Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Pre-Law Option

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About

Planning on going to law school or working as a paralegal? The 82-credit Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with the Pre-Law Option will help prepare you for success.

In this program, you’ll study American government, political theory, and political philosophy while developing the skills you’ll need in graduate school. After completing a set of required courses, you’ll choose from electives in the following subfields:

  • American Government & Politics
  • International Relations & Comparative Politics
  • Political Philosophy

Our graduates find jobs in the public sector, as well as domestic and international business firms.

Request Info Curriculum & Requirements

Why Pre-Law at Eastern?

Our degree programs will bring you face-to-face with the issues and concerns of living in a complex world where some measure of public action is necessary to make life livable.

No matter which degree option you choose, you’ll have the opportunity to get hands-on experience through an internship.

Our graduates enter the fields of law, public administration, teaching, political staff work and public relations.

EWU and Gonzaga Law 3+3 Pre-Law Degree Path

Learn about the opportunity to get your law degree in six years!

EWU BA & Gonzaga Law JD 3+3 Program

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 with Pre-Law Option Major, Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Notes:

  • no substitutions for core courses;
  • two years of a single high school foreign language or one year of a single college-level foreign language is required.
Required Introductory Courses
POLI 100INTRODUCTION TO US POLITICS5
POLI 202INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY5
POLI 203INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS5
POLI 204INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS5
Pre-Law Core
POLI 300U.S. JUDICIAL PROCESS5
POLI 302CRIMINAL PROCEDURE5
POLI 306BASIC CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL LAW5
Disciplinary Core Courses – 300-level20
At the 300 level, take 10 credits from one subfield, and 5 credits from each of the other two subfields (Subfield Distribution List below)
Subfield 1: 10 credits
Subfield 2: 5 credits
Subfield 3: 5 credits
Disciplinary Core Courses – 400-level10
At the 400 level (below 470), take 5 credits from each of two separate subfields (Subfield Distribution List below)
Subfield 1: 5 credits
Subfield 2: 5 credits
Subfield Distribution Lists
American Government and Politics
U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
JURISPRUDENCE
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
MOCK TRIAL I
TOPICS IN AMERICAN POLITICS
MOCK TRIAL II
PLANNING LAW AND LEGISLATION
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
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
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
Required Senior Level Courses
POLI 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
POLI 493PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT2
Total Credits72

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

This major requires the completion of the World Language requirement. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree must complete two years of a single language in high school or one year of a single language in college.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015MATH 1075
POLI 100 (Social Science BACR 1)5POLI 202 (Social Science BACR 2)5POLI 203 (Global Studies - graduation requirement)5
Humanities & Arts BACR 115Humanities & Arts BACR 215Natural Science BACR 115
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
POLI 2045POLI 3005Political Science Elective - 300-level25
Political Science Elective - 300-level25POLI 3025Diversity - graduation requirement15
Natural Science BACR 215Political Science Elective - 300-level25Elective - minor, or general elective5
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Political Science Elective - 300-level25POLI 3065Political Science Elective - 400-level45
Elective - minor, or general elective5Political Science Elective - 400-level45Elective - minor, or general elective5
Elective - minor, or general elective5Elective - minor, or general elective5Elective - minor, or general elective5
 15 15 15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
POLI 4932Elective - minor, or general elective5POLI 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
Elective - minor, or general elective5Elective - minor, or general elective5Elective - minor, or general elective5
Elective - minor, or general elective5Elective - minor, or general elective5Elective - minor, or general elective5
Elective - minor, or general elective3  
 15 15 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Disciplinary Core - 300 level: At the 300 level, take 10 credits from one subfield, and 5 credits from each of the other two subfields.

3

Disciplinary Core Courses – 400-level: at the 400 level (below 470), take 5 credits from each of two separate subfields.

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 expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core 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 with Pre-Law from EWU should be able to:

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

Applied Learning Opportunities

  • Classroom-based applied learning/simulation: Practice real-world decision-making through simulations, case studies, role playing, and other hands-on activities in the classroom.
  • Internships: Get real-world experience (and often credit or pay) by working in a professional setting connected to your career goals.
  • Student employment & leadership at EWU: Gain skills, connections, and confidence through on-campus jobs and leadership roles in student government, departments, athletics, or clubs.
  • Undergraduate research: Collaborate with professors on real-world research projects where you ask questions, solve problems, and present what you discover.

Sample Courses

POLI 305. JURISPRUDENCE. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: POLI 100 and POLI 202.
Examines the philosophical underpinnings of the idea of law by examining the evolution of legal thought from Natural Law thinkers through Postmodern conceptions of legal reasoning. It includes discussion about the concepts of rules and justice as well as the nature and possibility of legal reasoning.

