Political Science (BA)
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| General Education | 53-57 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| Political Science Core | ||
| A. Complete the following: | ||
| PSC 130 | Intro to US Government | 3 |
| PSC 250 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| PSC 270 | International Relations | 3 |
| PSC/CJ 310 | Research Methods-W | 3 |
| PSC 492 | PSC Capstone Seminar-W | 3 |
| Political Science Electives | ||
| A. Select 21 hours of PSC Upper Division (300/400) Electives | 21 | |
| Minor Requirements | ||
| A minor is required for this degree program | 18-24 | |
| A MINIMUM OF 120 HOURS IS REQUIRED FOR A DEGREE | 120 | |
All undergraduates must complete two designated writing credit (W) courses, at least one of which must be in the student's major or minor.
Additional Information
Majors in Arts and Sciences may be completed with a minimum of 120 semester hours unless designated otherwise. At least 30 hours of course work, which represents 25% of the required 120 hours, must be at the upper division level in order to fulfill the University's residency requirement. At least 15 of the 30 upper-division hours must be in the major or concentration area. An overall grade-point-average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for graduation. In addition, a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in the student's major or concentration area.
The major in political science requires 36 semester hours, including PSC 130, PSC 250, PSC 270, PSC 310/CJ 310, and PSC 492 (W)---plus 21 hours of PSC electives at the 300/400 level. PSC 130 is a prerequisite for most other PSC courses. Political Science majors must earn a grade of "C" or higher in PSC 130 and also in the Capstone Seminar, PSC 492 (W). Students pursuing a degree in Political Science must have a minor in another discipline.
In addition, all political science majors must take the ETS major field test in political science and receive a satisfactory score (The standards for passing are determined by the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice). Students with unsatisfactory scores on the ETS test can retake the test, or they may be required to repeat coursework in political science. The ETS is administered in the Capstone Seminar, PSC 492 (W), which is typically offered in the Fall Semester only. All PSC core courses must be completed prior to enrolling in PSC 492 (W).
All political science majors must demonstrate competency in oral and written communication. Students will be expected to deliver presentations, particularly in the Capstone Seminar. The University of South Alabama requires two Writing-Intensive (W) courses for graduation. PSC 492 (W) fulfills one Writing-Intensive requirement, and CJ 310/PSC 310 (W) fulfills the second.
Accelerated Bachelors to Masters Program
Program Description
The USA accelerated bachelor’s to master’s (ABM) in Political Science and Criminal Justice provides exceptional undergraduate students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree at an accelerated pace.
Strong undergraduate majors with an interest in graduate studies are encouraged to apply.
This program is designed to allow students to complete the Bachelor’s degree in Political Science or Criminal Justice and the Master of Arts degree in Public Administration in six years (including one Summer term between their first and second year of graduate study).
Admission Procedures
Admission will be a competitive process. The minimum standards are:
- Completed at least 90 credit hours
- Completed at least 30 credit hours at USA
- An overall GPA of 3.0 (Cumulative and Political Science/Criminal Justice)
- Two letters of recommendation.
Once admitted into the ABM program, students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and remain in good standing to stay in the program.
Program Procedures
ABM students may begin taking graduate courses after completing at least 90 hours of undergraduate credit.
Completion of the ABM program requires students to complete at least 150 approved unique credit hours. To qualify for a baccalaureate degree, a student must complete at least 120 approved semester hours. To qualify for a master’s degree a student must complete a minimum of 30 approved semester hours. A maximum of twelve hours of graduate coursework can be applied to satisfy the requirements for an undergraduate degree. To receive graduate credit, students must earn at least a 'B'.
There are currently four graduate courses that may count toward the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science or Master of Public Administration degree:
PSC 501 Public Administration (3 hours).
PSC 511 Criminal Justice Administration (3 hours).
PSC 584 Health Care Policy Around the World (3 hours).
There are three courses that may count toward the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice or Master of Public Administration degree:
PSC 511 Criminal Justice Administration (3 hours).
PSC 582 Criminal Justice Policy Evaluation (3 hours)
PSC 590 Criminal Justice Communications (3 hours)
Upon completing the undergraduate degree, students will apply to the Master of Public Administration program. ABM students, who are in good standing, will be accepted.
