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Department Chair: Terri B. Davis

201 Social and Behavioral Sciences Building, phone (409) 880-8526, fax (409) 880-1710
email politicalscience@lamar.edu

Pre-Law Advisor: Terri B. Davis

Distinguished Professors Emeritus: Drury, Utter

Professors: Castle, Vanderleeuw

Associate Professors: Davis, Lanier, Sandovici, Sowers

Assistant Professors: Easterly, Nelson

Instructors: Gubala, Tanahey

Adjunct Instructors: Owen, Rogers-Butler

The Political Science Department provides all university students with knowledge and appreciation of national and state political processes and equips undergraduate majors with a wide knowledge of the various substantive areas of the discipline, including American politics, comparative politics, public administration and public policy, and international relations. Students receive instruction in social science research methodology, critical analysis, and methods of effective communication to prepare them for appropriate professional, educational, and occupational opportunities. Political Science faculty members have earned doctorates in a wide range of specializations within the broad areas of the discipline. Departmental instruction is energized and informed by faculty involvement in research, scholarly publication, and professional activities at political science and social science organization meetings. Department faculty serve the larger community by participating in civic organizations, commissions, and task forces, and offering professional expertise as consultants and advisors to local governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Bachelor of Science in Political Science

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Political Science with Legal Studies Minor

Bachelor of Science in Political Science with Social Studies Certification

Additionally, the Department offers a Pre-Law Program leading to Bachelor of Arts or Science degrees.

Bachelor of Science/M.P.A. Fast Track

Master of Public Administration

Minors Offered

Minor in Political Science

Minor in Legal Studies

Minimum Academic Standards for Political Science Majors

The following minimum academic standards apply to students enrolled as majors in the Department of Political Science:

1. A grade of C or better in English composition courses is required.
2. A grade of C or better in all Political Science courses is required.
3. A grade of C or better in all courses in the minor is required.
4. A 2.0 grade point average in the major is required for graduation.
5. An overall grade point average of 2.0 is required for graduation.

Political Science – Pre-Law

One of the traditional routes to law school is a four-year undergraduate degree in Political Science. Students may pursue either the Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science or Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science as candidates for admission to a school of law. Both degrees retain the values of a liberal education (such as instruction in history, English, and a foreign language) and the enhancement of technical skills (including accounting and mathematics). With several free electives and an 18-hour minor, the Bachelor of Arts or Science in Political Science affords considerable flexibility in meeting each student’s unique educational and career needs. The Political Science Department pre-law advisor assists students in selecting appropriate undergraduate courses, applying for admission to law school and maximizing the chance for success on the Law School Admission Test.

Juniors and seniors who meet the required academic standards may also apply for participation in the State of Texas Legislative Internship Program and various legal, legislative and local government internships.

Texas Legislative Internship Program (TLIP)

The Texas Legislative Internship Program (TLIP) is an educational internship program sponsored by Senator Rodney Ellis, administered by the Mickey Leland Center on World Hunger and Peace, and funded through the Beaumont Foundation. TLIP provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students attending Texas colleges and universities to serve as interns in the Texas Legislature during regular legislative sessions.

Students receive a minimum of six and a maximum of twelve academic credit hours for participating in the program, which combines academic study and research with supervised practical training. TLIP internships cover one spring academic semester and allow students an opportunity to experience public service firsthand.

Juniors and seniors from any academic discipline who meet the required academic standards may apply for participation in TLIP.  The application process is rigorous and highly competitive. A committee of 17³Ô¹Ï Ph.D. holding faculty select five internship nominees from among the applicants and forward their applications to the state TLIP program.  Applications are accepted and awards made in each fall semester prior to the state legislative regular session

Legal Internships – Pre-Law

Exceptional students may qualify for a cooperative education program available in the legal profession. They earn up to six semester hours of elective internship credit in their junior and senior years while working half-days in local law firms. Law office experience is combined with academic assignments to develop skills useful to the potential lawyer. Admission to the program is by permission of the chair of the Department of Political Science and the pre-law advisor.

Bachelor of Science/Master of Public Administration Fast Track Program

The Fast Track B.S./M.P.A. allows exceptional undergraduate political science majors to earn dual-credit for graduate courses taken during the senior year, and successful students will meet all department and university requirements for both degrees in five years.  Students admitted to the Fast Track Program take the graduate version of four cross-listed courses during their senior year, and students who successfully complete these courses will receive both the undergraduate credit and institutionally awarded graduate credit.  This affords Fast Track students the opportunity to complete their M.P.A. degree in one year including some summer work.

