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Department of Political Science
Main Departmental Office
Wooten Hall, 125
P.O. Box 5338
Denton, TX 76203-0338
(817) 565-2276
Advising Office
Wooten Hall, 140
(817) 565-2214
Fax: (817) 565-4818
Steven P. Forde, Chair
Faculty
Professors Booth, Clarke, Feigert, Godwin, Tate. Associate Professors Books, Forde, Nye, Poe, Reban, Sahliyeh, Todd, Yeric. Assistant Professors Barbieri, King, Leblang, Martinez, Meernik, Ruderman, Wood. Visiting Assistant Professors Cox, DiGeorgio-Lutz, Kucinski.
Introduction
Department courses meet the needs of both undergraduate and graduate students preparing to enter national, state and local government employment; public and private foreign service; law; politics; public and private research; writing and reporting of public affairs and political science; and government and social science teaching.
Pre-Law Program
UNT annually prepares many students to enter law schools. No prescribed program of courses has been found to be of greater value than regular liberal arts degree programs. Consequently, there is no pre-law program of courses; students may select any major.
Future law school students should take courses that emphasize writing and oral skills, research into problems facing society, logical reasoning, the American legal system and Constitutional Law.
Pre-law students should take the Law School Admission Test during the summer before their senior year. For further advice, students should consult early in their career at UNT with the pre-law adviser in Wooten Hall, Room 129.
Political Science Requirement
The university may not award a baccalaureate degree or a lesser degree or academic certificate unless the student has completed six hours of credit in American government to include consideration of the constitution of the United States and Texas. The university may determine that a student has met the requirement in whole or in part on the basis of credit transferred from another accredited college or upon successful completion of an advanced standing examination. The university may grant as much as three hours of credit toward satisfaction of this requirement for substantially equivalent work in an approved senior ROTC unit. The student may satisfy the entire six hour political science requirement by advanced standing examination. PSCI 1040 and 1050 (American Government), 3 hours credit each, fulfill the legislative requirement of government study.
Programs of Study
The department offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the following areas:
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Arts
Students must complete at least 128 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as specified in the College of Arts and Sciences section of this catalog.
Supplemental Information for BA with a Major in Political Science
Students majoring in political science must complete 34 hours in political science: PSCI 1040, 1050, 2300, any political theory course and 18 other hours, including at least one advanced course in each of three of the listed areas of study (not including political theory). Advanced courses are offered in six areas of study.
- Field A, American Government and Politics: PSCI 3010, 3100, 3110, 3130, 3160, 4020, 4100, 4120 and 4140.
- Field B, Public Law: PSCI 3200, 4200, 4210, 4220 and 4810.
- Field C, Political Theory and Methodology: PSCI 2310, 3300, 3310, 3320, 4320 and 4330.
- Field D, Public Policy: PSCI 3420, 4130, 4450 and 4490.
- Field E, Comparative Government and Politics: PSCI 3600, 3700, 3840, 4620, 4630, 4640, 4650 and 4700.
- Field F, International Relations: PSCI 3810, 3840, 4800, 4810, 4820, 4830, 4840 and 4860.
Courses listed in more than one area of study may be counted toward the requirements of only one area.
Degree Plans
During the sophomore year of enrollment, the student should make a degree plan. The student must bring or send all transcripts of prior college work, if any, to Wooten Hall, Room 140, where an advisory sheet is made. Transcripts and advisory sheet are then taken to General Academic Building, Room 313, for the completion of the degree plan. Process should be completed in time for the next registration period.
Minor in Political Science
A minor in political science requires 18 hours: PSCI 1040 and 1050, plus 12 semester hours that include 6 advanced.
Teacher Certification
Students who expect to teach political science or social studies in secondary schools must complete the requirements of the state of Texas for teacher certification as listed by the Department of Teacher Education and Administration in the College of Education section.
The department offers degree programs leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Undergraduates who anticipate political science graduate study should take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) during their senior year. For information, consult the Graduate Catalog.
Pender Scholars
The department annually awards up to three $200 scholarships based on merit to incoming students (fall term) who declare their intention to major in political science. The awardees are known as Pender Scholars in honor of the first chair of the political science department, J.W. "Dad" Pender.
High school seniors must rank in the top quarter of their class and have a score of at least 1100 recentered on the SAT I (or its equivalent). Transfer students must have a 3.5 grade point average and a score of at least 1100 recentered on the SAT I (or its equivalent). Application deadline is April 1; awards are announced May 1. Contact the undergraduate adviser in Wooten Hall, Room 140, for more information.
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