Political Science B.A.

University Admissions - College of Arts and Sciences

Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:

• Freshman: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/admission-information/requirements-deadlines.aspx

• Transfer: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/transfer/admission-information/index.aspx

• International: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/international/admission-information/index.aspx

For Admission information specific to the College of Arts and Sciences, see the information at College of Arts and Sciences .

Graduation Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences

Satisfactory completion of the following requirements:

• Students must complete all State and University level graduation requirements.
•  Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in USF coursework. Note: Some Departments/program/major require a higher GPA. Students should refer to Department/program/major specific catalog requirements.
• Physical Education coursework is limited to two (2) semester hours.
• ROTC courses that are primarily physical training and field experiences will not be applied to College of Arts and Sciences degree programs. All other military Science coursework will apply, in particular, coursework utilized toward completing an established ROTC minor will be applied to the total hours toward degree. 
• When earning a second degree, double major or concurrent degree, the Major Core and Major Elective/Concentration areas of the degree audit must not overlap for both degrees.  All other areas of the degree audit may have overlapping credit hours applied.
• Maximum of 20 hours of S/U option. S/U contracts must be negotiated in writing within the first three (3) weeks of the term. None of the 20 credits may be taken in the student’s major unless S/U is the only grading option. Coursework fulfilling the General Education Core Curriculum Requirements and the State Communication Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Writing) and State Computation Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Math) may not be taken S/U.
• The Audit option is available only during the first 5 days of classes.
• “D” grades are not acceptable in the major and supporting sciences for all natural sciences majors (Biomedical Sciences; Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology; Integrative Biology; Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences; Medical Technology; Chemistry; Geology; Math; Physics, and Physical Sciences). “D” grades are not acceptable for the major area in Anthropology, Communication, English, Geography, History, Humanities, Mass Communications, Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology.
• Complete all major course requirements.
• College of Arts and Sciences students are expected to complete a minimum of 50% of their major and/or minor coursework in residence at USF. Some College of Arts and Sciences Departments/programs/majors have established additional major course hours to be taken in residency at USF. See the major or program section of the catalog for these credit-hour requirements.

State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites - Political Science B.A.

Following Florida BOG Regulation 8.010, state mandated common course prerequisites are lower-division courses that are required for progression into the upper division of a particular baccalaureate degree program. 

Transfer students should complete the State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted. Successful completion of the common prerequisites alone does not guarantee a student admission into the degree program. 

Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C- is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.

• POS X041 American Government or POS X000-X999 Political Science or INR X000-X999 International Relations or CPO X000-X999 Comparative Politics - 3 credit hours
• POS X000-X999 Political Science or INR X000-X999 International Relations or CPO X000-X999 Comparative Politics - 3 credit hours

Supporting Required Course: 1 course; 3 credit hours

The following course is a supporting course for this major.  The degree will not be awarded if this course has not been taken by the end of the student’s final semester.

• ECO 1000 - Basic Economics Credit(s): 3

• or

• ECO 2013 - Economic Principles (Macroeconomics) Credit(s): 3

• or

• ECO 2023 - Economic Principles (Microeconomics) Credit(s): 3

Required Courses: (36 credit hours)

A minimum of 36 credit hours is required to satisfy the requirements of the major. Students must take the 12 credit hours of required core courses in Political Science coursework.  No more than six (6) credit hours can be taken from POS 4905 , POS 4910  and POS 4941 .

Note:  Students enrolled in the Washington, D.C. semester program or the Tallahassee Internship program, may have this rule altered by their advisor. (A GPA of 3.0 is required to enroll in these courses; the Chair may grant special exception for students with a GPA between 2.70 and 2.99).

Political Science B.A. - Additional Information

Research Opportunities - College of Arts and Sciences

Undergraduate students in any degree program are able to participate in undergraduate research. Several options exist to show mentored undergraduate research activity on a student’s official transcript. Those who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914  course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research is able to assist with further inquiries. 

Advising Information - College of Arts and Sciences

USF students schedule advising appointments online through USF Archivum Platform.   Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor each semester to discuss courses planning, degree progression, and career preparation.

Tampa campus website:  https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/students/academic-advising/index.aspx
For questions, PolySciAdvise@usf.edu.

St. Pete campus website:  https://stpetersburg.usf.edu/academic-advising
For questions, email advising@usfsp.edu.

4 Year Plan of Study - Political Science B.A.

NOTES:

• SCIV - Civics Literacy  needs to be completed prior to graduation. For more information, see https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/students/civics-literacy.aspx or talk with your academic advisor.
• Items that are critical are marked with a ✳️ and are included in the plan for a student to stay on track.

Potential Entry Level Job Titles:

• Attorney/Lawyer
• Paralegal
• Political Lobbyist
• Foreign Service Officer
• Legislative Assistant

Potential Entry Level Salary Range:

• $49,000 - $85,000

2 Year Plan of Study - Political Science B.A.

NOTES:

• SCIV - Civics Literacy  needs to be completed prior to graduation. For more information, see https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/students/civics-literacy.aspx or talk with your academic advisor.
• Items that are critical are marked with a ✳️ and are included in the plan for a student to stay on track.