Political Science & International Affairs

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The Department of Political Science & International Affairs offers undergraduate courses leading to both Associate and Bachelor degrees. Baccalaureate majors include International Affairs, Political Science, and Strategic & Security Studies. Minors are available in Indo-Pactific Studies, International Affairs, Political Science, and Public Administration & Public Service. The PSIA department provides coursework in the following areas: American political institutions (presidency, congress, and courts), public administration, constitutional law, political theory, strategic studies, comparative politics, international relations, and Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and European politics.

The PSIA department offers an Associates of Arts (A.A.) degree with a pathway in Political Science. This degree is offered on the Gainesville, Cumming, and Blue Ridge campuses, as well as Online.

The PSIA department also offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Political Science. Students may choose a concentration within the B.S. Political Science degree to narrow their focus. Concentration options include American Politics and Pre-Law. The traditional political science degree provides a well-rounded background in the discipline as well as enabling students to focus on areas of interest to them. Students who choose to earn a B.S. degree in Political Science can count up to 9 credit hours of internship coursework towards their degree. The American politics and Pre-Law concentrations are designed to prepare students for specialized careers by developing the skills needed to succeed in those respective fields. These concentrations require internships.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in International Affairs provides a basic background in international relations for students interested in pursuing careers in diplomacy, intelligence, and related fields. This degree requires an area of specialization in Asia, Europe, Latin America, or Middle East, as well as both a study abroad and an international internship. In order to increase the student’s cross-cultural skills, advanced foreign language training is also encouraged within the student’s regional area of expertise. Above and beyond the region specific coursework, students are introduced to International Political Economy, International Security Issues, International Organizations, International Law, Comparative Government and International Relations Theory. These courses provide students with a broad understanding of international relations beyond their regional areas. The degree is designed to prepare students for careers in international diplomacy, international service careers, and for further study in International Affairs and international business. As part of this program students are expected to participate in a study abroad experience of at least 25 days in country to satisfy the study abroad requirement of the IA major. However, the International Affairs faculty encourages students to participate in semester-long programs. Students are also expected to complete an international internship of 320 hours.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Strategic and Security Studies degree focuses on the theory and application of intelligence and military power to the construction of national defense policy. This interdisciplinary program introduces students to various aspects of security, and students will specialize in one of the seven areas of concentration: Cybersecurity, Geospatial Intelligence, History, Intelligence, International Affairs, Language, and Military Science. A study abroad or international internship is required for this degree.

POLS 1101 - American Government  is a prerequisite for all 3000-4000 level political science courses. POLS 2401 - Global Issues  is required for all majors within the department, and is a prerequisite for all 3000-4000 level political science courses in comparative politics and international relations.

No grade below “C” will be acceptable in any Political Science or International Affairs course or any course in the major area for Political Science, Strategic & Security Studies, or International Affairs majors.

Programs

• Political Science (A.A.)

• International Affairs (B.A.)
• Strategic and Security Studies (B.A.)

• Political Science (B.S.)
• Political Science with American Politics Concentration (B.S.)
• Political Science with Pre-Law Concentration (B.S.)

• Indo-Pacific Studies Minor
• International Affairs Minor
• Political Science Minor
• Public Administration and Public Service Minor

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