Nov 03, 2024  
Xavier University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 2024-2025 
  
Xavier University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 2024-2025

Political Science, B.A.


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Students in political science pursue answers to the vital questions of equity, justice, and peace in the modern world.  Our challenging courses consider the best political and social science literature with a view to gaining a deeper understanding of contemporary domestic and foreign controversies, including those of human rights and democracy, equality and race, poverty and social class, terrorism and war.  In this way, students confront the promise and limits of political and social solutions to humanity’s gravest problems.

The department offers intellectually stimulating introductory courses in the following fields:

  • American Government and Politics
  • Comparative Government
  • Political Philosophy
  • International Relations

Courses go beyond the presentation of “nuts and bolts” to explore underlying issues of real significance.  Upper level courses are limited in size and scope, allowing students to debate the political and social issues that are of greatest interest to them.

The department has internship programs in Washington, D.C., Columbus, and Cincinnati that allow students to earn course credit.  Students may also earn credit for internship experiences closer to home, or by participating in the department’s Summer State Politics Internship Program at the Ohio General Assembly.  Students can apply what they learn in their courses to the political and social institutions and processes that they experience as interns.

Faculty in the Political Science department help lead study abroad programs in Ireland and Paris, France.  Students are also encouraged to undertake a major undergraduate research project under the supervision of a faculty member and to present their research at an undergraduate research conference. In addition, the department’s student-run undergraduate research journal, the Xavier Journal of Politics provides students with opportunities to participate in high-level research by participating in the editorial process or submitting their work for publication.

Requirements for the Political Science Major


Core Curriculum Requirements:


48-63 Credit Hours dependent on courses taken, including

Major Requirements:


33 credit hours, as follows

18 hours of political science electives selected from:


Note(s):


  • A 2.000 cumulative average must be attained in the political science courses.
  • In addition to formal course work, students are encouraged to include experiential learning in their program if they feel it will contribute to their learning goals and objectives. To accomplish this, the department facilitates intern programs in Washington, D.C., Columbus, and Cincinnati, as well as a local internship program that allows students to engage politics close to home. The Political Science major provides breadth which ensures that the student is well grounded in the discipline and at the same time permits flexibility for concentration in a sub-field.

TOTAL Minimum Hours Required for Degree: 120 Semester Hours


B.A. Political Science


This block serves as a guideline for progress toward a degree. See your academic advisor.

Freshman Year


First Semester


  • CORE 100 - First Year Seminar or THEO 111 - Theological Foundations
  • Seond Language I
  • ENGL 101 - English Composition or ENGL 115 - Rhetoric
  • POLI 120 - Comparative Govt and Politics or POLI 140 - American Government and Politi
  • MATH 116 - Elementary Statistics or MATH 156 - General Statistics

Total (15)

Second Semester


  • POLI 120 - Comparative Govt and Politics or POLI 140 - American Government and Politics
  • PHIL 100 - Ethics as Intro to Philosophy
  • Second Language II
  • CORE 100 - First Year Seminar or THEO 111 - Theological Foundations
  • Scientific Perspectives Elective

Total (15)

Sophomore Year


First Semester


  • ECON 200 - Microeconomic Principles
  • POLI 277 - International Relations
  • Quantitative Elective
  • Theological Perspectives Elective
  • Philosophy 200: Philosophical Perspectives

Total (15)

Second Semester


  • ECON 201 - Macroeconomic Principles
  • POLI 301 - Political Philosophy
  • Social Science Elective
  • Writing Intensive Elective
  • Historical Perspectives

Total (15)

Junior Year


First Semester


  • ENGL 205 / CLAS 205 / GERM 205 / SPAN 205 - Literature & Moral Imagination
  • Political Science Elective #1
  • Political Science Elective #2
  • ERS Elective
  • General Elective

Total (15)

Second Semester


  • Political Science Elective #3
  • Political Science Elective #4
  • DCR Elective
  • Natural Sciences + Lab Elective
  • General Elective

Senior Year


First Semester


  • POLI 390 - Sem: International Relations or POLI 391 - Sem: American Government
  • Political Science Elective #5
  • Humanities Elective
  • General Elective
  • General Elective

Total (15)

Second Semester


  • Political Science Elective #6
  • Creative Perspectives Elective
  • Oral Elective
  • General Elective
  • General  Elective

Scheduling Notes:


  • Summer Study Abroad and Internship courses may reduce the number of POLI electives and credit hours needed during the Fall and Spring semesters.

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