Political science is the study of governments, political processes, public policies and political behavior by groups or individuals and is an ideal major for students with a passion for current events.
At UWM, students take coursework from four broad areas of political science in order to obtain a well-rounded education in the field: American politics, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory. Along with exploring these substantive areas, students strengthen their research, writing, and critical thinking skills. With this background, students leave UWM ready to enter graduate school or the world of work in government, international organizations, campaigns, business, consulting, nonprofits, and many other industries. This broad major is available entirely online, or students can mix-and-match and take a some online and some traditional classes.
Many students find that a degree in Political Science aligns well with their interest in law and their plans to attend law school after college. We offer a large number of courses in constitutional law and legal practice in society, and students can focus their electives around these as part of the Law Studies option within the Political Science major. Students planning for law school also often participate in our law sports programs such as intercollegiate moot court and intercollegiate mock trial.
Internships are encouraged for all majors, and opportunities can be found locally as well in in Washington DC.
Since 1966, students from all UW System campuses and other universities have participated in the United Nations Summer Seminar. This five-week, six-credit program is partially held at United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan. The four weeks in New York include special access to U.N. facilities and intensive interaction with over 40 experts representing governments and international organizations.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 90 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 90 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
- 1
Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
I. English Composition Requirement
Students must satisfy the English Composition Requirement with one of the following options:
1) Completing ENGLISH 102 with a grade of C or higher; or
2) by placing beyond ENGLISH 102 on the English Placement Test (EPT) (or other assessment as determined by the English Department); or
3) transferring a course of at least 2.5 equivalent credits from another institution that is equivalent to English 102, or a UWM higher-level expository writing course, with a grade of C or higher.
Note: This requirement is the same as the University General Education Requirement for Oral and Written Communication Part A. The College of Letters & Science does not have a specific requirement for a writing course beyond English 102, but students must complete the university-wide requirement for Oral and Written Communication Part B listed above.
II. Mathematics and Formal Reasoning
To satisfy the Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement, students must satisfy the following two requirements:
1. Achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) or earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 102 | Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | 3 |
| MATH 103 | Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Introduction to College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 108 | Algebraic Literacy II | 3 |
| MATH 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | 3 |
| or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| MATH 116 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 175 | Mathematical Explorations for Elementary Teachers I | 3 |
- 1
Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
Note: This requirement is the same as the University General Education Requirement for Quantitative Literacy Part A, listed above.
2. Complete one course (at least 3 credits) at the 200 level or above chosen from courses in Mathematics, PHILOS 211, or Letters and Science statistics courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following: | ||
3 or more credits in any 200-level or above Math course | ||
| Introduction to Statistics in African and African Diaspora Studies | ||
| Introduction to Anthropological Statistics | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Economic Statistics | ||
| Quantitative Analysis in Geography | ||
| The Quantitative Analysis of Historical Data | ||
| Elementary Statistical Analysis | ||
| Elementary Logic | ||
| Political Data Analysis | ||
| Survey Research | ||
| Psychological Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Thinking in Sociology | ||
Note: This requirement is NOT the same as the University General Education Requirement for Quantitative Literacy Part B. To complete the BA, students must take one of the L&S approved courses. Not all of the courses listed here will satisfy the QL-B requirement.
