Chairperson: Clifford Bob, Ph.D., J.D.

Political science students learn about political leaders, processes, values and institutions in the United States and other countries. The Department of Political Science stresses that politics is an expression of mankind's deepest human concerns for justice, freedom, equality and order. Students gain understanding of democratic and authoritarian politics, elections and campaigns, domestic and foreign policy making, national and international conflicts, and American political institutions and law.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will increase their knowledge of political leaders, institutions, processes, and conflicts nationally and internationally.
  • Students will develop written and oral skills to communicate effectively in governmental, political, legal, journalistic, security, and business careers.
  • Students will become critical consumers of statements made by political leaders, government officials, and corporate executives.
  • Students will learn to participate thoughtfully and civilly in political life, as voters and citizens.
  • Students will understand how to use political ideas and political science methods to achieve their own vision of the good society in today's world.

Requirements for the Major

30 credits required for B.A.

Required Core Courses (15 credits)

POSC 105 American National Government, 3 credits
POSC 208 Politics of Great Powers, 3 credits; or POSC 209 Politics of Emerging Powers, 3 credits
POSC 245 International Relations, 3 credits
POSC 298 Introduction to Political Analysis, 3 credits
POSC 317 Western Political Thought I, 3 credits; or POSC 318 Western Political Thought II, 3 credits

Elective Courses (15 credits)

Any political science courses (other than required courses)
No more than 6 elective credits at the 100 level
Capstone: At least 3 of the 15 elective credits must be at the 400 level (other than POSC 400 and POSC 430) and taken for a letter grade (not P/F)

Concentrations

Political science majors may choose from the following four concentrations (but are not required to have a concentration).

American Politics & Policy
International Politics
Law & Politics
National Security and Civil Liberty

Fifteen elective credits must come from the list of approved concentration courses. Multiple concentrations are permitted; one course appearing on multiple lists of approved concentration courses may be double-counted.

Approved Concentration Courses

American Politics & Policy

115: Big Questions of Politics
202: State and Local Politics
203: American Congress
214: Politics, Religion, and Fundamental Rights 
215: National Security and Liberty
218: National Security in the 2020s
220: Politics of Public Finance
222: Intelligence and Foreign Policy
235: Media and Internet in National and International Politics
255: American Foreign Policy
276: Elections, Campaigns, and Voting
290: American Political Thought
292W: Public Policy
294W: American Presidency
302: Political Parties and Interest Groups 
303: Politics of Immigration
314: Theological-Political Problem
317W: Western Political Thought I (if not taken as a required major course)
318W: Western Political Thought II (if not taken as a required major course)
326W: Constitutional Law and Politics: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 
327W: Constitutional Law and Politics: The Powers of Government 
380W: Controversies in Public Policy
405: Homeland Security
406W: Social and Public Policy Analysis
409: Public Administration
418: Politics of Civic Problems
420: Contemporary Political Thought
422W: American Defense Policy
424: Women and Politics
430: Internship in Practical Politics (by permission of chair)
448W: American Presidency and the Constitution
EQ 105: Law + Morality = ?

International Politics

101: Catholic Thought, the State and Security in the Modern World
110: Current Problems in International Politics
120: International Political Economy 
201: Human Security in Sub-Saharan Africa
205: Politics of Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and South Asia
208: Politics of Great Powers (if not taken as required course) 
209: Politics of Emerging Powers (if not taken as required course)
216: Foundations of IR Theory
218: National Security in the 2020s
235: Media and Internet in National and International Politics
255: American Foreign Policy
295: War & Peace in Nuclear Age
303: Politics of Immigration
315: German Foreign Policy
321: Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe
345W: Security Ethics
348: Humanitarian Intervention
375: Catholic Theory and International Relations
385: International Law/Organization
360: Crisis Management
407: Terrorism
408W: Democracy, Security and World Politics
413W: Human Rights: Politics and Policy
419W: Ethnic Conflict: Politics & Policy
422W: American Defense Policy
429W: Comparative Intelligence Agencies
430: Internship in Practical Politics (by permission of chair)
442: Global Public Policy
445: Global Economic Development
497: Advanced IR Theory