In order to continue in the program, Fast Track students must maintain a GPA of 3.3 throughout the program, meet all requirements of both the B.S. and M.P.A. degrees, and take no less than four graduate courses having no undergraduate counter-part.

Political science majors interested in applying to the Fast Track Program should meet with the Department Chair or Department Academic Advisor early in their junior year to discuss the application requirements

Bachelor of Arts – Political Science Major

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science emphasizes a traditional liberal arts or humanities curriculum and includes the following requirements:

A. General Requirements: See General Education Core Curriculum for the Bachelor of Arts. Students must have ENGL 1302, ENGL Lit, and PHIL 1370 or 2306. B.A. students may satisfy science requirements with 3 hour courses;

B. Major (33 semester hours, exclusive of POLS 2301, 2302 Introduction to American Government I/II in the General Education Core Curriculum) POLS 1301 Introduction to Political Science, POLS 3351 Statistics for Social Scientists and POLS 3352 Advanced Research Methods;

Six semester hours selected from American politics (POLS 3313 Judicial Process, 3314 Legislative Process, 3317 American Presidency, 3318 American Political Parties, 4312 American Constitutional Law).

Three semester hours from each of the following fields: International relations (POLS 3320 International Politics, 3321 Politics of American Foreign Policy, 4322 International Law and Institutions), Comparative politics (POLS 3330 Introduction to Comparative Politics, 3332 Politics of Western Democracies, 4331 Politics of Developing Nations);

Three semester hours in either International Relations or Comparative Politics;

Six semester hours selected from Public administration and policy (POLS 3341 Introduction to Public Policy, 3342 Environmental Policy, 3343 Urban Politics, 4340 Formulation of Public Policy, 4341 Organization Theory and Behavior);

Three semester hours in an advanced POLS elective;

C. Minor (Minimum of 18 semester hours). An approved minor of 18 semester hours, including at least 12 advanced hours.

D. Additional requirements: B.A. Core (12 semester hours) Completion of the 2312 level in a foreign language, normally 12 semester hours;

E. Electives: Sufficient electives to total 120 semester hours, including 45 advanced hours (at least 24 in the major); 24 of the advanced hours must be completed at 17³Ô¹Ï.

Suggested Program of Study

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – Total Min. Hours: 120

Bachelor of Science — Political Science Major

The Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science emphasizes quantitative skills in the applied social sciences and includes the following requirements:

A. General Requirements: See General Education Core Curriculum for the Bachelor of Science. Students must have ENGL 1302 and ENGL Lit., PHIL 1370 or 2306. B.S. students must satisfy Science requirements with 4 hour courses (including lab);

B. Major (33 semester hours, exclusive of POLS 2301, 2302 Introduction to American Government I/II in the General Education Core Curriculum) POLS 1301 Introduction to Political Science, POLS 3351 Statistics for Social Scientists and POLs 3352 Advanced Research Methods;

Six semester hours selected from American politics (POLS 3313 Judicial Process, 3314 Legislative Process, 3317 American Presidency, 3318 American Political Parties, 4312 American Constitutional Law).

Three semester hours from each of the following fields: International relations (POLS 3320 International Politics, 3321 Politics of American Foreign Policy, 4322 International Law and Institutions), Comparative politics (POLS 3330 Introduction to Comparative Politics, 3322 Politics of Western Democracies, 4331 Politics of Developing Nations);

Three semester hours in either International Relations or Comparative Politics;

Six semester hours selected from Public administration and policy (POLS 3341 Introduction to Public Policy, 3342 Environmental Policy, 3343 Urban Politics, 4340 Formulation of Public Policy, 4341 Organization Theory and Behavior);

Three semester hours in an advanced POLS elective;

C. Minor (Minimum of 18 semester hours). An approved minor of 18 semester hours, including at least 12 advanced hours.

D. Additional requirements: B.S. Core (12 semester hours), ACCT 1301, ECON 2301, 2302 and 3 hours chosen from ECON 3340 Intermediate Macro Economics, ECON 3320 Money and Banking, or MATH 3312 Probability, Stats and Statistical Modeling;

E. Electives: Sufficient electives to total 120 semester hours, including 45 advanced hours (at least 24 in the major); 24 of the advanced hours must be completed at 17³Ô¹Ï.

Suggested Program of Study

Bachelor of Science in Political Science – Total Min. Hours: 120

Bachelor of Science in Political Science with Social Studies Teacher Certification

Students wishing to earn the Bachelor of Science in Political Science and at the same time certify with Social Studies as a teaching field must meet the following requirements:

A. General Requirements: See General Education Core Curriculum for the Bac