Political Science, B.A.

Political scientists study power, politics and a variety of political processes, systems and behaviors. Politics can be understood broadly as the process by which groups of people make decisions about how they will live and act together. As such, political action is the essential underpinning of all human communities and social life.

The discipline of political science covers many topics, from campaigns and elections in the United States, to economic development and democratization around the world, and to diplomacy and globalization. Political science students learn how to address big questions, such as what makes a government legitimate or what constitutes a good society. They also come to understand causes and mechanisms for addressing major global challenges like terrorism, poverty, climate change and war.

Saint Louis University's political science major can prepare students for advanced study in a variety of areas: law, public administration, international relations, urban affairs, business and political science. Political science students pursue jobs in government, international organizations, nonprofit organizations, education, law, journalism, diplomacy, survey research and fields related to the promotion of social justice.

Additional program highlights include:

• Undergraduates can start taking graduate classes before they earn their B.A. and quickly finish an M.A. as part of the accelerated M.A. program.
• The political science program at SLU is distinctive in its commitment to preparing students to become engaged citizens both locally and globally. Students grapple with some of most important social justice problems of the time, from racism and poverty at home to war, persistent underdevelopment, and oppression abroad.
• The SLU political science department is big enough to offer a wide range of classes and small enough that students get individual attention from faculty.

Curriculum Overview

Students can study the politics of most areas of the world as well as issues of global security and economic development. They can augment their study of politics with work in a variety of distinctive interdisciplinary programs, including programs devoted to area studies (Asia, Russia and East Europe, Latin America), global and local social justice, foreign service, political journalism, African American Studies, gender studies and more.

Students can choose among five options for their B.A.:

General Major

Covers American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political thought and allows students the flexibility to choose classes that reflect their particular interests.

International Affairs Concentration

Permits students to study topics such as economic development, international security, and political change around the world. 

International Relations Concentration

Public Law Concentration

Focuses attention on law and courts and the relationship of both to larger issues of justice, social change and democracy.

Public Policy Concentration

Examines the practical application of knowledge to governance and social problems.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Undergraduate students majoring in political science at SLU may take six credits of electives through internships offered in areas such as political campaigns, foreign service, state and federal government, and overseas fieldwork. These internships permit students to gain professional experience working with elected officials, organizations that serve immigrants or disadvantaged communities, law firms, nonprofit organizations or other groups working toward the public good. Students have interned in St. Louis, in Washington D.C. and in many countries around the world.

Students can participate in faculty research projects, or they can complete an independent honors thesis examining a topic of their choice. 

Careers

Graduates are prepared for jobs in government, international organizations, community and nonprofit organizations, education, law, NGOs, journalism, diplomacy, survey research and fields related to the promotion of social justice.

An undergraduate degree in political science also provides marketable skills in empirical data analysis and practical problem-solving. It is a traditional major for students interested in law school or planning a career in politics.

Admission Requirements

Freshman

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. Saint Louis University also accepts the Common App.

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory course work is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate applicants will not be required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) in order to be considered for admission. Applicants will be evaluated equally, with or without submitted test scores.

Begin Your Application

Transfer

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. 

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s). In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

International Applicants

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. 

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: Provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit the student financial services office online at https://www.slu.edu/financial-aid.

1. Graduates will be able to identify the structure and operation of political systems in the U.S, across a variety of countries, and in multinational organizations
   • Madrid campus: Graduates will be able to identify and compare political systems in the Western world, international trends at the global level and multinational organizations.
2. Graduates will be able to distinguish among various approaches to studying political phenomena.
3. Graduates will be able to read carefully and evaluate and construct analytical arguments in clear and logical prose.
4. Graduates will be able to identify and gather information from credible primary and secondary sources.
5. Graduates will be able to design original research to test arguments and hypotheses with qualitative and/or quantitative approaches.
6. Graduates will be able to assess the effects of various social and political structures and public policies to determine which are more likely to promote equality, justice, freedom, or other values important to them.
   • Madrid campus: Graduates will be able to use knowledge of other cultures and languages to one’s own in order to conduct culturally-sensitive analyses of local, regional, global and international issues.
7. Graduates will be able to use their knowledge of political systems to engage effectively in political and social life.

