Program Requirements

All students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at Kent State must take a series of liberal education requirements. Political Science majors take courses in the areas of English composition, mathematics and critical reasoning, foreign language, humanities, fine arts, social sciences and basic sciences.
The political science major consists of 36 semester hours of study. Students must take the following lower-division courses:

· American Politics
· Comparative Politics
· Political Economy
· Political Methods
· Political Thought
· Public Policy
· World Politics

Students must take five additional upper-division courses in political science, including a writing-intensive Seminar in Political Science. Upper-division work is concentrated in one of four submajor areas:

· American Politics
· International Relations/Comparative Politics
· Public Policy
· General

Special Departmental Programs

The Applied Public Policy Learning Experience
Applied Public Policy Learning Experience (APPLE) is the Department’s freshman and sophomore community. It offers academic and service-learning for freshmen and sophomores who want real-world experience with public policy and public service.

Columbus Program in Intergovernmental Issues

Each fall the Department of Political Science and the Alumni Office sponsor the Columbus Program in Intergovernmental Issues. Qualified Kent State University juniors and seniors spend the fall semester in Columbus, Ohio, where they participate in internships, attend briefings by state and local political leaders and do research on public policy issues. Students earn up to 15 hours during the semester.

Washington Program in National Issues
Each spring, the political science department and the Alumni Office sponsor the Washington Program in National Issues. Qualified Kent State University juniors or seniors spend the spring semester in Washington D.C, where they participate in an internship, as well as attend numerous briefings and engage in individualized research. Students earn up to 16 hours during the semester.

 

Scholarship and Award Opportunities

Mona Fletcher Award
Each year the Political Science Department recognizes the graduating senior with the highest overall grade point average for the Mona Fletcher Award.

Davey Scholarship
The Davey Scholarship, a part of the Kent State University Founders Program, provides a four-year scholarship of nearly $10,000 to an incoming high school student who attends Kent State to major in political science. Information about this scholarship can be found by viewing the Student Financial Aid Office Web site at www.sfa.kent.edu.

Dubetz Scholarship
The DuBetz Scholarship is offered annually to an outstanding senior student majoring in political science.

Special scholarships are available for the Columbus and Washington programs.