OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0
Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: A “C” or better is required in all Political Science (POS) courses counting towards the major.
Other GPA requirements to graduate: A minimum accumulative GPA of 2.0 (“C”) in the major.
Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: POS 499, or POS 487 and POS 488 taken together.
Contact Information: Amy Fried, Professor and Chair, 115 North Stevens Hall (207) 581-1797, amyfried@maine.edu
Political Science examines the nature of politics from diverse perspectives. The requirements for majors in the department teach students to think critically about the fundamental theories, principles, institutions, and practices of politics in their social and historical contexts. Course work in the department is required in four main sub-fields of the discipline of political science - American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory - so that students will acquire the knowledge and skills for further study in law school or graduate school, or will be prepared for careers in public service or related fields. Opportunities for internships and for independent study with faculty are numerous. The department encourages its students to pursue related work in the humanities and social sciences so that their political studies fall within the context of a liberal arts education.
Major Requirements:
- POS 100, American Government.
- A minimum of 36 credits in POS courses with grades of “C” (2.0) or better. The 36 credits must be distributed as follows and at least 21 of the 36 credits must be at the 300, 400, or 500-level:
American Politics (6 cr.)
International Relations (6 cr.)
Comparative Politics (6 cr.)
Political Theory (6 cr.)
POS Electives (POS 100 may be used as an elective) (12 cr.)
- Students must have a minimum of 72 hours outside their major
Majors within the department may not receive more than a total of 12 credits toward graduation for any combination of internships and field experience, and not more than 6 credits may be used toward the departmental major. A field supervisor normally participates in the evaluation of an internship or field experience course.
- A minimum of 18 of the 36 POS credits required must be completed at the University of Maine.
The requirements listed on this page are specific to this particular major. Students are also responsible for meeting any graduation requirements set out by their college. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) should make sure to review those requirements as stated on the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences page of the catalog.
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