Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

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About

Are you interested in entering the world of politics? Then the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science is meant for you!

  • If you are interested in concentrating more on political science or want to attend graduate school, consider the 72-credit option.
  • We also offer an 82-credit pre-law option for students interested in law school or working as a paralegal.

In this major, you’ll study U.S. politics, the American judicial process, political theory throughout history, world politics and more. You’ll get hands-on experience with research and presentation in a capstone course and graduate the program with a robust portfolio of academic work.

Curriculum & Requirements

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Political Science Major, Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Two years of a single high school foreign language or one year of a single college-level foreign language is required for this degree.

Required Introductory Courses
POLI 100INTRODUCTION TO US POLITICS5
POLI 202INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY5
POLI 203INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS5
POLI 204INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS5
Required Disciplinary Core
POLI 300U.S. JUDICIAL PROCESS5
or POLI 302 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
POLI 313ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT5
or POLI 314 MODERN WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT
POLI 320INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS5
or POLI 321 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
or POLI 322 INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
or POLI 323 U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
POLI 332THE U.S. PRESIDENCY5
POLI 335U.S. CONGRESS5
or POLI 336 U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS
Required Senior Level Courses
POLI 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
POLI 493PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT1-2
Elective Requirements–choose two 300 level courses from two subfields and two 400 level courses below POLI 470 from two subfields20
Subfield Distribution Lists
American Government and Politics
U.S. JUDICIAL PROCESS
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
JURISPRUDENCE
BASIC CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL LAW
U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM
AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT
FEDERALISM, STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS
THE U.S. PRESIDENCY
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT
U.S. CONGRESS
U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS
STATE LEGISLATIVE POLITICS EXPERIENCE
MOCK TRIAL I
TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS
MOCK TRIAL II
International Relations/Comparative Politics
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
COMPARATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL WATER POLICY
EUROPEAN POLITICS
POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
POLITICS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA
TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Political Philosophy
JURISPRUDENCE
ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT
MODERN WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT
AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT
MARX AND MARXISM
NATIONS, NATIONALISM AND PATRIOTISM
TOPICS IN POLITICAL THEORY
Total Credits72

University Competencies and Proficiencies

English 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB

General Education Requirements (GER)

  • Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours 
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences

University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List

Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
Requirements in Degree Works are based on these two catalog years:

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Credit Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BA in Political Science from EWU should be able to:

  • analyze the values that underlie different forms of governments;
  • appraise political issues;
  • communicate about politics clearly and professionally;
  • critique foundational issues embedded in political questions;
  • explain how socioeconomic diversity plays a role in political affairs.

Sample Courses

POLI 313. ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: POLI 202.
This course engages thinkers and themes from the political theory of ancient Greece. Authors read include the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, and Seneca, among others. Questions concerning the nature and purpose of politics, the ideal political order, the definition of justice and virtue, and classical conceptions of knowledge, among others, will be pursued in detail. In addition to comparing various authors on these questions, students will spend some time considering the relationship between ancient views and more contemporary attitudes.

Catalog Listing

POLI 302. CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. 5 Credits.

This course in an examination of the philosophic and legal bases for the protection of the rights of the criminally accused, with emphasis on Supreme Court decisions on the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments and on the due process clause of the 14th amendment.

Catalog Listing

POLI 370. MOCK TRIAL I. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: permission of instructor.
Mock Trial I exposes students to courtroom procedures in civil or criminal cases, studying a trial as one form of dispute resolution. Working in teams, students receive a fictional legal case and prepare and argue both sides of that case by applying rules of evidence in a simulated courtroom. Students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses as they prepare and present their case to a panel of judges. POLI 370 focuses on the basics of preparing and building a fictional legal case and introduces students to trial advocacy.

Catalog Listing

POLI 319. NATIONS, NATIONALISM AND PATRIOTISM. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: POLI 100 and POLI 202.
This course is a detailed inquiry into nations, nationalism and patriotism, with specific emphasis on the United States. Authors read include Benedict Anderson, Anders Stephanson, and David Campbell among others. Topics explored include the conceptual predicates upon which nations depend, the idea of citizenship, violence and warfare, national identity, manifest destiny and more.

Catalog Listing

Career Possibilities

  • Political Campaign Manager
  • Political Consultant
  • Public Affairs Specialist
  • Lobbyist
  • Legislative Assistant
  • Public Policy Analyst

  • Lawyer (with a law degree)
  • Paralegal or Legal Assistant
  • Public Defender (with a law degree)
  • Corporate Counsel
  • Judge or Magistrate (with a law degree)
  • Legal Researcher
  • Legal Compliance Officer
  • Civil Rights Advocate

  • Foreign Service Officer
  • Policy Advisor
  • Global Affairs Consultant
  • Human Rights Advocate
  • Political Risk Analyst

  • Policy Analyst 
  • Nonprofit Program Manager
  • Government Relations Specialist
  • Campaign Strategist
  • Lobbyist 
  • Public Relations Specialist

  • City Planner
  • Urban Development Specialist
  • Government Program Director
  • Public Relations Director
  • Policy Advisor

  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Specialist
  • Strategic Consultant
  • Corporate Lobbyist
  • Government Affairs Consultant

  • Political Reporter or Analyst 
  • Analyst
  • News Editor 
  • Social Media Manager 
  • Investigative Journalist
  • Political Commentator or Blogger
  • Political Speechwriter

  • Political Science Professor
  • High School Government Teacher
  • University Lecturer
  • Research Fellow
  • Curriculum Designer

  • Human Rights Advocate
  • Nonprofit Executive Director
  • Social Justice Program Coordinator
  • Community Outreach Director
  • Environmental Policy Advocate
  • International Aid Worker
  • Public Health Advocate
  • Nonprofit Lobbyist

  • Campaign Consultant
  • Election Analyst
  • Grassroots Organizing Director
  • Digital Campaign Strategist
  • Fundraising Manager 
  • Political Data Analyst
  • Polling Consultant
  • Voter Engagement Specialist

  • Cybersecurity Policy Analyst
  • Tech Policy Consultant
  • Election Technology Specialist
  • Data Analyst
  • Political Data Scientist
  • Social Media Strategist

A Political Science major provides a comprehensive understanding of political systems, governance, international relations, and political theory.

Through our hands-on program, you’ll sharpen your critical thinking, research, and analytical skills. Whether you’re examining campaign strategies or debating the effects of new laws, you’ll learn to think strategically and communicate effectively. These skills are highly valued across many industries.

Graduates often pursue careers in government, law, business, advocacy, and the nonprofit sector. Many become policy analysts, political consultants, public administrators, or advocates. Wherever you land, you’ll be ready to make an impact.

Explore careers in Political Science: