BA in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Law
Upon completion of the program, students should:
- Be able to demonstrate familiarity with the structures and processes of the judicial branch of both state and U.S. governments.
- Be able to analyze and evaluate the role of the judiciary as a political actor.
The BA in political science with an emphasis in public law prepares students to examine the judiciary and legal system in the context of broader political structures and forces, both national and global ones.
- 42 required credit hours
- 27 general education credit hours
- 3 international language credit hours
- 56 elective credit hours
International Language Requirement: A minimum of 3 credit hours in a non-native language is required in addition to the requirements for the major. Courses used towards the International Language requirement may also be used to fulfill general education requirements or a major/minor in a foreign language. The requirement will be waived for students whose native language is not English and who are studying in English. Their mastery of English as a second language fulfills the requirement.
Students are required to complete at least 42 credit hours within the department, 30 of which must be in political science or international relations; a research requirement (completed by placing on file with the department a substantial research paper from an upper-level course or a senior thesis); and senior overview. Political science majors must take a minimum of 6 credit hours of HIST and at least 12 credit hours of upper-level coursework (3000 or above) in the department. At least 18 of the 42 credit hours must be taken at Webster University.
Students emphasizing in public law will complete the core requirements in the political science major, which are:
| INTL 1500 The World System since 1500 | 3 hours |
| POLT 1050 Introduction to International Relations | 3 hours |
| POLT 1060 Introduction to American Politics | 3 hours |
| POLT 1070 Introduction to Political Theory, or HIST 3000 Ideas in History: History of Economic Thought |
3 hours |
| POLT 1080 Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 hours |
| POLT 2600 Research Methods and Approaches in Political Science (INTL 2700 may be substituted) | 3 hours |
In addition, students will complete the following requirements for the emphasis:
| INTL 2030 International Law | 3 hours |
| POLT/LEGL 2400 Introduction to Law | 3 hours |
| POLT 3010 American Constitutional Law | 3 hours |
| POLT 3020 Civil Liberties and the Law | 3 hours |
| POLT 3330 Judicial Politics, or POLT 4350 Advanced Studies in Judicial Politics |
3 hours |
| Three additional credit hours drawn from courses with a LEGL prefix, or from selected law-related courses from another department (e.g., business law, media law), or POLT 3590 Theories of Human Rights, or POLT 4350 | |
| Two courses with a HIST prefix | |
| Overview and research requirement (Research requirement must be fulfilled with a term paper focused on a law-related topic.) |
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