GLNS Program Requirements
To successfully earn a BA in Government, Law and National Security, in addition to the core curriculum requirements, students will need to complete both requirements in the major and additional electives.
Program Goals and Learning Outcomes
The following are program goals for the Government, Law, and National Security major:
- To provide students with an interdisciplinary background in history, political science, and related disciplines.
- To cultivate the ability to think, write, and speak clearly with thoroughness and independence.
- To foster an understanding of the complexity of human motivation and action across a diverse set of individuals, groups, communities, and organizations, by providing a critical approach to evaluating past and present events and issues of historical, legal, and/or political significance.
- To promote an understanding of human values and moral considerations, and of how to incorporate an ethical awareness into problem-solving strategies that reflects the values of mercy, justice, service, and hospitality.
- To afford students the opportunity to develop and increase their capacity for qualitative and quantitative analysis and evaluation of local, national and international issues and the strategic implementation of concepts and policy options for conflict and problem resolution.
- To familiarize students with the political, economic, legal, and national security institutions and processes in the United States and the international community, and their histories.
The Government, Law, and National Security major program goals are realized in the following student learning outcomes:
- Students will evaluate American and international economic, legal, and/or political systems, institutions, issues, and activities.
- Students will be able to critically assess the concepts, history, institutions, laws, and methods of national security, broadly understood.
- Students will be able to critically evaluate both historical and current events to identify intentions and motivations of action.
- Students will identify and explain the ethical, legal, and/or moral dimension of political, economic, and social issues.
- Students will be able to develop explanations, theories of causation, and strategies for conflict and program resolution.
- Students will be able to communicate clearly and persuasively both verbally and in writing.
Major Electives
Major Electives (15 credits) Students must complete 5 courses in this category.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
GEO 202 | Cultural World Geography | 3 |
HIS 204 | Survey of Latin America: Modern | 3 |
HIS 211 | History of Britain | 3 |
HIS 213 | Modern French History | 3 |
HIS 353 | American Capitalism and the Global Economy | 3 |
HIS 354 | Culture and National Security | 3 |
HIS 320 | Selected Studies in History (with permission of GLNS director) | up to 6 |
HIS 330 | Immigration and American Ethnic History | 3 |
HIS 350 | Post-1945 United States History | 3 |
PHL 223 / PHL 270 | Social Ethics / Social and Political Philosophy | 3 |
POL 211 | The Trial in American Life | 3 |
| POL 332 | U.S. Homeland Security Issues: Threats, Challenges, and Solutions | 3 |
POL 333 | U.S. National Security Issues: Threats, Challenges, and Solutions (replaces POL 323,U.S. National Security III: Threats, Challenges & Solutions) | 3 |
POL 308 | The Presidency | 3 |
POL 325 | War in World Politics | 3 |
| POL 330 | Urban Policy: Disadvantaged Youth | 3 |
| POL 340 | Russia and the Near Abroad | 3 |
| POL 411 | Constitutional Encounters | 3 |
| POL 407 | Public Management and Leadership | 3 |
| POL 413 | Political Science Cooperative Education | 3-12 |
| POL 450/POL 451 | Internship | 3 credit each |
| POL 480 | Independent Study | 3-6 |
| POL 485 | Special Topics in Political Science | up to 6 |
| xxx | Foreign Language (transferred from another institution) | up to 6 |
| xxx | Criminal Justice (transferred from another institution) | up to 6 |
Major Requirements
Major requirements (36 credits) students must complete all courses in this category.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
HIS 102 or 104 | Western Civilization II or U.S. History Survey II | 3 |
MTH 115 | Basic Statistics | 3 |
POL 100 | American National Government | 3 |
POL 103 | Global Politics | 3 |
POL 208 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
POL 230 | Introduction to Public Policy and Public Administration | 3 |
POL 210 | Introduction to the American Legal System | 3 |
HIS 221 | World Wars, Cold War, and Beyond | 3 |
POL 222 | The U.S. National Security System (replaces POL 322, U.S. National Security II: Institutions & Methods) | 3 |
POL 223 | The U.S. Homeland Security System | 3 |
POL 410 | American Constitutional Law | 3 |
Required Core that Counts toward Major
MTH 115 and one course each from History Group A and Group B, in addition to other core courses in non-related fields
| HIS 102 or 104 | Western Civ II or U.S. History Survey II | 3 |
| MTH 115 | Basic Statistics | 3 |
| POL 100 | American National Government | 3 |
| POL 103 | Global Politics | 3 |
- Class rank in the top half of the high school graduating class and/or a cumulative 2.5 grade point average
- Minimum combined SAT score of 850 for Critical Reading and Math (combined) if taken prior to March 5, 2016, or 930 if taken after March 5, 2016. In lieu of the SAT, ACT results may be presented with a minimum required composite score of 18
Please note the above listed requirements are general, and that each application is looked at thoroughly, taking into account individual grades, academic rigor, and other factors.
