The political science major at UNT Dallas offers traditional and innovative approaches to preparing graduates for work, further study and participation in government, law and communications. The program blends the study of government and human political behavior in a major that is designed to be interdisciplinary, using insights from sociology, psychology, economics and the management sciences in addition to providing foundational knowledge about political theory, political institutions and international affairs.
Political science has a deeper relevance to modern life: students will acquire knowledge at the macro level about how the world is structured and works, but students will also cultivate and understanding of how politics functions in the workplace, neighborhoods and small groups. Political science majors will become discerning consumers of political messages and understand the importance of political context in communication.
The value of an undergraduate political science degree in the job market is considerable. Political science majors find jobs in:
- Federal, state and local government.
- Political campaigns.
- Public affairs communications.
- Lobbying for interest groups, non-governmental organizations and corporations.
- Law.
- Journalism.
A political science major is also good preparation for professional degree programs in:
- Law (JD)
- Public Administration (MPA)
- Policy-based programs in business, health and education (MBA, MPH etc.).
- Journalism (MJ).
Concentrations in political science include:
- Public Law - this track will provide preparation for law school, but it is also useful to those involved in criminal justice programs.
- American Politics - UNT Dallas is an urban university that seeks to prepare students for careers in city government and politics.
- Political Behavior - Understanding the mechanics of public opinion, and party, candidate and voter behavior, and democratic institutions is important to the survival of modern democracies.
- International Relations - Politics among nations is different from local, state and national politics and warrants its own type of analysis. UNT Dallas hopes to eventually develop area study programs that will focus on Mexico and other nations in Central and South America.
Program Coordinator: Dr. Walt Borges, Phone: 972-338-1552, Email: Walter.Borges@untdallas.edu
Click here for the Recommended Course Sequence degree plan.
Building Blocks for the Degree
- Texas Core Curriculum: All students are required to complete 42 hours of the Texas Core Curriculum to earn a degree.
- Major Requirements: The political science major requires 48 hours of upper level required, distribution, and pre-approved elective political science courses. Concentration grant expertise in each of the following subfields of political science: American politics, comparative government, public law and political behavior.
- Electives: To ensure that graduates have a broad context in evaluating public affairs and policy matters, 30 hours of electives are designated. History, sociology, criminal justice, and policy studies courses in other disciplines are strongly recommended to meet this requirement.
- Other Courses: Students must have a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate with a degree from UNTD. Students may complete a minor, certificate program or general elective courses to meet this requirement.
Core Curriculum Recommendations
UNTD adheres to the Texas Core Curriculum established in Texas Education Code Chapter 61, Subchapter S. Courses designated on the transcript as a Core Foundation Area will be applied to the Texas Core Curriculum. As a new Freshman student starting at UNTD (or transfer student looking ahead to attend UNTD), taking the recommended UNTD courses (or equivalent) can reduce hours to degree and provide more opportunities for elective courses.
Texas Core Curriculum, 42 hours
Courses with an asterisk (*) also count for the major.
Major Core Requirements, 18 hours
Concentrations Courses, 12 hours±
Select from the following 4 possible concentrations and complete 12 semester credit hours from the courses listed.
Concentration 1: American Politics
Concentration 2: International Affairs & Comparative Government
Concentration 3: Public Law and Public Policy
Concentration 4: Political Behavior
Political Science Electives, 18 hours
- Select 1 Concentration and complete 2 courses of electives within a single concentration±2, and
- Select 4 electives from any Concentration or preapproved general electives.
Pre-Approved General Electives
The following courses requires pre-enrollment approval to satisfy concentration requirements from the political science program coordinator. See program coordinator contact information noted above.
Additional UNTD Degree Requirements
- All students must meet the General University Requirements as well as the major requirements.
- Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Political Science major GPA of 2.5 or higher
Note
- *See Program Coordinator for topics courses suitable for the concentration.
- ** For students who come in with one course from the government & political science requirement, PSCI 1040 should be taken at UNTD to prepare for the PSCI major.
- 1 Because UNT Dallas is an urban university with a mission to serve the surrounding community, this course is highly recommended for all majors.
- 2 With approval from the Program Coordinator, a student could also take one course from two different distributions to meet this requirement.
- ± No course may satisfy the concentration requirement for more than one subfield. Four different courses must be taken to satisfy the four distributions.