Political Science Degree Requirements

Complete these Political Science degree requirements at UND.

Required 120 credits (36 of which must be numbered 300 or above) including:

I. Essential Studies Requirements (see University ES listing).

II. BA in Political Science Program Requirements:

a. At least a 2.00 GPA cumulative at UND

b. At least a 2.50 GPA for courses required within the major

III. Core Curriculum:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Introductory-level coursework
Select two of the following:		6
POLS 115	American Government I	3
POLS 116	State and Local Government	3
POLS 120	Global Perspectives	3
Intermediate-level coursework
Select two of the following:		6
POLS 215	Politics and Diversity	3
POLS 220	International Politics	3
POLS 225	Comparative Politics	3
POLS 250	Introduction to Public Administration	3
Advanced-level coursework
POLS 300	Introduction Research Methods	3
POLS 310	Introduction to Political Thought	3
POLS 405	Political Behavior	3
or POLS 432	Public Policy Making Process
A Capstone experience
POLS 495	Senior Colloquium in Political Science and Public Administration	3
Political Science students also will take 9 hours of electives, normally at the 300-level or above. Up to three (3) credits at the 200-level may be counted towards this elective requirement without prior departmental approval. Majors may take up to six (6) hours of these electives, at the 300-level or above from relevant courses outside the department with prior departmental approval.		9
Total Credits		33

*: Students may substitute POLS 308 Intergovernmental Relations with departmental approval.

Political Science students also will meet the following requirements based on courses offered in other departments:

Level II proficiency in a world language
ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics or equivalent (3 credits)
ECON 210 Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics or equivalent undergraduate statistics course such as PSYC 241 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences or SOC 326 Sociological Statistics

IV. Nistler College of Business & Public Administration Graduation Requirements:

Earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 (including transfer credits)
Earn a minimum UND GPA of 2.00
Earn a minimum GPA of 2.50 for all courses that apply toward the major (including transfer credits)
Complete at least half of the major courses that apply toward the degree and major at UND.

Political Science Degree Requirements Disclaimer

The requirements on this page are pulled from UND’s academic catalog and may not reflect future terms. Updates are published annually in April.

General Education Courses

Essential Studies (ES) is UND’s program in general education. Along with your required major courses, it helps form the core of your UND undergraduate education. Your ES courses focus on essential skills employers require including communication, critical thinking and problem solving.