Department website: https://politicalscience.wvu.edu/
Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
Nature of the Program
The undergraduate curriculum in the Department of Political Science has five main objectives:
- To acquaint students with the nature and role of government in modern society, thus contributing to the general education of political science majors. In order to achieve this objective, the department offers the general political science emphasis. This emphasis is open to any student who has an interest in political science but who has not yet focused on a specific career goal.
- To impart a broad understanding of the American political system. Courses are offered on national institutions, political actors, and political behavior. Other courses focus on the policy making process and on various substantive policy issue-areas. Students who seek to work in politics and/or government should enroll in the American politics and policy area of emphasis.
- To provide a broad foundation of relevant courses for students who plan careers in law.
- To prepare students who wish to pursue future careers in international relations, comparative politics, and national security area.
- To provide pre-professional training for students who intend to pursue political science as a career. Those who intend to be teachers, researchers, or administrators should plan to enroll in graduate school after completing their bachelor’s degrees, and our major is designed to provide a strong foundation for that.
Students who earn a degree in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences must complete the University requirements, the College requirements for their specific degree program, and their major requirements.
Honors Program
The Department of Political Science, in cooperation with the University Honors College, offers courses that are open exclusively to honors students. These courses are listed in the University’s Schedule of Courses each semester. Students who meet the standards of the University Honors Program may enroll in these courses.
3+3 Program
The Department of Political Science participates in the WVU College of Law 3+3 Program at WVU, which is an opportunity for qualified undergraduate students to earn their bachelor's degree and law degree in six years instead of seven years. Students accepted into the 3+3 program begin taking classes at WVU Law in what would be their senior year of college. Students participating in this program must meet certain eligibility criteria and progress benchmarks. For questions regarding your eligibility, please contact your department advisor.
Minors
All students have the possibility of earning one or more minors; view a list of all available minors and their requirements here. Please note that students may not earn a minor in their major field.
Faculty
Chair
- John C. Kilwein - Ph.D. (Ohio State University)
Director of Undergraduate Studies
- John C. Kilwein - Ph.D. (Ohio State University)
Director of Graduate Studies
- William Franko - Ph.D. (University of Iowa)
Professors
- Clarissa Estep - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Director of International Studies Program - Joe D. Hagan - Ph.D. (University of Kentucky)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Barnette Professor in Political Science, International Relations and World Politics, Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis - Erik Herron - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Eberly Family Professor, Political Institutions, Elections, Post-Communist Europe and Eurasia - Samuel Workman - Ph.D. (University of Washington)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Director Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs John D. "Jay" Rockefeller School of Policy & Politics
Associate Professors
- R. Scott Crichlow - Ph.D. (Louisiana State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, International Relations, Foreign Policy Decision-making, Middle East Politics - Vito D'Orazio - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Woodburn Associate Professor, International Relations, Data Sciences - Christina Fattore - Ph.D. (Florida State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, International Political Economy, International Organization, European Union Politics - William Franko - Ph.D. (University of Iowa)
Regular Graduate Faculty, American Politics, State and Local Politics, Public Policy - David Hauser - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
International Conflict, National Security Analysis - Matthew Jacobsmeier - Ph.D. (University of Rochester)
Regular Graduate Faculty, American Politics, Political Behavior, Public Opinion, Research Methods - John C. Kilwein - Ph.D. (Ohio State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Public Law, Judicial Politics, Public Policy, Public Administration - Jason MacDonald - Ph.D. (The George Washington University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, American Politics, Congress, Research Methods - Philip Michelbach - Ph.D. (University of California)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Political Theory, American Political Thought, German Political Thought, Comparative Democratic Theory - Mason Moseley - Ph.D. (Vanderbilt University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Comparative Politics, Latin American Politics, Comparative Political Institutions - Trisha Phillips - Ph.D. (Rice University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Social and Political Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Research Ethics
Assistant Professors
- Samantha Godbey - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Director of Debate - Jonathan M. King - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Judicial Politics - Shaniqua Williams - Ph.D. (Auburn University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Public Administration, State and Local Politics
Professors Emeriti
- Richard Brisbin - Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University)
- Robert E. DiClerico - Ph.D. (Indiana University)
- Allan S. Hammock - Ph.D. (University of Virginia)
- Susan Hunter - Ph.D. (Ohio State University)
- Sophia L. Peterson - Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles)
- James Whisker - Ph.D. (University of Maryland)
- Jeffrey S. Worsham - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin)
Admissions for 2026-2027
- First Time Freshmen are admitted directly to the major.
