Political Science, B.A. – Online +

About the Online + Political Science, B.A.

The political science curriculum is designed to provide students with a solid foundation and broad understanding of the discipline of political science and to allow them to specialize in areas of substantive interest. Political science provides excellent instruction for students interested in politics, law, journalism, teaching, or civil service. Insight into political values, domestic policy issues, and foreign policy is invaluable for students interested in such careers and for business careers.

Students seeking an undergraduate degree in political science must complete 36 hours of coursework within the department. Political science majors are required to take POLS 1301 , POLS 2306 , POLS 2361 , POLS 2371 , POLS 3314 , and 21 additional hours of upper-level POLS courses (must include 9 hours of communication literacy courses)

Under state law, all students who receive bachelor’s degrees from Texas Tech must have received credit for 6 semester hours in political science, covering the federal and Texas constitutions. Students will normally fulfill this requirement by completing POLS 1301 , which is a prerequisite for all upper-division political science courses, and POLS 2306 . 

Requirements and Prerequisites. POLS 1301  is a prerequisite for all upper-division political science courses. A student must receive at least a C in POLS 1301  and POLS 2306  and all courses in political science that apply to major, minor, or teaching field requirements.

Communication Literacy Requirement. Students majoring in political science are expected to develop proficiency in written, oral, and graphical/mathematical communication. To satisfy this requirement, all majors are required to take three 3-hour courses (9 hours) of communication literacy courses in the department. The three courses that satisfy this requirement are POLS 2361 , POLS 2371 , and POLS 3314 .

Selected Topics Courses. Multiple sections of POLS 3300 , POLS 3301 , POLS 3302 , and POLS 3303  are offered each semester with varying topics of contemporary interest. These courses are repeatable for credit up to four times each (totaling 12 hours). To apply to a student’s major or minor, these courses must each cover different topics, as indicated by the course title found online each semester. Additionally, for students to grade replace either course, the topics must be the same.