Program Overview
The Department of Political Science administers a major in Politics and an interdisciplinary major in International Relations, as well as a minor in Politics and a minor in International Relations. Our programs offer the rigor and depth of disciplinary training with intellectual breadth firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition.
We provide a learning environment that produces liberally educated citizens who are fluent in the language of politics and political analysis both within the United States and abroad and thereby have the foundation for both citizenship in a democratic society and successful training in a job, in a graduate school, or in a professional school.
Our degrees prepare students for graduate school in political science, international relations, and related fields. Our degrees also prepare students for careers in government (at the local, state, national and international levels), political campaigns, law, political journalism, business, non-profit organizations, and academics. We offer students opportunities to integrate experiential learning with their academic coursework. Examples include Model United Nations, Model European Union, mock trial, study abroad and internships with Federal and state governments, political campaigns, and non-profit organizations in Central Iowa or overseas.
B.A. Degree Requirements
The undergraduate B.A. degree in International Relations includes coursework that is designed to train students for responsible global citizenship and entry into internationally related jobs in government, business, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The curriculum is designed to provide greater breadth than is possible by majoring in a single discipline, yet permit sufficiently focused study in international affairs to prepare the student for direct entry into the field of international work or continued post-graduate study.
Students begin their course of study with a set of required core courses in international security, international law, international political economy and language. Students also take a required number of elective coursework involving comparative and thematic perspectives on international relations. Students should work closely with their advisors to select courses that are most compatible with their academic and professional goals.
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
POLS 065 | COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 3 |
POLS 075 | WORLD POLITICS | 3 |
POLS 176 | INTERNATIONAL SECURITY | 3 |
POLS 177 | POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GLOBALIZA | 3 |
POLS 178 | INTERNATIONAL LAW | 3 |
| |
| 9 |
| DEVELOPING ECONOMIES | |
| AFRICA IN WORLD HISTORY | |
| MODERN MEXICO | |
| COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA | |
| MODERN LATIN AMERICA | |
| MODERN CHINA | |
| MODERN JAPAN | |
| AFRICA'S COLONIAL MOMENT | |
| AFRICA, AFRICANS, AND ATLANTIC SLAVERY | |
| GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS | |
| THE POLITICS OF INEQUALITY | |
| CASE STUDIES IN COMPARATIVE AND TRANSNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS | |
| COMPARATIVE POLITICAL PARTIES AND INTEREST GROUPS | |
| SUPREME COURTS & ELECTIONS | |
| INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES | |
| POLITICS & PARLIAMENTS | |
| COMPARATIVE ASIAN POLITICS | |
| GOVERNMENT & POLITICS OF CHINA | |
| GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF JAPAN | |
| MODERN EUROPEAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS | |
| POLITICS IN RUSSIA AND FORMER SOVIET UNION | |
| 9 |
| INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS | |
| TRANSITIONS TO DEMOCRACY | |
| POLITICS & PARLIAMENTS | |
| JAPAN AND THE WORLD: ISSUES OF WAR AND MEMORY | |
| HUMAN RIGHTS AND WORLD POLITICS | |
| TRANSNATIONAL ADVOCACY NETWORK | |
| TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE | |
| RACIAL JUSTICE & HUMAN RIGHTS | |
| HUMAN TRAFFICKING | |
| GLOBAL HEALTH | |
| THE UNITED NATIONS AND GLOBAL SECURITY | |
| GENDER AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | |
| GENDER AND WAR | |
| SIMULATING CRISIS DECISION-MAKING IN U.S. FOREIGN POLICY | |
| U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS | |
| REVISITING VIETNAM | |
| THE US AND IRAN | |
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | |
Total Hours | 33 |
In addition to programmatic requirements, students are responsible for satisfying all requirements of the Drake Curriculum, including Areas of Inquiry (AOI)
Student must also satisfy university graduation requirements for all undergraduate students..