- Students transferring from other majors or another institution with at least a 2.0 overall GPA are admitted directly to the major.
Major Code: 1464
Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, Eberly Edge Program requirements, major requirements, and electives to total a minimum of 120 hours.
Departmental Requirements for the B.A. in Political Science
All students wishing to obtain a degree in Political Science must comply with the following:
- Calculation of the Major GPA: A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to major requirements. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
- Writing Requirement: The Department of Political Science is a SpeakWrite Affiliated Program, committed to fostering and assessing students’ written, verbal, visual, and mediated communication skills. The Political Science major requires its Bachelor of Arts program graduates to complete ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 (or ENGL 103), and a minimum of four additional SpeakWrite Certified Courses TM as a part of their programs of study.
-
Area of Emphasis: Students may select an Area of Emphasis, depending on their academic or career interests. A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to the Area of Emphasis.
- Capstone Requirement: The General Education Foundations requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. Political Science majors must successfully complete one of the following: POLS 484, POLS 487, POLS 488, POLS 489.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 66 | |
| Eberly Edge Requirements | 15 | |
| Political Science Major Requirements | 39 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 | 27 | |
| POLS 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 38 | |
| Total Hours | 66 | |
Eberly Edge Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDG 1: Data and Society | 3 | |
| EDG 2: Effective and Civil Communication | 3 | |
| EDG 3: Ethics and Civil Responsibility | 3 | |
| EDG 4: Global and Regional Perspectives (POLS 250) | ||
| EDG 5: Practicing Arts & Sciences (ARSC 380) | 3 | |
| EDG 6: High Impact Experience | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Political Science Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CORE REQUIREMENT: | 21 | |
| Introduction to American Government | ||
| Political Science Policy Analysis or Public Administration requirement: | ||
| Introduction to Policy Analysis | ||
or POLS 240 | Introduction to Public Administration | |
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| Political Science International Requirement: | ||
| Global Political Issues | ||
or POLS 260 | Introduction to International Relations | |
| Concepts in Political Theory | ||
or POLS 271 | History of Political Thought 2 | |
| Empirical Political Analysis | ||
| Political Science Economics: | ||
| Politics of Economic Policy | ||
or POLS 360 | International Political Economy | |
| POLITICAL SCIENCE ELECTIVES: | 15 | |
| Select one option: | ||
| Option 1: POLS Electives | ||
| Complete 15 additional credit hours in POLS with a minimum of 12 credits at the 300 level or above the 300-level. | ||
| Option 2: Area of Emphasis | ||
| Select an Area of Emphasis from the following: | ||
American Politics and Policy | ||
Elections & Campaigns | ||
International Relations, Comparative Politics, and National Security | ||
Pre-Law and Legal Studies | ||
| CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE: | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Capstone: Build a Politics Podcast | ||
| Capstone: Senior Paper | ||
| Capstone: Political Simulation | ||
| Capstone: Citizenship Seminar | ||
| Total Hours | 39 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| POLS 102 (F4) | 3 | POLS 270 or 271 | 3 |
| POLS 103 or 260 (F7) | 3 | EDG 2: Effective and Civil Communication | 3 |
| GEF 2A | 3 | F2A | 3 |
| EDG 1: Data and Society | 3 | F3 | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | POLS 230 or 240 | 3 |
| POLS 250 (EDG 4) | 3 | POLS 300 | 3 |
| F8 Course 1 | 3 | EDG 3: Ethics and Civil Responsibility | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | F5 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | F6 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS 334 or 360 | 3 | POLS Elective/AoE course 3 | 3 |
| POLS Elective/AoE course 1 | 3 | POLS Elective/AoE course 4 | 3 |
| POLS Elective/AoE course 2 | 3 | ARSC 380 (EDG 5) | 3 |
| F8 Course 2 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | F8 Course 3 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS Elective/AoE course 5 | 3 | POLS Capstone | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | EDG 6: High Impact Experience | |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
- *
Students completing a minor, a double major or a dual degree fulfill the GEF 8 requirement.
