Majors

Political Science Major

The study of Political Science is fundamental to understanding your rights and responsibilities as a citizen and to understanding international politics and law. ETSU’s 36-hour undergraduate major in political science requires courses on American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public law. These courses introduce students to structures of government, political concepts, political behavior, relevant policy issues domestically and internationally. In addition to giving you new insight into dynamic political processes, these courses also provide valuable analytical, research and communication skills.  

Common careers for political science majors include working in government, in the legal field as an attorney or judge, with political parties, with organized interest groups and non-profit organizations, as a lobbyist, as a policy analysist or public opinion researcher, as a diplomat, or as a political scientist.  

Required courses

• PSCI 1110 - Introduction to Political Science (3 credits)

  Provides systematic study of power and decision-making within and between nations. Major topics include government, law and public policy, ideologies, political parties and elections, comparative politics, and international relations.
• PSCI 1120 - Introduction to American Government (3 hours)

  A survey of American government focusing on the United States Constitution, American political culture and political processes.
• PSCI 2210 Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 hours)

  An introduction to the comparative study of politics, employing a conceptual, or thematic approach. The politics of selected countries will be examined, focusing on major features such as governmental institutions, political culture, and public policy. (CP)
• PSCI 2220 - Intro to World Politics (3 hours) 

  An introduction to the major concepts and themes in the study of international politics designed to provide students with analytical tools for understanding problems and issues in international security, organization, and political economy. (IR)
• PSCI 3440 - Research Methods  (3 hours) 

  Surveys the methods of empirical political inquiry within a general framework of research design, data analyses, interpretation, and statistical modeling. This is a technology-intensive course with practical applications of statistical software packages.

One course at or above the 3000 level in each of the (5) sub-fields:

• American Politics (AP)
  
  
• Comparative Politics (CP)
• International Politics (IR)
• Political Theory (PT)
• Public Law (PL)

Three courses to be selected freely from the Political Science curriculum - 9 hrs

International Affairs Major

The International Affairs major is a study of the behavior of states, international organizations, and domestic political actors within the international community. The major provides a basis for analyzing international issues such as international cooperation and conflict, the global political economy, US foreign policy, world cultures, global health and environmental concerns, and international law and organization. 

Although International Affairs majors take most of their courses in political science, they also may take courses in history, economics, anthropology, public health, and other liberal arts disciplines. Beyond learning theories, concepts, and principles within the study of international relations, students in the major develop research, analytical, presentation, and communication skills. Additionally, students much acquire knowledge of at least one foreign language, and participation in study abroad programs is highly encouraged. 

The International Affairs major provides excellent preparation for law school and/or graduate school and majoring in International Affairs can lead to employment in many sectors of the economy. Potential positions of employment include policy analyst, social science teacher, international business manager, foreign correspondent, consultant, legislative aide, intelligence officer, Foreign Service Officer, non-governmental organization researcher or manager, Peace Corps officer, and United Nations staff member. 

Major Requirements

Total credits required for graduation: 120 hours

All majors are required to take 15 credits in the Major Field Core of the following courses:

• PSCI 2210 - Introduction to Comparative Politics(3 credits)

  Introduces the comparative study of politics, employing a conceptual, or thematic, approach. The politics of selected countries is examined, focusing on major features such as governmental institutions, political culture and public policy.
• PSCI 2220 - Introduction to World Politics(3 credits)

  Introduces major concepts and themes in the study of international politics designed to provide analytical tools for understanding problems and issues in international security, organization and political economy.
• PSCI 3310 - International Relations(3 credits)

  Provides an introduction to the study of the relations between states, politics, diplomacy, international law, and organization and an analysis of the theory and practice of international relations.
• PSCI 3440 - Research Methods(3 credits)

  Prerequisites: MATH 1530 and CSCI 1100.

  Surveys the methods of empirical political inquiry within a general framework of research design, data analyses, interpretation, and statistical modeling. This is a technology-intensive course with practical applications of statistical software packages.

• PSCI 3750 - International Law and Organizations(3 credits)

  Prerequisites: PSCI 2220.

  Introduces the international legal system and provides the students with the basic concepts, principles and rules of international law.

• Comparative Political Systems

  Students must choose two courses (6 credits) from the following:

  PSCI 3010 Chinese Politics
  PSCI 3800 European Politics
  PSCI 3830 Government and Politics of Latin America
  PSCI 3850 Politics of the Middle East
  PSCI 4820 Politics of Development and Change
  PSCI 3900 Government & Politics of Russia and East Europe

• Issues in International Affairs

  Students must choose two courses (6 credits) from the following:

  PSCI 4300 International Politics
  PSCI 3350 International Political Economy
  PSCI 3000 Peace, Security, and Development
  PSCI 4330 American Foreign Policy
  ECON 4527/5527 International Economics

• Contemporary Societies and Cultures

  Students must complete two 3-credit hour courses. The following list of courses is illustrative only. These courses or others not listed should be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor.

  PSCI 4194/5194 ETSU Education Abroad
  ANTH 1240 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  SOAA 3700 Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
  HIST 3720 History of Africa
  HIST 3731 Modern Latin American
  HIST 3732 History of Mexico
  HIST 3740 History of Asia
  HIST 3730 Colonial Latin America
  SPAN 3413 Civilization of Latin America
  HIST 3340 Modern Europe
  COBH 4707 International Health: An Overview of Problems and Issues
  HIST 4717 Modern Middle East: 1800-present
  ECON 4527/5527 International Economics

Other credits: Minor Program (18-28 credit hours)
Additional university general electives (10-22 credit hours)

Three credit hours of a foreign language course numbered 2020 or above, and three credit hours of a non-US history course are required in addition to forty-one to forty-two credit hours of the University General Education requirements.

For more information regarding the International Affairs Major, please contact Dr. Michele Crumley at (423) 439-6629 or crumleyml@etsu.edu

Double Major - Political Science and Philosophy

A double major in philosophy and political science is particularly well-suited for students who want to combine political analysis with philosophical insight. This program of study would be an excellent choice for students who are interested in better understanding political systems, models of representation, comparative politics, as well as concepts such as equality and political and social justice.

Political philosophy is an important subdiscipline of philosophy, concerned with better understanding how public power can be used to maximize the quality of life of those who are affected by governments, public policies, and political actions. Political philosophy is primarily interested in how political organizations ought to function, and is thus less concerned with describing how political decisions are made. Nevertheless, political philosophies must be appropriately informed by the systems of government that exist and have existed, as well as the consequences of implanting different systems. For students interested in political science, a double major with philosophy promises important benefits that neither discipline can offer on its own.

Major Requirements

The requirements for a double major in Philosophy and Political Science can all be satisfied within 120 student credit hours. The following four-year plan assumes that students are pursuing the BS in both Philosophy and Political Science. The following plan also assumes that students pursue the general concentration within the philosophy major, but this could easily be substituted for either the philosophy concentration in religious studies, or justice, ethics and law. The Department of Political Science offers a wide range of courses that can satisfy the italicized categories and the Philosophy Department offers many courses that can be used as electives. Students are invited to visit department websites to learn more about the many options available, or talk to a department advisor about potential pathways to a double-major.