Law and Politics  

203: The American Congress
214: Politics, Religion, and Fundamental Rights 
215: National Security and Liberty
235: Media and Internet in National and International Politics 
290: American Political Thought
292W: Public Policy
301: Introduction to Legal Education, the Life of Lawyers and the Legal Profession
303: Politics of Immigration
308: Post Conflict Justice and Reconciliation
317W: Western Political Thought I (if not taken as a required major course)
318W: Western Political Thought II (if not taken as a required major course)
326W: Constitutional Law and Politics: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
327W: Constitutional Law and Politics: The Powers of Government 
345W: Security Ethics
380W: Controversies in Public Policy
385: International Law and Organization
409: Public Administration
413W: Human Rights: Politics and Policy
424: Women and Politics
430: Internship in Practical Politics (by permission of chair)
448W: American Presidents and the Constitution
EQ 105: Law + Morality = ?

National Security and Civil Liberty

Civil Liberties Cone (any nine credits)
215: National Security and Liberty
326W: Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties & Rights
327W: Constitutional Law: Powers of Government 
385: International Law/Organization 
413W: Human Rights and Human Security: Politics, Policy and Law 
National Security Cone (any six credits)
110: Current Problems in International Politics
116: Current Challenges for Liberal Democracies
255: American Foreign Policy
345W: Security Ethics
405: Homeland Security
422W: American Defense Policy
429W: Comparative Intelligence Agencies
430: Internship in Practical Politics (by permission of chair)

Minors

Non-Political Science majors may choose from the following minors:

American Politics & Policy
International Politics & Policy
Law & Politics
National Security and Civil Liberty
Political Science

  • 15 credits from the list of approved courses are required for each minor.
    Multiple political science minors permitted; double count one course appearing on multiple lists of approved courses for each political science minor.

  • For most majors, up to 6 credits of non-political science courses may count towards political science minors, with approval of the political science chair. See list of sample non-political science courses that may be double-counted
  • For International Relations majors, up to nine credits of cross-listed POSC/IR courses may count towards political science minors, with approval of the political science chair.
  • For International Security Studies majors, up to six credits of cross-listed POSC/IR courses may count towards political science minors, with approval of the political science chair.

    Good standing as a Duquesne student.

Approved courses for minors

Political Science Minor (general): 15 credits

Any 15 political science credits; no more than 3 credits at the 100 level.

American Politics & Policy Minor: 15 credits

115: Big Questions of Politics
202: State and Local Politics
203: American Congress
215: National Security and Liberty
218: National Security in the 2020s
220: Politics of Public Finance
222: Intelligence and Foreign Policy
235: Media and Internet in National and International Politics
255: American Foreign Policy
276: Elections, Campaigns, and Voting
290: American Political Thought
292W: Public Policy
294W: American Presidency
302: Political Parties and Interest Groups
303: Politics of Immigration
314: Theological-Political Problem
317W: Western Political Thought I (if not taken as a required major course)
318W: Western Political Thought II (if not taken as a required major course)
326W: Constitutional Law and Politics: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
327W: Constitutional Law and Politics: The Powers of Government
380W: Controversies in Public Policy
405: Homeland Security
406W: Social and Public Policy Analysis
409: Public Administration
418: Politics of Civic Problems
420: Contemporary Political Thought
422W: American Defense Policy
424: Women and Politics
430: Internship in Practical Politics I (by permission of chair)
448W: American Presidency and the Constitution
EQ 105: Law + Morality = ?

International Politics & Policy Minor: 15 credits

Required Core Course: 3 credits of POSC 208 or 209.
Elective Courses: Any 12 credits from list below; no more than 3 credits at the 100 level.
101: Catholic Thought, the State, and Security in the Modern World
110: Current Problems in International Politics
120: Introduction to Political Economy
201: Human Security in Sub-Saharan Africa
205: Asian Politics
208: Politics of Great Powers (if not taken as required major course)
209: Politics of Emerging Powers (if not taken as required major course)
216: Foundations of IR Theory
218: National Security in the 2020s
235: Media and Internet in National and International Politics
255: American Foreign Policy
295: War & Peace in Nuclear Age
303: Politics of Immigration
308: Post Conflict Justice and Reconciliation
321: Politics of Eastern Europe
322W: Politics of Russia
345W: Ethics and International Relations
348: Humanitarian Intervention
375: Catholic Theory and International Relations
385: International Law/Organization
360: Crisis Management
407: Terrorism
408W: Democracy, Conflict and World Politics
412: Arab-Israeli Conflict
413W: Human Rights
419W: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Conflict
422W: American Defense Policy
429W: Comparative Intelligence Agencies
430: Internship in Practical Politics (by permission of chair)
435: South African Politics and Society
442: Global Public Policy
445: Global Economic Development
497: Advanced IR Theory

