Learning course, and UNIV 101. SCPS students are not required to take UNIV 101. Nursing students in the Accelerated BSN program are not required to take core or UNIV 101. You can find more information in the University Requirements area.
Learning Outcomes
The BA in Political Science is designed to achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the structures and functions of political systems.
- Be able to apply political theories and concepts when interpreting past and current events.
- Recognize the influence of cultural, social, and historical contexts on political behavior, values, institutions, or policies.
- Characterize the roots of enduring social disagreements and conflicts.
- Evaluate normative or empirical claims about political phenomena.
- Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively about complex political issues.
- Develop research skills to gather, evaluate, and synthesize information from multiple sources to support arguments or theories in political science.
For more information, please contact Professor David Doherty (ddoherty@luc.edu), Undergraduate Program Director for the Department of Political Science.