III. Foreign Language Requirement
Placement testing may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Foreign Language GER, but not vice versa.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Completed in one of the following ways: | 0-18 | |
Successful completion of the 4th semester of college work or equivalent in one language other than English (including American Sign Language) | ||
Successful completion of the 3rd semester of college work or equivalent in one language other than English (including American Sign Language) PLUS the 2nd semester of college work or equivalent in another language other than English (including American Sign Language) | ||
IV. International Requirement
See Approved Courses for the L&S International Requirement for course options.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Completed in one of the following ways: | 9 | |
Complete 3 courses (min. 9 cr) in a single foreign language (not including literature-in-translation or American Sign Language) at the 3rd semester level and above | ||
Complete 3 non-language courses (min. 9 credits) with an international content chosen from at least 2 curricular areas. | ||
Complete 9 credits in combination of the two options above. | ||
V. Breadth Requirement
Along with completing the University General Education Requirements of 3 credits in the Arts (A); 6 credits in the Humanities (HU), Social Sciences (SS), and Natural Sciences (NS/NS+); and a course with the Cultural Diversity (CD/+) designation, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S courses with Humanities Breadth designation; no more than 6 credits from a single subject area. * | 12 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S Courses with Social Science Breadth designation; no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. * | 12 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S Courses with Natural Sciences Breadth designation, including at least one laboratory or field course; no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. * | 12 | |
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| Complete 3 credits in a course with Cultural Diversity (CD) designation. ** | 3 | |
- *
Students should check their course selections carefully with the list of approved L&S Breadth Courses. Students are advised to select at least 6 credits worth of courses in each of the Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Sciences areas that can satisfy both the campus-wide General Education Requirements and the L&S Breadth requirement.
- **
Students are advised to select a course that satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement as well as a Humanities or Social Science breadth/GER requirement.
VI. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VII. The Minor
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work.
Political Science Major Requirements
Majors must attain a 2.0 GPA in all political science courses, including any transfer work, and a 2.0 GPA in political science courses taken at UWM. Majors are required to complete a minimum of 30 credits in political science, of which at least 15 must be in upper-division courses (numbered 300 or above) taken in residence at UWM. The following courses must be included among those taken for major credit:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Requirement | ||
| POL SCI 104 | Introduction to American Government and Politics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| Politics of the World's Nations | ||
| Introduction to International Relations | ||
| Methods Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Political Science Research | ||
| Political Data Analysis | ||
| Survey Research | ||
| Requirements: Areas of Political Science | ||
| Select at least one course beyond the 100 level in each of the following four areas of political science: | 12 | |
| American Politics | ||
| State Politics | ||
| Multicultural America: Minority Voting Rights and Representation | ||
| Introduction to Public Service | ||
| American Public Policy | ||
| Urban Government and Politics | ||
| Ethnicity, Religion and Race in American Politics | ||
| Environmental Politics | ||
| Public Administration | ||
| Law and Society | ||
| Topics in American Politics: | ||
| Latino Politics | ||
| Cyber-Politics: 1 | ||
| State Government: | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| Law Through Popular Culture | ||
| Constitutional Law: Government Powers and Federalism | ||
| Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | ||
| The Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Immigration | ||
| Judicial Politics | ||
| The Supreme Court | ||
| Constitutional Interpretation | ||
| Party Politics in America | ||
| Women in Politics | ||
| Congressional Politics | ||
| Politics and the Bureaucracy | ||
| Urban Political Problems | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Sex, Gender, and the Law | ||
| Elections and Voting Behavior | ||
| Problems in Law Studies: | ||
| Public Opinion | ||
| Political Psychology | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Politics of the World's Nations | ||
| Western European Politics | ||
| British Politics | ||
| Politics of Eastern Europe | ||
| Russian and Post-Soviet Politics | ||
| The Politics of Authoritarian Regimes | ||
| Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy 2 | ||
| Politics of Developing Countries | ||
| Politics of Revolution in Developing Nations | ||
| Latin American Politics | ||
| Brazilian Politics and Society | ||
| The Arab-Israeli Conflict | ||
| African Politics | ||
| Seminar in Comparative Politics: | ||
| German Politics and the New Europe | ||
| Comparative Political Systems | ||
| Politics and Markets in Pacific-Rim Countries: | ||
| Korean Politics and Foreign Policy 2 | ||
| The Politics of Economic Inequality | ||
| Gender and Politics in Developing Nations | ||
| Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | ||
| Poverty and Politics: | ||
| Health, Wealth, and Democracy | ||
