Political Science at Ozarks

Major

Thinking about politics is what we do. This involves seeking and prizing the opportunity to make political choices consistent with human dignity. The effectiveness of this activity depends on a thoughtful combination of personal and societal purposes and the skills and information necessary to achieve these ends. Our programs provide an opportunity to think, participate, and acquire requisite skills for political action in a range of career preparations in international relations, public administration and policy, political consulting, and law.

Academic preparation and career planning are joined together in our curriculum. Formal course work is integrated with career counseling and community service opportunities with public agencies. Careers in law, public administration, and teaching are most often chosen by those who concentrate in political science-related programs.

Political Science Intended Student Outcomes
1. All students are expected to actively engage in career planning and to develop a plan of action in consultation with faculty. This includes the requirement that students will engage in an internship or off-campus study relevant to their career choice.
2. Students must be able to receive diverse phenomena and stimuli and respond to these experiences by suspending judgment and reflecting on the experience as it relates to them and to others that might be initiating the flow of data.
3. Students must be able to organize their values and identify how differing contexts in civic life and personal role engage these values and often produce ethical conflicts. Students will articulate a rationale for making choices and recognize the importance of distinguishing personal, professional, community and more absolute values based on religious preference.
4. Students must articulate basic knowledge of political science relevant to their sub-fields of study. This knowledge base includes knowledge of technical terms, concrete facts and information about representative theories, multiple methodologies for research, conventions for presentation of knowledge attained through research, and worldviews.
5. Students must be able to communicate in written, oral and symbolic form what has been communicated in written, spoken, or symbolic form.
6. Students must be able to analyze a problem, apply theory, and synthesize knowledge through the application of critical thinking skills to subjects, problems, or issues of their choice and relevant to their professional career preparation fields.
7. Students must be able to evaluate arguments as to the degree they are efficient, adequate, responsive, and appropriate. This includes the evaluation of public policy and actions.

Requirements for a Major

A bachelor of science in political science requires 44-50 hours. A 26-hour core is required of all majors. A concentration in one of three career tracks is required. Students may choose from the three tracks within the major.

Core:
COM 3183, PLS 1003, PLS 2013, PLS 3043, PLS 3073 or PLS 3083, PLS 3782, PLS 4443, SCM 2033, SCM 4013

Legal Careers Track:
PLS 3053, PLS 4003, PLS 4033, PLS 4053, Six additional hours (three hours must be upper-level) in an appropriate area of interest defined by the student and approved by the student’s advisor.
Law School Admission Test must be taken in the fall of the senior year.

Public Administration and Public Policy Track:
PLS 2033, PLS 2043, PLS 3013 or PLS 4033, PLS 4023, Six additional hours (three hours must be upper-level) in an appropriate area of interest defined by the student and approved by the student’s advisor. Graduate Record Exam must be taken in the fall of the senior year.

International Politics and Political Economy Track:
PLS 2033, PLS 3003, PLS 4003, PLS 3013 or PLS 3033, PLS 4013, Three additional upper-level hours in an appropriate area of interest defined by the student and approved by the student’s advisor. Graduate Record Exam must be taken in the fall of the senior year.

A bachelor of arts in political science requires the following:
To the above Legal Careers track, add six hours of the same foreign language. To the above Public Administration and Public Policy track, add twelve hours of foreign language. To the above International Politics and Political Economy track, add twelve hours of foreign language.

Minor

For those interested in Political Science as a minor, click here.

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