Areas of Emphasis Offered:
- American Politics and Policy
- Elections & Campaigns
- International Relations, Comparative Politics, and National Security
- Pre-Law and Legal Studies
American Politics and Policy Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select five of the following: | 15 | |
| Introduction to National Security | ||
| American Presidency | ||
| Political Parties & Elections | ||
| American Constitutional Law | ||
| Civil Liberties in the United States | ||
| Law and Public Policy | ||
| Public Opinion and Politics | ||
| Interest Groups and Democracy | ||
| Legislative Process | ||
| American Federalism and Policy | ||
| West Virginia Government | ||
| Religion & Politics | ||
| Sexuality, Law, and Politics | ||
| Criminal Law Policy and Administration | ||
| Politics of Social Welfare | ||
| Politics of Economic Policy | ||
| Civil Rights, Policy, and Politics | ||
| Gender/Politics and Policy | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| National Security Law & Policy | ||
| Bureaucratic Politics | ||
| American Political Philosophy | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Elections & Campaigns Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIELD RESEARCH REQUIREMENT: | 3 | |
| Field Research and Community Engagement in Elections and Campaigns | ||
| POLITICAL SCIENCE ELECTIVES: | 9 | |
Select 3 courses from the following list: | ||
| Political Parties & Elections | ||
| Public Opinion and Politics | ||
| Interest Groups and Democracy | ||
| Religion & Politics | ||
| Civil Rights, Policy, and Politics | ||
| Gender/Politics and Policy | ||
| Electoral Systems and Political Parties Around the World | ||
| The Electoral Process | ||
| Representation | ||
| SKILLS COURSE: | 3 | |
Select One from the Following: | ||
| Principles of Advertising | ||
| Advertising Strategies | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Communication | ||
| Fundamentals of Mediated Communication | ||
| Multimedia Writing | ||
| Business and Professional Writing | ||
| Political Geography | ||
| Principles of Leadership | ||
| Introduction to Social Psychology | ||
| Social Problems in Contemporary America | ||
| Intermediate Statistical Methods | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
International Relations, Comparative Politics, and National Security Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select five of the following: | 15 | |
| Introduction to National Security | ||
| Introduction to Intelligence Analysis | ||
| Intelligence Analysis Methods | ||
| Government of Japan | ||
| Russian and Post-Soviet Politics | ||
| Politics of the European Union | ||
| Western Democratic Governments | ||
| Government of China | ||
| Governments of Latin America | ||
| Politics of the Middle East | ||
| Comparative Law and Politics | ||
| Politics of Africa | ||
| Politics of Terrorism | ||
| International Political Economy | ||
| International Law and Institutions | ||
| Comparative Foreign Policy | ||
| International Law | ||
| American Foreign Relations | ||
| Foreign Policy Decision-Making | ||
| Politics of War and Peace | ||
| Far East International Affairs | ||
| Dictatorship and Democratization | ||
| Contentious Politics | ||
| Elections and Political Parties Around the World | ||
| European Union Law/Legal Systems | ||
| European Union Law/Institutions | ||
| Gender and International Relations | ||
| Transformation of War | ||
| Intelligence Failures | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Pre-Law and Legal Studies Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CORE COURSES: | 6 | |
| Law and the Legal System | ||
| American Constitutional Law | ||
or POLS 314 | Civil Liberties in the United States | |
| UPPER-DIVISION ELECTIVES: | 9 | |
Select three of the following: | ||
| American Constitutional Law (alternate classes from above) | ||
or POLS 314 | Civil Liberties in the United States | |
| Law and Public Policy | ||
| Sexuality, Law, and Politics | ||
| Criminal Law Policy and Administration | ||
| Comparative Law and Politics | ||
| International Law | ||
| European Union Law/Legal Systems | ||
| European Union Law/Institutions | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Accelerated Program
Accelerated B.A. in Political Science and M.A. in Political Science
Students must fulfill all degree requirements for the B.A. in Political Science and all requirements for the M.A. in Political Science with the exception of the minimum number of credit hours in M.A. in Political Science Electives and the minimum number of credit hour required for the M.A., as described below. Students must also meet all requirements for the A.B.M in Political Science.
