Political Science Major (M)
A degree in Political Science equips you to serve your community in political and governmental callings. As a CUW political science graduate, you’ll understand how to improve the political system and how your actions and attitudes are informed by the teachings of Christ. Our curriculum can be paired with related fields, such as psychology, justice and public policy, and philosophy.
Students fulfill a required internship from a variety of institutions, including political parties, non-profit organizations, legislative offices, and law firms. Professors utilize a variety of interactive teaching styles to help the students study the basic foundations and principles of American national, state, and local government, as well as global politics. The program builds students’ skills in policy analysis, research methods, professional writing, and public speaking principles.
CUW students can also participate in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS) Program based in Washington D.C. (through the Visiting Student Program). LCWS is a small, personalized internship program where students live, study, and intern while earning a full semester of credits.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge Base of Political Science: Demonstrates familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in Political Science.
- Research Methods in Political Science: Understand and apply basic research methods in Political Science, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
- Critical Thinking Skills in Political Science: Respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to political behavior and processes.
- Application of Political Science: Understand and apply political principles to personal, group, and social issues.
- Values in Political Science: Appreciate the role that religion, faith, and Christianity play in the civic realm; value empirical evidence; understand partisan differences; act ethically; and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of Political Science as a science.
- Information and Technological Literacy: Demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes.
- Communication Skills: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
- Sociopolitical and International Awareness: Recognize, understand, and respect how the complexity of sociopolitical and international diversity affects political processes.
- Personal Political Development: Develop insight into their own and others’ political behavior and apply effective strategies for self-management and self-improvement in politics in the context of a Christian worldview, underpinned by the Lutheran two-kingdom theology.
- Career Planning and Development: Set realistic goals for implementing their political knowledge, skills, and values in vocations in a variety of settings, guided by integrating their faith into the public square.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 45 | |
| Major Requirements | 36 | |
| Electives | 39 | |
Minor: Required | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| Statistics I (Natural World) | ||
| Environmental Law & Politics (Human Beings and Being Human) | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 1010 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| POLS 2010 | American Government | 3 |
| POLS 3000 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLS 3100 | International Relations | 3 |
| POLS 3610 | Civil Rights & Civil Liberties | 3 |
| POLS 4800 | Internship/Fieldwork | 3 |
| POLS 3500 | Methods for Political Science | 3 |
| POLS 4900 | Senior Seminar I | 3 |
| POLS 4990 | Senior Seminar II | 3 |
| Major Electives | ||
| Select three of the following courses not already counted in the major: | 9 | |
| Presidency | ||
| Political Philosophy | ||
| Nonprofits and Public Policy | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Intelligence and Terrorism | ||
| United States Foreign Policy | ||
| Spacepower | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| Conservative Political Thought | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 1010 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| CCE 1010 | Christian Citizen | 3 |
| ENG 1040 | Introduction to Writing | 3 |
| REL 1000 | The Bible | 3 |
| CORE | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| POLS 2010 | American Government | 3 |
| CCE 1030 | Western Thought & Worldview | 3 |
| MATH 2050 | Statistics I | 3 |
| REL 1100 | Christian Faith | 3 |
| CORE | 3 | |
| HHP 1100 | Stewardship of the Body | 1 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| POLS ELECTIVE | 3 | |
| CCE 1040 | Science & Humanity | 3 |
| CORE | 3 | |
| CORE | 4 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| POLS ELECTIVE | 3 | |
| CCE 1020 | Western Culture & Worldview | 3 |
| CORE | 3 | |
| LEGL 2300 | Environmental Law & Politics | 3 |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| HHP | 1 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| POLS 3000 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLS ELECTIVE | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| POLS 3610 | Civil Rights & Civil Liberties | 3 |
| POLS 3500 | Methods for Political Science | 3 |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
| POLS 3100 | International Relations | 3 |
| POLS 4800 | Internship/Fieldwork | 3 |
| POLS 4900 | Senior Seminar I | 3 |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| POLS 4990 | Senior Seminar II | 3 |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| ELECTIVE OR MINOR | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Course options and schedule are subject to change.