Completion of the Master of Arts in Public Administration requires successful completion of all requirements, including at least 36 graduate credit hours. Graduate credit taken while an undergraduate that is completed with at least the grade of B will be transferred into the Master’s program upon acceptance into the program and will apply toward the 36 hours required for the Master of Public Administration degree.
A student who withdraws or is dismissed from the ABM program may not count graduate coursework towards both degrees. Graduate courses for which an undergraduate student did not earn an “A” or “B” grade, may not be counted towards the graduate degree.
All students approved to be in an ABM program must complete at least 150 unique credit hours across the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, with a minimum of 120 approved semester hours for the undergraduate degree and a minimum of 30 approved hours for the graduate degree.
A student must have an approved ABM Declaration Form prior to participating in an ABM program (https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/graduateschool/resources/abmdeclarationform11.22.22.pdf). This is how we insure that condition (1) above is met.
Undergraduate students must complete the Authorization to use Graduate Credit for an Undergraduate Degree form for any graduate courses applied to their undergraduate degree (https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/eforms/registrar/graduate_level_course_for_undergraduate_degree.pdf).
Students can take a maximum of 12 semester hours of graduate coursework as an undergraduate, but such credits can only be used to meet the requirements of the graduate degree if condition (1) above is met.
Graduation Plan
(36 Total Hours)
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| CAS 100 | First Yr Exp - | 2 |
| EH 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | Area II | 3 |
| PSC 130 | Intro to US Government (Area IV) | 3 |
| Natural Science with Lab | Area III | 4 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EH 102 or EH 105 |
English Composition II or Honors Composition - H |
3 |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | Area II | 3 |
| PSC 250 or PSC 270 |
Comparative Politics or International Relations |
3 |
| CA 110 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| Select one of the following (Area III): | 3 | |
| Finite Mathematics | ||
| Precalculus Algebra | ||
| Precalculus Trigonometry | ||
| Precal Algebra-Trigonometry | ||
| Calculus and Its Applications | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Calculus III | ||
| Linear Algebra I | ||
| Differential Equations I | ||
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSC 250 or PSC 270 |
Comparative Politics or International Relations |
3 |
| Natural Science with Lab | Area III | 4 |
| Foreign Language | Area V - Foreign Language Sequence Semester 1 | 3 |
| Select one of the following HY/Humanities/Behavioral Science - Area IV: | 3 | |
| HY of Western Civilization I | ||
| HY of Western Civilization II | ||
| US History to 1877 | ||
| US History since 1877 | ||
| Social/Behavioral Science Elective | Area IV 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following Humanities/Fine Arts: Literature - Area II: | 3 | |
| Brit Lit before 1785 | ||
| Brit Lit after 1785 | ||
| Am Lit before 1865 | ||
| Am Lit after 1865 | ||
| World Lit before 1650 | ||
| World Lit after 1650 | ||
| Foreign Language | Area V - Foreign Language Sequence Semester 2 | 3 |
| PSC/CJ 310 | Research Methods-W | 3 |
| PSC Elective | 300-400 Level Elective | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Natural Science with Lab or Upper Level Math | Area V | 3-4 |
| Literature or History Sequence | Area II or Area IV - Literature or History Sequence | 3 |
| Social/Behavioral Science Elective | Area IV | 3 |
| Political Science Elective | 300-400 Level PSC Elective | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Political Science Elective | 300-400 Level PSC Elective | 3 |
| Political Science Elective | 300-400 Level PSC Elective | 3 |
| Poltical Science Elective | 300-400 Level PSC Elective | 3 |
| Poltical Science Elective | 300-400 Level PSC Elective | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSC 492 | PSC Capstone Seminar-W | 3 |
| Poltical Science Elective | 300-400 Level PSC Elective | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Elective | Course in Major, Minor, or Elective | 3 |
| Elective | Course in Major, Minor, or Elective | 3 |
| Elective | Course in Major, Minor, or Elective | 3 |
| Elective | Course in Major, Minor, or Elective | 2-3 |
| Hours | 14-15 | |
| Total Hours | 120-122 | |
- 1
CJ 105 recommended