Credit Hours: Students are required to complete a minimum of 31 credit hours in POLS at the graduate level. Up to 12 of those credits can be at the 400 level. The number of graduate credit hours may vary depending on number of semesters in residence.
ABM Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Coursework | 106 | |
| Shared B.A./M.A. Coursework | 14 | |
| Graduate Coursework | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 144 | |
Shared Coursework Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 500 | Introduction to Political Research | 3 |
| POLS 501 | Quantitative Political Analysis | 3 |
| POLS 502 | Advanced Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| POLS 596 | Graduate Seminar | 2 |
| Any POLS course at the 400 level or above | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 14 | |
| Third Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS 334 or 360 | 3 | POLS Elective/AoE course 3 | 3 |
| POLS Elective/AoE course 1 | 3 | POLS Elective/AoE course 4 | 3 |
| POLS Elective/AoE course 2 | 3 | POLS 501 | 3 |
| POLS 500 | 3 | POLS 596 | 1 |
| F8 Course 2 | 3 | ARSC 380 (EDG 5) | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS Elective/AoE course 5 | 3 | POLS Capstone | 3 |
| POLS 502 | 3 | EDG 6: EDG High Impact Experience | 3 |
| POLS 596 | 1 | POLS 400 level or above | 3 |
| F8 Course 3 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||
3+3 Program Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| POLS 102 (GEF 4) | 3 | POLS 270 or 271 | 3 |
| POLS 103 or 260 | 3 | GEF 2A | 3 |
| GEF 2A | 3 | GEF 3 | 3 |
| Foreign Language 101 | 3 | Foreign Language 102 | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | POLS 230 or 240 | 3 |
| POLS 210 | 3 | POLS 300 | 3 |
| POLS 250 | 3 | GEF 5 | 3 |
| POLS Law-Related Course 1 | 3 | ECAS Fine Arts Requirement (GEF 6) | 3 |
| Foreign Language 203 | 3 | Foreign Language 204 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POLS 334 or 360 | 3 | Skills & Related Course 2 | 3 |
| POLS 313 or 314 | 3 | POLS Capstone | 3 |
| POLS Law-Related Course 2 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| POLS at the 200-Level or Above | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| Skills & Related Course 1 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| LAW 641 | 1 | LAW 675 | 1 |
| LAW 686 | 4 | LAW 703 | 4 |
| LAW 700 | 3 | LAW 707 | 4 |
| LAW 705 | 3 | LAW 711 | 2 |
| LAW 709 | 4 | LAW 725 | 4 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Degree Progress
Within four semesters in the POLS major, students must
- have completed four of the following courses: POLS 102, POLS 230 or POLS 240, POLS 250, POLS 260, POLS 270,
- maintain a 2.0 GPA overall and in the major,
- meet with their POLS adviser each semester.
Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
Major Learning Outcomes
Political Science
Political Science Department Learning Outcomes
- A command of basic substantive knowledge about the basic institutions, political actors, and relevant processes in state, national, and international political systems – in particular as they apply to the student’s particular area of emphasis.
- A knowledge of major policy issues in state, national, and international affairs and an appreciation of the complexity reflective of the uncertainties, trade-offs, and institutional/bureaucratic context of problems confronting governments.
- An ability to think critically about political phenomena in a way that applies alternative explanatory perspectives across the major theoretical schools of thought in the political science literature.
- A demonstrated capability to carry out systematic empirical research in political science, i.e. articulate a theoretical question, construct a rigorous research design, and analyze data or cases using appropriate methodological approaches.
- An appreciation of the policy implications of different theoretical approaches and, more generally, how they relate to the larger ethical issues facing the West Virginia, national, and international communities.