Major in Political Science (42-43 credits)
- Students must earn a grade of C- or better in courses used for the Political Science major.
- Up to 1/3 of the credits used for any other major or minor may be used to meet the requirements of this major.
Required courses...................................24 credits
POL216 American Government and Politics (4)
POL227 Introduction to International Politics (4)
POL229 Introduction to Comparative Politics (4)
POL300 Political Science Research Methods (4)
POL401/403/404/405/406 Senior Seminar (4) - See course list for details
One of the following:
POL220 Athens & Jerusalem: Political Thought in the Ancient & Medieval Worlds (4)
POL323 Sovereigns, Subjects & the State: Modern Political Thought (4)
Political Science electives.....................18-19 credits
Select twelve (12) credits from one of the following sub-fields (area concentrations) and six (6) credits from the remaining four:
Political Theory
American Government
International Relations
Comparative Politics
Law
- No more than one 200-level course (3-4 credits) may count toward the elective requirement.
- Only nine (9) credits of internship may be applied to the major; the remaining elective credits will be upper-division credits.
- POL390 Junior Seminar in Political Science (4) may count toward the sub-field requirement or as an upper-division Political Science elective.
Major in International Relations (39 credits, minimum)
- Students must earn a grade of C- or better in courses used for the International Relations major.
- Up to 1/3 of the credits used for any other major or minor may be used to meet the requirements of this major.
Required courses.....................................21 credits
POL227 Introduction to International Politics (4)
POL300 Political Science Research Methods (4)
POL404 Seminar in International Relations (4) or POL401/403/405/406 Senior Seminar (4)
One of the following:
POL353 International Relations of the Americas (3)
POL363 Chinese Foreign Policy and the US (3)
POL365 International Politics of the Asia-Pacific (3)
POL366 Contemporary American Foreign Policy (3)
HIS379 U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1898 (3)
One of the following:
ANT214 Cultural Anthropology (3)
ANT404 Political Anthropology (3)
GEO201 Human Geography (3)
One of the following*:
ECO309 Economics of Latin America (3)
ECO310 Economic Development of Asia-Pacific (3)
ECO401 International Trade and Finance (3)
ECO418 Economics of Development (3)
*Or another international economics course approved by the chair. Note that each of the courses listed has a required prerequisite of ECO206 or ECO207.
Elective courses.......................................18 credits (minimum)
Select twelve (12) credits, by advisement, from courses accepted for the International Relations major and minor (listed below). At least nine (9) credits must be in Political Science courses.
Select six (6) additional credits in a single world area: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East. Courses must be selected by advisement from those accepted for credit in International Relations.
- No more than one 200-level course (3-4 credits) may count toward the elective requirement.
- Only nine (9) credits of internship may be applied to the major; the remaining elective credits will be upper-division credits.
- POL390 Junior Seminar in Political Science (4) may count toward the world-area requirement or as an upper-division Political Science elective.
Courses accepted for International Relations credit (major or minor):
Selected Topic courses (293, 393, 493) and courses not listed below but included in the Schedule of Classes under International Relations will count as electives in the major or minor.