| Elections in the Modern World | ||
| International Politics | ||
| Introduction to International Relations | ||
| Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy 2 | ||
| International Law | ||
| The Politics of International Economic Relations | ||
| International Organization and the United Nations | ||
| Seminar in International Relations: | ||
| European Integration | ||
| Politics of Nuclear Weapons | ||
| Asian International Relations | ||
| Korean Politics and Foreign Policy 2 | ||
| U.S.-Latin American Relations | ||
| Problems of American Foreign Policy | ||
| Theories and Methods in International Politics | ||
| International Conflict | ||
| Morality, Conflict and War | ||
| Current Crises and Events in International Relations | ||
| Conduct of American Foreign Affairs | ||
| Political Theory | ||
| Sex and Power | ||
| Great Issues of Politics | ||
| Classics of Political Theory | ||
| History of International Political Thought | ||
| The Development of Western Political Thought | ||
| Modern Political Thought | ||
| Environmental Political Theory | ||
| The Philosophy of Law | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| Contemporary Political Theory | ||
| Politics and Philosophy: | ||
| Research Experience | 3 | |
| Select one from the list below. 3 | ||
| The Politics of Authoritarian Regimes | ||
| Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy | ||
| Latin American Politics | ||
| Brazilian Politics and Society | ||
| Seminar in International Relations: | ||
| Korean Politics and Foreign Policy | ||
| U.S.-Latin American Relations | ||
| History of International Political Thought | ||
| Gender and Politics in Developing Nations | ||
| International Conflict | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| The Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Immigration | ||
| Judicial Politics | ||
| The Supreme Court | ||
| Women in Politics | ||
| Congressional Politics | ||
| Sex, Gender, and the Law | ||
| Elections and Voting Behavior | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 6 credits from any of the above. | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Depending on instructor, may satisfy American Politics or International Relations area requirement, but not both.
- 2
May be used to satisfy Comparative Politics or International Politics but not both.
- 3
Satisfies the L&S requirement for a research experience in the major; should be taken in the last year of study.
Course of Study: Law Studies Option
Students may emphasize the study of law within the major by completing, in conjunction with or in addition to all of the requirements outlined above, the courses listed below as part of the 30 credits required for the major. Some of the courses below also satisfy the requirement of 3 credits above the 100 level in each area of Political Science.
Law Studies Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| POL SCI 250 | Law and Society 4 | 3 |
| POL SCI 411 | Constitutional Law: Government Powers and Federalism 4 | 3 |
| POL SCI 412 | Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties 4 | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| International Law 5 | ||
| The Philosophy of Law 6 | ||
| Law Through Popular Culture 4 | ||
| Judicial Politics 4 | ||
| The Supreme Court 4 | ||
| Constitutional Interpretation 4 | ||
| Administrative Law 4 | ||
| Sex, Gender, and the Law 4 | ||
| Problems in Law Studies: 4 | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 4
Satisfies the American politics requirement.
- 5
Satisfies the international politics requirement.
- 6
Satisfies the political theory requirement.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors, and success coaches. Letters and Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional College Advisors and Faculty Advisors. L&S College Advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental Faculty Advisors focus on the major.
College Advisors are located in Holton Hall and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College Advisors will:
- assist you in defining your academic and life goals;
- help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals;
- assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures;
- provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate; and
- monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty Advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a Faculty Advisor when you declare your major. Faculty Advisors are an important partner and will:
- help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department;
- explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences; and
- serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their College Advisor and Faculty Advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
Honors and High Honors in the Major
Departmental honors are awarded upon graduation to students who achieve a 3.500 GPA overall in all UWM courses attempted, in their political science major courses, and in upper-division political science courses. Students meeting these GPA requirements will be slated automatically for graduating with honors in the major.
Students who meet the GPA requirement and wish to be considered for departmental high honors should request that the faculty member supervising their substantial research paper nominate them for high honors. The supervising faculty member will decide if the student should be recommended to the high honors committee, which is composed of three political science faculty members. The committee will determine if the quality of the nominee's paper is sufficient to earn the high honors designation and, if so, will bestow the high honors accordingly. Note that a student interested in receiving high honors must contact a Political Science faculty member to be considered; high honors are not bestowed automatically.
Questions about honors designations can be directed to any of the Political Science faculty advisors.
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.