Political Science is the study of how societies make collective decisions through politics and government. It is subdivided into the following areas: American politics (study of American institutions and practices); comparative politics (study of foreign governments); international relations (study of war, international organization, and foreign policies); political theory (study of the bases of legitimate political authority); political behavior (study of why people vote and act as they do in political matters); and public policy (study of organizational decision-making and the consequences of government action).
The objective of the Political Science major is to give the student a general introduction to all the major subfields of the discipline and an in-depth exposure to one or two of them. Students study not only the major literature of the subfields, but also learn research methods and become familiar with ongoing research. Internships in Long Island, Albany, and Washington offer selected students the opportunity to gain practical experience.
The Political Science major provides a strong liberal arts background for students who may enter such fields as journalism, business, public administration, social welfare, teaching, and law. Those who graduate from law school go on to work in law firms, in businesses, and in government agencies at all levels. Most Political Science majors who apply to law school are admitted, many of them to top-ranking institutions. Some Political Science majors attend graduate school in the field, leading to careers as teachers and researchers of politics at colleges and universities.
Requirements for the Major in Political Science (POL)
The major in Political Science leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All political science courses numbered 200 or higher offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.
Completion of the major requires 42 credits.
A. Study Within the Area of the Major
B. Study in Related Areas (6 credits)
Two courses numbered 300 or higher, offered by Asian and Asian American Studies (AAS), Africana Studies (AFS), Anthropology (ANT), Business (BUS), Economics (ECO), Globalization Studies and International Relations (GLI), History (HIS), Journalism (JRN), Philosophy (PHI), Psychology (PSY), Sociology (SOC), or Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WST) (and not crosslisted with a political science course or included within a program of study). Courses taken at another institution may be used to satisfy this requirement if they were passed with a grade of C or higher.
C. Methodology Requirement
Majors must demonstrate competence in appropriate social science methodology by passing POL 201 Introduction to Statistical Methods in Political Science with a grade of C or higher. We will accept the following equivalent courses for POL 201: AMS 102, AMS 110, BIO 211, BUS 215, ECO 320, PSY 201, or SOC 202. The Department suggests that students fulfill this requirement no later than the beginning of their junior year. A course taken to fulfill the methodology requirement may not count toward fulfilling any other major requirement.
D. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.
Note:
Students must take four 300-level courses in one of the following programs of study within the major:
1. Comparative Politics and International Relations;
2. American Government, Law, and Public Policy;
3. Political Behavior and Political Psychology
Programs of Study
Comparative Politics and International Relations
POL 214, 216, 305, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 313, 334, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 350, 371, 374, 380. Also,
PHI 367. Also 287, 390, 401, 447, 487, and 495 when the topic is appropriate.
American Government, Law, and Public Policy
POL 317, 318, 319, 320, 322, 323, 324, 325, 327, 328, 330, 332, 333, 336, 344, 347, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353, 359, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, 371. Also, PHI 277, PHI 375, and PHI 377. Also 287, 390, 401, 447, 487, and 495 when the topic is applicable.
Political Behavior and Political Psychology
POL 270, 317, 318, 323, 344, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353, 367, 368, 369, 371, 373, 375. Also, PHI 379. Also 287, 390, 401, 447, 487, and 495 when the topic is applicable.
Honors Program
Departmental majors with a 3.70 g.p.a. in political science courses and a 3.40 cumulative g.p.a. may enroll in the Political Science honors program at the end of their junior year. The student, after asking a faculty member to be a sponsor, must submit a proposal to the Director of Undergraduate Studies describing the research project that is to be the subject of the honors thesis. If the project is approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the student may enroll in POL 495-496 Senior Honors Project in Political Science in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year. The honors paper resulting from the student's research is read by two Political Science faculty members and a faculty member from another department, as arranged by the director of undergraduate studies. If the paper is judged to be of extraordinary merit and the student's record warrants such a determination, honors are conferred.
Requirements for the Minor in Political Science (POL)
The minor in Political Science is organized around one of the four programs of study listed for the major and must be approved by the Department's director of undergraduate studies.
Completion of the minor requires 21 credits distributed as follows:
Notes:
1. No more than three credits of courses with Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading may be applied to the minor. Neither POL 475 nor POL 476 may be used toward the minor.
2. All courses except POL 488 must be taken for a letter grade.
3. No grade less than C may be used to fulfill minor requirements.
4. At least nine credits must be taken in courses offered by the Political Science Department at Stony Brook or cross-listed by the Department.
5. Only transfer courses with a grade of C or higher may be accepted toward the minor.
B.A./M.A. Accelerated Degree Program in Public Policy
In the accelerated B.A./M.A. in Public Policy, students complete the B.A. in Political Science and the M.A. in Public Policy in five years. To apply, students must be majors in political science at Stony Brook who have completed 60 credits toward their degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
In the program, students take up to two master’s courses during their senior year which also count as electives toward the bachelor’s in political science. Generally, students should begin with fundamental courses such as policy analysis (POL 535) but with approval they can choose any master’s courses in public policy (POL 500 – POL 559). Students then complete the remaining master’s courses during the fifth year.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| POL 100-level* | 3 |
| POL 100-level* | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| POL 100-level* | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| POL 201 ** | 3 |
| POL 200-level | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| POL 300-level | 3 |
|
Introductory course in related area
|
3 |
| Introductory course in related area | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 15 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| POL Upper-division course from selected Program of Study*** | 3 |
| POL Upper-division course from selected Program of Study*** | 3 |
| Upper-division course in related area | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| POL Upper-division course from selected Program of Study*** | 3 |
| POL Upper-division course from selected Program of Study*** | 3 |
| Upper-division course related in area | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| POL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| POL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| Electives, directed research, internship, or honors | 15 |
| Total | 15 |
*Every Political Science major must take POL 101 , POL 102, and POL 103. The three courses are independent of one another and may be taken in any sequence.
**Any of the following courses may be substituted for POL 201 : AMS 102 , BUS 215 , ECO 320 , PSY 201 , or SOC 202 .
***See the lists under “Programs of Study”
Major and Minor in Political Science
Department of Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences
Chair: Leonie Huddy
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Michael Peress
Email: michael.peress@stonybrook.edu
Room: N-743 Social and Behavioral Sciences
Phone: (631) 632-7648
General Email: polsci_undergrad@stonybrook.edu
Department Office Suite: S-701 Social and Behavioral Sciences
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/polsci/
Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Political Science: Africana Studies (AFS), Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS), Anthropology (ANT), Environmental Studies (ENS), Globalization Studies and International Relations (GLI), History (HIS), Philosophy (PHI), Sociology (SOC), Technology and Society (EST), Women’s and Gender Studies (WST).