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PSC Major with a Public Policy Focus Requirements

General Requirements

For the Political Science major with a Public Policy Focus a Columbian College student must complete the CCAS general curriculum requirements and meet the CCAS residency, GPA, and hour requirements.

If you are in another division of the University the CCAS core requirements do not apply.

Public Policy Focus requirements

Complete three Political Science Intro courses, 30 hours in 100 level Political Science courses which meet the group distribution requirement, including a Pro-Seminar (PSC 192) and at least three policy courses, and six courses in the Social Sciences to include at least 6 credits of ECON or 6 credits of HIST.
» PSC Policy Focus Checklist

Intro courses

PSC 001, Introduction to Comparative Politics
PSC 002, Introduction to American Politics and Government
PSC 003 or IAFF 005, Introduction to International Relations

Note:
  1. A score of 4 or 5 on the AP US Government exam gives credit for PSC 002.
  2. A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Comparative Politics exam gives credit for PSC 001.
  3. PSC 011 and PSC 012, Politics and Values, count as PSC 001, PSC 002, and PSC 003 as well as one Group E class.
  4. Honors Introduction to Comparative Politics counts as PSC 001
  5. Honors Intro to American Politics and Government counts as PSC 002
  6. Honors Introduction to International Relations counts as PSC 003

Thirty hours of 100 level PSC courses to include:

Group A, Comparative Politics

Note: PSC 001 or the equivalent is a pre-requisite to all Group A courses.

At least one of the following courses:
PSC 130, Comparative Politics of Western Europe
PSC 131, Comparative Politics of Central and Eastern Europe
PSC 134, Global Perspectives on Democracy
PSC 136, State-Society Relations in the Developing World
PSC 137, Development Politics
PSC 166, Government and Politics of Russia
PSC 167, Human Rights
PSC 169, Comparative Politics of South Asia
PSC 170, Comparative Politics of China and Northeast Asia
PSC 171, Politics and Foreign Policy of China
PSC 173, Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia
PSC 174, Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan
PSC 177, Comparative Politics of the Middle East
PSC 179, Politics and Foreign Policy of Israel
PSC 181, Comparative Politics of Middle and Southern Africa
PSC 183, Comparative Politics of Latin America

Group B, American Government and Politics

Note: PSC 002 or the equivalent is a pre-requisite to all Group B courses.

At least one of the following courses:
PSC 111, State and Urban Politics
PSC 112, State and Urban Policy Problems
PSC 113, Judicial Politics
PSC 114, US Constitutional Law and Politics I
PSC 115, US Constitutional Law and Politics II
PSC 116, The American Presidency
PSC 117, Executive Branch Politics (cross-listed with PAd 117)
PSC 118, Legislative Politics
PSC 119, US Political Parties and Politics
PSC 120, Public Opinion
PSC 121, US Political Participation
PSC 122, Science, Technology, and Politics
PSC 124, Issues in Domestic Public Policy
PSC 125, Women and Politics
PSC 128, Media, Politics, and Government
PSC 129, Media and Politics (cross-listed with SMPA 128)

Group C, International Politics, Law, and Organizations

Note: PSC 003 or IAFF 005 or the equivalent is a pre-requisite to all Group C courses

At least one of the following courses:
PSC 139, International Political Economy
PSC 140, Theories of International Politics
PSC 142, International Organizations
PSC 144, International Law and Politics
PSC 146, US Foreign Policy
PSC 149, International Security Politics
PSC 161, European-Atlantic Relations
PSC 168, Post-Soviet Foreign Policy
PSC 175, International Relations of East Asia
PSC 176, The Arab-Israeli Conflict
PSC 178, International Relations of the Middle East
PSC 182, African International Politics
PSC 184, International Relations of Latin America

Group D, Research Methods

PSC 104, Methods of Public Policy Analysis

Note:
  1. PSC 101 may be substituted for PSC 104
  2. PSC 104 is restricted to students with a declared Public Policy focus in PSC.
  3. PSC 101 is restricted to at least junior standing.
  4. The following courses waive the Group D requirement: SOC 101, SMPA 051, PSYC 101.
  5. A student making the substitution for PSC 101 must take an additional PSC 100 level elective class, i.e., thirty hours of 100 level PSC credits are required for the policy focus major.

Group E, Political Thought:

At least one of the following courses:
PSC 105, Major Issues of Western Political Thought I
PSC 106, Major Issues of Western Political Thought II
PSC 107, 20th Century Political Thought
PSC 108, Freedom and Equality
PSC 110, American Political Thought

One Pro-seminar, PSC 192

  1. All PSC 192 sections are WID classes
  2. PSC 192 is restricted to declared PSC majors with at least junior standing with priority given to those with senior standing.

Three Policy courses selected from:

PSC 112, PSC 117, PSC 122, PSC 124, PSC 146

Note: PSC 124 may be taken more than once provided the topics are different. The three policy courses cannot count simultaneously towards the Group distribution requirements.