The Department of English and the Department of Political Science offer an interdisciplinary combined major in English and political science. Students in the combined major in English and political science integrate the study of literature and writing with the study of political issues and problems.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
BA Language Requirements
All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in Additional Requirements for BA students. Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
English Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Foundational Courses | ||
ENGL 1400 | Introduction to Literary Studies | 4 |
ENGL 1160 | Introduction to Rhetoric | 4 |
or ENGL 1410 | Introduction to Research on Writing | |
ENGL 1700 | Global Literatures 1 | 4 |
or ENGL 1701 | Global Literatures 2 |
English Electives
Two of the courses chosen from the lists below must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Diversity | ||
Complete one course from the following. You may reuse this course to fulfill an additional English requirement below. | 4 | |
Literature and Digital Diversity | ||
Early African-American Literature | ||
Postcolonial Literature | ||
American Women Writers | ||
Asian-American Literature | ||
Writing in Global Contexts | ||
Bedrooms and Battlefields: Hebrew Bible and the Origins of Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity | ||
Modern and Contemporary Jewish Literature | ||
Literary Periods | ||
Pre-19th Century Literature | ||
Complete one course from the following: | 4 | |
Introduction to Shakespeare | ||
Early African-American Literature | ||
Early Literatures | ||
17th- and 18th-Century Literatures | ||
Milton | ||
Bedrooms and Battlefields: Hebrew Bible and the Origins of Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity | ||
or JWSS 3678 | Bedrooms and Battlefields: Hebrew Bible and the Origins of Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity | |
19th/20th/21st Century Literature | ||
Complete one of the following courses: | 4 | |
19th Century | ||
The American Renaissance | ||
19th-Century Literatures | ||
Topics in 19th-Century American Literature | ||
Emerson and Thoreau | ||
19th-Century Major Figure | ||
20th/21st Century | ||
The Graphic Novel | ||
The Modern Bestseller | ||
Irish Literary Culture (Abroad) | ||
20th- and 21st-Century Literatures | ||
Modern and Contemporary Jewish Literature | ||
or JWSS 3685 | Modern and Contemporary Jewish Literature | |
20th- and 21st-Century Major Figure | ||
Theories and Methods | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Grammar: The Architecture of English | ||
Introduction to Rhetoric | ||
Introduction to Research on Writing | ||
Literature and Digital Diversity | ||
Rhetoric of Law | ||
The Practice and Theory of Teaching Writing | ||
Opening the Archive | ||
Narrative Medicine | ||
Introduction to Language and Linguistics | ||
Linguistic Analysis | ||
Syntax | ||
Semantics | ||
History of English | ||
Language and Gender | ||
Topics in Linguistics | ||
Comparative Course | ||
Complete one of the following courses: | 4 | |
Reading and Writing in the Digital Age | ||
British Literature to 1800 | ||
American Literature to 1865 | ||
Literature and Digital Diversity | ||
Contemporary Poetry | ||
Contemporary Fiction | ||
American Women Writers | ||
Asian-American Literature | ||
Horror Fiction | ||
Science Fiction | ||
Irish Literary Culture (Abroad) | ||
What Is Nature? | ||
Boston in Literature | ||
Film and Text (Abroad) | ||
Writing | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Creative Writing | ||
Style and Editing | ||
Digital Writing | ||
Writing and Community Engagement | ||
Writing in Global Contexts | ||
Writing to Heal | ||
Writing for Social Media: Theory and Practice | ||
Writing Boston | ||
Creative Nonfiction | ||
Poetry Workshop | ||
Fiction Workshop | ||
Writing Seminar | ||
The Writer’s Marketplace | ||
English Electives | ||
Complete any two ENGL courses that have not already been used to fulfill another requirement. | 8 |
Political Science Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Foundational Courses | ||
POLS 1150 | American Government | 4 |
POLS 1155 | Comparative Politics | 4 |
POLS 1160 | International Relations | 4 |
POLS 2399 | Research Methods in Political Science | 4 |
POLS 2400 | Quantitative Techniques | 4 |
Political Thought | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Ancient Philosophy and Political Thought | ||
Modern Political Thought | ||
American Political Thought | ||
Contemporary Political Thought | ||
Political Science Electives | ||
Complete three courses in the following range: | 12 | |
POLS 2000 and above that are not fulfilling other POLS requirements |
Political Science Concentrations (Optional)
If you are working toward one of the following concentrations, declare it with your advisor so that it may be added to your record.
- American Political Institutions
- Campaigns and Elections
- Comparative Politics
- Identity, Culture, and Politics
- International Relations and Diplomacy
- Law and Legal Studies
- Public Policy
- Security Studies
Supporting Courses for Political Science
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Complete one of the following to fulfill the prerequisite for POLS2400: | 4 | |
Interactive Mathematics | ||
Mathematical Thinking | ||
Calculus for Business and Economics | ||
Calculus 1 |
Integrative Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
English Integrative Requirement | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Writing and Community Engagement | ||
British and American Literature and Politics | ||
Political Science Integrative Requirement | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Music and Politics in America and Abroad | ||
Politics and Mass Media | ||
Capstone | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Capstone Seminar | ||
or ENGL 4720 | Capstone Project | |
Political Science Senior Capstone | ||
or POLS 4703 | Senior Thesis |
Major Credit Requirement
88 semester hours required in the major
Experiential Liberal Arts
All students in this College of Social Sciences and Humanities program are required to complete the Experiential Liberal Arts Requirement.