Political Science students must complete a minimum total of 34 credits for the major.

Political science majors may not count more than six credits of independent study (POLS 4980 Advanced Independent Study (1-6 cr)) and/or internship work toward the major. The two 4000-level seminars and the methods class must be completed at Saint Louis University, not by transfer credit. Only 15 credits of transfer credit can apply toward the Political Science major. Students may not count more than four 1000 level courses toward the major and must take at least four 3000 or higher level courses.

To give some focus to a major, students are encouraged to take 3 or 4 courses in at least one of the four sub-fields or a cross-sub-field area of interest in political science (like social justice, democratization or legal studies). Students should consult with department faculty advisors in selecting courses.

No one class can fulfill more than one requirement in the major.

Research Project Option

As an alternative to one of the 4000-level seminars, students having a grade-point average of 3.30 or better may, with Department Chair approval, take POLS 4960 Senior Research (3 cr), an individual research project under the supervision of a Political Science faculty member.

Honors Thesis Option

The Political Science Honors Thesis option is for qualified and highly motivated students. These students need to inform the Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies of their interest by the spring of their Junior Year if they want to write the thesis during their senior year or by the fall of the Junior year if they want to start a semester earlier. Students doing an Honors Thesis must have a Political Science GPA of 3.50 and an overall GPA of 3.40 . This program involves a full year, two course sequence: POLS 4990 Research Design (3 cr) and POLS 4991 Political Science Honors Thesis (1-6 cr). Students doing honors theses will have a 37-credit major. POLS 4990 Research Design (3 cr) fulfills one 4000-level seminar requirement.

Internships

The Political Science department encourages majors to take political science internships as part of their degree programs. These provide excellent practical experience that potential employers appreciate. Internships often help majors select a future career. Students select internships in consultation with their mentors.

The Department offers a variety of internships, which may satisfy up to 6 credits of electives.  Students may contact the Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies for more information.

General Major

International Affairs Concentration (St. Louis) 

International Relations Concentration (Madrid)

Public Law Concentration

Public Policy Concentration 

Continuation Standards

Students in the Political Science major must maintain a 2.00 GPA in Political Science coursework.

Bachelor of Arts Core Curriculum Requirements

Graduation Requirements

• Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses [numbered below 1000]).
• Complete either the College of Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Core Curriculum Requirements
• Complete Major Requirements: minimum 30 credits required.
• Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate, and/or elective credits to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
• Courses listed under the intensive English program do not count toward graduation requirements. EAP 1500 College Composition for International Students (3 cr), EAP 1900 Rhetoric & Research Strategies (3 cr) and EAP 2850 Nation, Identity and Literature (3 cr) count toward graduation requirements as equivalents to Department of English courses.
  
  In addition to those courses, six credits from EAP/MLNG courses at the 1000 level or higher may count toward graduation requirements
• Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s) and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate, or related elective credits.
• Complete department/program-specific academic and performance requirements.
• Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

General Major

International Affairs Concentration

Public Law Concentration

Public Policy Concentration

Political Science (Madrid Campus)

Program Notes

• A minor (or second major) is required
• Diversity in the EU courses:

  Course List

  Code	Title	Credits
  POLS 3567	Political Development in Contemporary Spain	3
  POLS 4630	The European Union: Politics and Political Economy	3

• Global Citizenship courses:

  Course List

  Code	Title	Credits
  POLS 1600	Introduction to International Politics	3-4
  POLS 2550	Political Systems of the Sub-Sahara	3
  POLS 2560	The Politics of Asia	3
  POLS 2570	Introduction to Latin American Politics	3

Students can complete the international relations track of the political science program at SLU’s campus in Madrid.
Learn More