ANTHROPOLOGY
ANT214 Cultural Anthropology
ANT305 Cultures of South America
ANT404 Political Anthropology
ANT421 Gender and Anthropology
BLACK STUDIES
BLK200 Introduction to Africa
BLK302 Survey of Contemp. Africa: 19th Century to Present
BLK309 Introduction to Afro-Brazilian History
BLK311 Blacks in the Caribbean: 1492 to Present
BLK347 History of South Africa
BLK450 The Portuguese in Africa
ECONOMICS
ECO309 Economics of Latin America
ECO310 Economic Development of Asia-Pacific
ECO401 International Trade & Finance
ECO418 Economics of Development
FRENCH
FRN319 French Civilization
FRN320 Francophone Cultures
GEOGRAPHY
GEO201 Human Geography
GEO211 World Geography
GEO213 Economic Geography
GEO331 Gender & Environment
GEO353 Understanding Latin America
GEO411 Political Geography
GEO506 Contemporary China
GERMAN
GER316 Germany Today
HISTORY
HIS214 Modern Europe 1500 to Present
HIS215 China to 1800
HIS216 Modern China
HIS311 Modern Germany
HIS317 World War II
HIS333 Soviet Union
HIS334 Gandhi
HIS335 Modern Japan
HIS340 Iran
HIS343 History of Islam and the Middle East 570-1918
HIS344 The Middle East in the 20th Century
HIS353 20th-Century Europe
HIS373 The Holocaust
HIS377 History of Mexico
HIS407 Intellectual History of 19th-Century Europe
HIS467 The United States in Vietnam
LATIN AMERICAN & CARIBBEAN STUDIES
LAM270 Introduction to Latin American Studies
POLITICAL SCIENCE
POL220 Athens & Jerusalem: Political Thought in the Ancient & Medieval Worlds
POL227 Introduction to International Politics
POL229 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POL300 Political Science Research Methods
POL323 Sovereigns, Subjects and the State: Modern Political Thought
POL324 International Relations Theory
POL336 Middle Eastern Politics & Institutions
POL339 Model United Nations
POL341 Revolution and Counterrevolution
POL342 Politics of Developing Areas
POL344 Politics of International Economic Organizations
POL345 War and International Politics
POL346 International Political Economy
POL347 Politics of Environment and Development
POL353 International Relations of the Americas
POL354 European Politics & Government
POL357 International Law
POL362 Politics of China & India
POL363 Chinese Foreign Policy and the U.S.
POL364 Nationalism in World Politics
POL365 International Politics of the Asia-Pacific
POL366 American Foreign Policy
POL368 Defense Issues in American Foreign Policy
POL369 Governments and Politics of China and Japan
POL370 United Nations Semester (6 credits)
POL371 Latin American Politics
POL372 International Relations of the Middle East
POL373 Russian Politics: Past & Present
POL374 Politics of the European Union
POL379 Women in Politics
POL390 Junior Seminar in Political Science
POL393 Political Science Selected Topic
POL401 Seminar in American Government & Politics
POL403 Seminar in Comparative Politics
POL404 Seminar in International Relations
POL405 Seminar in Political Theory
POL406 Seminar in Law
POL480 Government Internship
POL484 State Politics Semester
POL493 Political Science Selected Topic
POL494 Fieldwork In Political Science
POL495 Independent Study in Political Science
[See also Study Abroad, below]
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
REL275 Islam: An Introduction
SOCIOLOGY
SOC310 Comparative Political Economy
SOC380 Social and Economic Development
SPANISH
SPA365 Culture & Civilization of Spain
SPA372 Culture of Latin America
STUDY ABROAD
SAB353 Global Engagement Program (9 credits)
WOMEN'S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES
WOM340 Transnational Feminism
WOM430 Women in the Caribbean
Honors
A departmental honors program allows the department to recognize student excellence in Political Science or International Relations. Student majors who maintain a college GPA and a GPA in Political Science or International Relations of 3.3 may apply to do individual Honors Research (POL491) for 3 credits. The full department will review the student's final paper, and will determine whether it warrants a recommendation of "Honors in Political Science" or "Honors in International Relations."*
*Please note that the department is considering changes to its
requirement for departmental honors. Interested students should
check with the department about the status of these revisions.
A chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, was established by the department at SUNY New Paltz in 1979 and charter members were inducted in that year. Each year, outstanding eligible undergraduates at New Paltz are invited to join the society. Membership is open to students, regardless of major, if they meet the following requirements: 1) completion of at least 60 college credits; 2) completion of at least 15 credits in Political Science, either at SUNY New Paltz or in transfer; 3) completion of at least 3 credits of Political Science at the upper-division (300) level; 4) a GPA of at least 3.3 in Political Science classes, at SUNY New Paltz and at other schools; and 5) an overall GPA of at least 3.0, at SUNY New Paltz and at other schools.