Law and Politics Minor:

Required Core Course: 3 credits of POSC 208 or 209.
Elective Courses: Any 12 credits from list below; no more than 3 credits at the 100 level. (also includes up to six credits of approved courses from other majors--see sample list at the end of this document)
203: The American Congress
235: Media and Internet in National and International Politics
290: American Political Thought
292W: Public Policy
301: Introduction to Legal Education, the Life of Lawyers, and the Legal Profession
308: Post Conflict Justice and Reconciliation
317W: Western Political Thought I (if not taken as required major course)
318W: Western Political Thought I (if not taken as required major course)
326W: Constitutional Law: Civil Liberty/Rights (if not taken as required minor course)
327W: Constitutional Law: Powers of Govt. (if not taken as required minor course)
345W: Ethics and International Relations
380W: Controversies in Public Policy
385: International Law and Organization (if not taken as required minor course)
409: Public Administration
413W: Human Rights: Politics and Policy
424: Women and Politics
430: Internship in Practical Politics (by permission of chair)
448W: American Presidents and the Constitution
EQ 105: Law + Morality = ?

National Security & Civil Liberty Minor: 15 credits

Civil Liberties Cone (any nine credits)
215: National Security and Liberty
235: Media and Internet in National and International Politics
326W: Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties & Rights
327W: Constitutional Law: Powers of Government
385: International Law/Organization
413W: Human Rights and Human Security: Politics, Policy and Law
National Security Cone (any six credits)
110: Current Problems in International Politics
116: Current Challenges for Liberal Democracies
218: National Security in the 2020s
255: American Foreign Policy
345W: Security Ethics
405: Homeland Security
422W: American Defense Policy
429W: Comparative Intelligence Agencies
430: Internship in Practical Politics (by permission of chair)

Non-Political Science Courses Potentially Countable for All Minors

Up to 6 credits of relevant courses from any discipline may count towards any political science minor, with approval of the political science chair. For example, 6 credits of the courses below may count toward the Law & Politics minor. For other political science minors, other courses from other disciplines may also count. Check with the Political Science Chair to verify that courses count.

PHILOSOPHY 106- Introduction to Logic (3 credits)
PHILOSOPHY 260- Philosophy of Law (3 credits)
PHILOSOPHY 108- Business Ethics (3 credits)
BLAW 251- Business Law (3 credits)
BLAW 351- Fundamentals of Logic (3 credits)
BLAW 353W- Contracts (3 credits)
BLAW 354- Commercial Transactions (3 credits)
BLAW 355W- Law of Business Organization (3 credits)
BLAW 357- Real Estate Law (3 credits)
BLAW 454- Law of International Commercial Transactions (3 credits)
BLAW 456- Legal Aspects of Human Resources (3 credits)
ACCT 414- Corporate/Partnership Tax (3 credits)
ECON 121C- Elements of Economics (3 credits)
ECON 425- Current Economic Issues (3 credits)
ECON 462- Industrial Organization (3 credits)
IBUS 341-International Business (3 credits)
SPMK 470- Legal Env. Sports Mgmt. Mktg. (3 credits)
FORE 101-Intro to Forensic Sci & Criminal Law (2 credits)
FORE 201-Philosophical Ethics of Law & Science (2 credits)
FORE 401-American Legal History (1 credit)
FORE 402-Torts (1 credit)
FORE 421-Environmental Law (1 credit)
HLTM 477 Legal Issues in Healthcare (2 credits)
PHBA 340W- Pharmacy Law & Ethics (2 credits)
PHBA 412W-Advanced Law & Ethics Applications (2 credits)
PHBA 425 Health Policy, Ethics and the Law (2 credits)
PHYT 421W- Principles of Practice III: Ethical, Moral and Legal Issues (1 credit)