Political Science >

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

A major in Political Science offers you the benefits of a liberal arts education. The knowledge, perspectives, and skills you acquire from your courses can enable you to get a variety of jobs in government, education, business, and community organizations.

Our educational mission is less to help students serve those who wield power than to assist them in developing the skills for evaluating the performances of authority figures and powerholders wherever they are--in the government, business, Department, or the home. Other skills consist of imagining, creating, and testing alternative ways of acting and being.

(You qualify under these requirements if you declared your major after May 2002)

To major in Political Science students must complete at least 27 semester hours, with a grade of C or above. At least 24 of these credits must be POLS 399 or lower. You must take:

• 3 credit introductory course at the 100 or 200 level
• 9 credit hours from courses distributed as follows: POLS 335; either POLS 305 or POLS 315; and either POLS 375 or POLS 385
  
• 3 credit POLS 390 (Methodology) course
  
• 9 credit hours from any other 300 level courses
  
• at least 3 credit hours from a CAPSTONE400 level course (POLS 401-406)

During their Senior year at UH-Manoa, Political Science majors will take their choice of one three-credit course in which they draw upon and extend their knowledge about politics to pursue a significant research project, teaching experience, and/or community activity. The research experience will enable students to write a scholarly paper of potentially publishable quality. The teaching experience will enable students to offer a college-level course to fellow students. The community experience will enable students to develop significant leadership and organizational skills and to participate in an important political organization in their community.

Majors must take one CAPSTONE course (POLS 401-406), and they may take more than one if they choose. Options include the following:

Research:

• Senior Seminar (POLS 406). Advanced inquiry into a selected question or area in Political Science. Each semester's class will reflect that instructor's area of specialization. Students will write a major research paper.
• Senior Thesis (POLS 404). Students will work with an advisor of their choice in designing and carrying out an individual research project. Can be completed within the Honors Program.
• Graduate Seminar: Students who take a graduate seminar in Political Science will complete 3 credits and fulfill their capstone requirements.

Teaching (POLS 401--Teaching Political Science):

• Freshman Seminar. Selected students will design and teach their own section of PolS 110, under the supervision of a faculty member.
• Freshman Seminar on-line. Two students will work with Dr. Jim Dator to teach Pol Sci 171, Introduction to Future Studies, on the Internet
• Teaching IR. Two students will work with Dr. Richard Chadwick to teach PolS 320, Global Politics/International Relations.

Community action/field work:

• Legislative Internship (POLS 402). Students will be placed with a state Legislator and will work full-time in her/his office to gain an understanding of Hawai'i state politics and to develop skills in policy analysis, organizational practices, and community leaderships. Offered each spring. (Students receive 15 credits for this full-time internship).
  
• Community Internship (POLS 403). Students spend 8-10 hours/ week working  with a community organization or agency to gain an understanding of local political practices and community activities. (Students normally receive 3  credits for this internship )

To minor in Political Science students must complete one introductory course (110, 120, 130, or 190) and 15 credit hours from the 300 level or above, including one course from POLS 305, POLS 315, POLS 335, POLS 375 or POLS 385.

Students should choose one of the 100 or 200 level political science courses as part of their General Education Core in social sciences, since a 100 or 200 level course is prerequisite for 300 level courses.

checklist

To ensure that you are on the right track, please see and complete our Checklist. If you need help filling out our checklist, go to STAR Degree Check.