Catalog Listing

POLI 370. MOCK TRIAL I. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: permission of instructor.
Exposes 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. Focus is on the basics of preparing and building a fictional legal case and introduces trial advocacy.

Catalog Listing

POLI 402. TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS. 5 Credits.

Notes: may be repeated for credit.
Pre-requisites: POLI 203 or POLI 204.
The topic of this course varies from quarter to quarter, depending on student and faculty interests. Topics have included international law, international organizations (especially the European Union), problems of the international political system, comparative analysis of West European gender regimes, causes of political change and political stability, modernization and political development, causes and results of revolutions, the impact of social forces on the political system.

Catalog Listing

POLI 304. U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: POLI 100.
Examines the history and development of civil rights and liberties in the constitutional context of the United States. It emphasizes the problems of racial, religious, economic, political, and sexual discrimination and their remedies under the law.

Catalog Listing

Career Possibilities

  • Attorney
  • Corporate Counsel
  • Public Defender
  • Criminal Defense Attorney
  • Civil Rights Lawyer
  • Family Law Attorney
  • Immigration Attorney
  • Estate Planning Attorney

  • Public Policy Analyst
  • Legislative Assistant
  • Political Consultant
  • Lobbyist
  • Policy Advisor 
  • Government Relations Director
  • Public Affairs Specialist
  • Advocacy Director

  • Legislative Aide (for Congress or State Legislature)
  • Government Affairs Manager
  • U.S. Senator or Congressional Staffer
  • City or County Official
  • Public Administrator
  • Political Campaign Manager
  • City Planner 
  • Urban Development Specialist

  • Corporate Law Consultant
  • Business Contract Specialist
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Advisor
  • Intellectual Property Consultant
  • Labor Relations Specialist
  • Tax Attorney
  • Real Estate Attorney
  • Employment Law Specialist

  • Law Clerk 
  • Court Administrator
  • Paralegal or Legal Assistant
  • Court Reporter
  • Judicial Assistant
  • Legal Researcher
  • Case Manager

  • Human Rights Advocate
  • Nonprofit Program Manager
  • Legal Aid Specialist
  • Public Interest Attorney
  • Social Justice Advocate
  • Environmental Policy Advocate
  • Immigration Services Coordinator
  • Nonprofit Legal Counsel

  • Criminal Investigator
  • FBI Agent
  • Police Officer 
  • Parole Officer
  • Probation Officer
  • Forensic Expert
  • Crime Scene Analyst
  • Juvenile Justice Advocate

  • Law Professor 
  • Political Science or Government Professor
  • College/University Pre-Law Advisor
  • Research Fellow 
  • Legal Writing Instructor
  • Law School Admissions Consultant
  • Legal Researcher

  • Diplomat
  • Foreign Service Officer
  • International Law Specialist
  • International Trade Consultant
  • Global Policy Advisor
  • United Nations Advisor
  • Humanitarian Law Consultant
  • Political Risk Analyst

  • Legal Journalist
  • Political Reporter
  • Legal Editor 
  • Press Secretary 
  • Political Commentator
  • Legal Consultant 
  • Public Relations Specialist

  • Healthcare Policy Analyst
  • Medical Law Consultant
  • Bioethics Advisor
  • Healthcare Compliance Officer
  • Public Health Advocate 
  • Health Law Attorney
  • Public Health Policy Consultant

  • Intellectual Property Attorney
  • Cybersecurity Law Consultant
  • Technology Policy Advisor
  • Data Privacy Advocate
  • Technology Compliance Officer
  • E-commerce Law Consultant
  • Digital Rights and Copyright Lawyer

  • Environmental Policy Advisor
  • Environmental Protection Attorney
  • Land Use Lawyer
  • Conservation Law Specialist
  • Environmental Compliance Officer
  • Renewable Energy Law Consultant
  • Climate Change Advocate

  • Election Law Specialist
  • Campaign Finance Consultant
  • Political Consultant 
  • Voter Rights Advocate
  • Ballot Access Advisor
  • Political Action Committee (PAC) Legal Advisor
  • Election Analyst

  • Legal Tech Consultant
  • Document Review Specialist
  • Legal Software Developer
  • E-discovery Specialist
  • Legal Project Manager
  • Legal Research Technology Specialist

A Political Science major with a Pre-Law option gives you a deep understanding of political systems, governance, public policy, international relations, and political theory.

Through your studies, you’ll develop essential skills in problem-solving, ethical decision-making, and organization. You’ll graduate prepared to tackle complex challenges across various industries, including public administration, education, politics, and public relations.

Whether your goal is to attend law school or to make a difference in government, this major gives you the tools to succeed.

Explore career paths for Political Science majors with a Pre-Law option:

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