Program Requirements

1. Must complete a minimum of 39 credits in PSCI coursework.  
2. 21 credits must be upper-division level.
3. 15 credits must be taken in residence from CU Denver faculty.
4. A minimum GPA of 2.0 or better is required for all PSCI courses taken at CU Denver.  
5. A minimum grade of C- is required for all PSCI courses applied toward the major.

• Take all of the following required courses:

• PSCI 1001 - Introduction to Political Science: The Quest for Freedom and Justice
• PSCI 1101 - American Political System
• PSCI 2011 - Logic of Political Inquiry *

• *This course must be taken by all majors as part of their first 24 credit hours in the program. If this requirement poses a hardship due to such issues as late-declaring majors, scheduling problems, or students transferring in multiple credits, please contact the Department undergraduate advisor to craft a solution.

   

• Take two of the following political theory courses:

• PSCI 4207 - Theories of Social and Political Change
• PSCI 4265 - Social Justice And Globalization
• PSCI 4407 - Early Political Thought
• PSCI 4417 - Modern Political Thought
• PSCI 4427 - Law, Politics and Justice
• PSCI 4437 - Coercion and the State
• PSCI 4457 - American Political Thought
• Other theory courses may apply to this requirement, see advisor

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  Take one of the following 4000-level American Politics courses:

• PSCI 4009 - Politics of the Budgetary Process
• PSCI 4014 - Media and Politics
• PSCI 4024 - State Politics: Focus Colorado
• PSCI 4034 - Political Parties and Pressure Groups
• PSCI 4044 - The Presidency
• PSCI 4057 - Religion and Politics
• PSCI 4074 - Urban Politics
• PSCI 4084 - Local Government and Administration
• PSCI 4094 - Seminar: American Politics
• PSCI 4124 - Denver Politics
• PSCI 4236 - American Foreign Policy
• PSCI 4237 - American National Security
• PSCI 4324 - Politics, Public Policy and Leadership
• PSCI 4330 - U.S. Health Policy
• PSCI 4354 - Environmental Politics
• PSCI 4374 - Public Priorities for the 21st Century
• PSCI 4444 - Contemporary Culture and Politics in America
• PSCI 4457 - American Political Thought
   
• PSCI 4477 - Constitutional Law I
• PSCI 4487 - Constitutional Law II
• PSCI 4494 - Judicial Politics
• PSCI 4545 - Immigration Politics
• PSCI 4554 - Chicano and Latino Politics
• PSCI 4564 - Gender and Politics
• PSCI 4644 - Ethical Responsibilities of Leaders
• PSCI 4827 - Women and the Law
• PSCI 4837 - Contemporary Issues in Civil Liberties
• PSCI 4934 - CU at the Capitol

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  Take one of the following 4000-level Comparative Politics courses:

• PSCI 4057 - Religion and Politics
   
• PSCI 4074 - Urban Politics
   
• PSCI 4085 - Comparative Governance: Environment and Society
   
• PSCI 4105 - Comparative Politics: Europe
• PSCI 4115 - Third World Politics
• PSCI 4144 - Indigenous Political Systems
• PSCI 4146 - Indigenous Politics
• PSCI 4155 - Political Systems of the Middle East and North Africa
• PSCI 4165 - Islamic Politics and Culture
• PSCI 4176 - Gandhi’s Legacy: Non-Violent Resistance Today
• PSCI 4185 - Corruption in the U.S. and Abroad
• PSCI 4195 - Political Systems of Sub-Saharan Africa
• PSCI 4206 - Social Movements, Democracy and Global Politics
• PSCI 4215 - Women’s Rights, Human Rights: Global Perspectives
• PSCI 4224 - Dictatorships in 21st Century
• PSCI 4225 - Democracy and Democratization
• PSCI 4235 - Politics and Markets in Latin America
• PSCI 4248 - Gender, Globalization and Development
• PSCI 4265 - Social Justice And Globalization
   
• PSCI 4365 - Global Ecological Crises
• PSCI 4446 - Advanced Indigenous Peoples’ Politics
• PSCI 4505 - Political System of Russia and Its Neighbors
• PSCI 4535 - Labor and Working Class Politics
• PSCI 4555 - International Women’s Resistance
• PSCI 4605 - Politics and Governments of South Asia
• PSCI 4615 - Politics and Government of China
• PSCI 4807 - Political Violence
• PSCI 4808 - Strategies of Peacebuilding

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  Take one of the following 4000-level International Politics courses:

• PSCI 4126 - Introduction to International Political Economy
• PSCI 4156 - The Arab-Israeli Peace Process
• PSCI 4186 - East Asia in World Affairs
• PSCI 4206 - Social Movements, Democracy and Global Politics
   
• PSCI 4216 - International Politics: Human Rights
• PSCI 4236 - American Foreign Policy
   
• PSCI 4237 - American National Security
   
• PSCI 4266 - International Law
• PSCI 4274 - Conflict Resolution and Public Consent Building
• PSCI 4280 - The Politics of War Law
• PSCI 4286 - International Relations: War or Peace?
• PSCI 4326 - Advanced International Political Economy: Globalization
• PSCI 4726 - Seminar on U.S. and China Relations
• PSCI 4736 - The Middle East in World Affairs

•  

  Take one of the following courses:

• *  PSCI 3914 - The Urban Citizen
• *  PSCI 3939 - Internship
• *PSCI 4934 - CU at the Capitol  
• *  PSCI 4944 - CU in the City
• *  PSCI 4995 - Travel Study

•  

  *Exceptions to the course­work requirement of the Experiential Learning Requirement

  • In lieu of taking one of the preceding courses, students may complete a substantial experiential learning project in a different PSCI class. The course instructor must certify with a written submission to the departmental undergraduate advisor that the experiential learning project in that course fulfills the departmental experiential learning requirement.
  • Students with pre­existing significant political or civic engagement experience in the community (i.e., community and civic leadership work, or work with government agencies, on political campaigns, or in non-governmental organizations) or for whom the experiential­learning requirement poses a hardship may petition the chair to waive the requirement.

  Note: In either of these cases of exception to the Experiential Learning coursework requirement, 39 total credit hours in political science are still required for graduation.

•  

  Students must complete a capstone experience. Prior approval from their faculty advisor is required. This credit may be earned by taking one of the following or another course approved by the faculty major advisor.

• PSCI 4002 - Topics in Political Science
• PSCI 4840 - Independent Study: PSCI
• PSCI 4880 - Directed Research