Program Requirement
128 total semester hours required
Concentration in American Political Institutions
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Complete four of the following: | 16 | |
State and Local Politics | ||
The U.S. Congress | ||
Judicial Process and Behavior | ||
Public Policy and Administration | ||
Public Opinion, Voting, and Elections | ||
Campaign Strategy |
Concentration in Campaigns and Elections
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
POLS 3160 | Campaign Strategy | 4 |
POLS 3302 | Judicial Process and Behavior | 4 |
Campaigns and Elections Electives | ||
Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
Urban Policies and Politics | ||
State and Local Politics | ||
Local Campaigns and Elections | ||
Public Opinion, Voting, and Elections | ||
Politics and Mass Media |
Concentration in Comparative Politics
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Theoretical Requirement | ||
Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
The Holocaust and Comparative Genocide | ||
Democratic Erosion | ||
Immigration Politics | ||
Religion and Politics | ||
Nationalism | ||
Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection | ||
Politics of Developing Nations | ||
Regional Requirements | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Politics and Governance of Europe and the European Union | ||
Government and Politics in the Middle East | ||
Experiential/Practicum Requirement | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Model Arab League | ||
Model NATO | ||
Dialogue of Civilizations: Government and Politics Abroad |
Concentration in Identity, Culture, and Politics
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Core Course | ||
POLS 3418 | Nationalism | 4 |
Electives | ||
Complete three of the following: | 12 | |
Immigration Politics | ||
Music and Politics in America and Abroad | ||
Religion and Politics | ||
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Public Policy | ||
Law and Society |
Concentration in International Relations and Diplomacy
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Experiential/Practicum Requirement | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Model United Nations | ||
Model Arab League | ||
Dialogue of Civilizations: International Politics Abroad | ||
Core Courses | ||
Complete three of the following: | 12 | |
International Political Economy | ||
International Law | ||
Politics and Governance of Europe and the European Union | ||
International Security |
Concentration in Law and Legal Studies
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Complete four of the following: | 16 | |
American Political Thought | ||
The U.S. Congress | ||
Judicial Process and Behavior | ||
Race, Inequality, and the Law | ||
or AFAM 3323 | Race, Inequality, and the Law | |
Law and Society | ||
International Law | ||
Global Governance | ||
U.S. Constitutional Law | ||
U.S. Civil Liberties |
Concentration in Public Policy
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Core Requirement | ||
POLS 3307 | Public Policy and Administration | 4 |
Electives | ||
Complete three of the following: | 12 | |
Business and Government | ||
Urban Policies and Politics | ||
State and Local Politics | ||
Growth and Decline of Cities and Suburbs | ||
Science, Technology, and Public Policy | ||
Environmental Politics and Policy | ||
U.S. Foreign Policy |
Concentration in Security Studies
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Complete four of the following: | 16 | |
U.S. National Security Policy | ||
Terrorism and Counterterrorism | ||
U.S. Foreign Policy | ||
Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection | ||
Politics of Developing Nations | ||
International Security |
Sample Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
Year 1 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENGL 1000 | 1 | ENGL 1160 or 1410 | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
ENGL 1400 | 4 | POLS 1160 | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
POLS 1150 | 4 | POLS 2400 prerequisite | 4 | ||||
POLS 1155 | 4 | ENGL elective | 4 | ||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||
17 | 16 | 8 | 8 | ||||
Year 2 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENGL pre-19th century requirement | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | ENGL elective | 4 | ||
ENGL theories and methods requirement | 4 | POLS elective | 4 | ||||
POLS thought course | 4 | ||||||
POLS 2399 | 4 | ||||||
16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
Year 3 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENGL 20th-, 21st- century requirement | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | ENGL diversity requirement | 4 | ||
ENGL comparative requirement | 4 | Advanced Writing requirement | 4 | ||||
POLS elective | 4 | ||||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||
16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
Year 4 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
ENGL integrative course | 4 | Capstone requirement | 4 | ||||
POLS integrative course | 4 | ENGL elective | 4 | ||||
Elective | 4 | POLS elective | 4 | ||||
Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
16 | 16 | ||||||
Total Hours: 129 |
Sample Five Years, Two Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall
Year 1 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours | ||
ENGL 1000 | 1 | ENGL 1160 or 1410 | 4 | Vacation | Vacation | ||||
ENGL 1400 | 4 | POLS 1160 | 4 | ||||||
POLS 1150 | 4 | POLS 2400 prerequisite | 4 | ||||||
POLS 1155 | 4 | English elective | 4 | ||||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||||
17 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Year 2 | |||||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours | ||
ENGL pre-19th-century requirement | 4 | ENGL 19th-, 20th-, 21st-century requirement | 4 | Vacation | Co-op | ||||
ENGL elective | 4 | ENGL theories and methods requirement | 4 | ||||||
POLS elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||||
POLS thought course | 4 | POLS 2400 | 4 | ||||||
16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Year 3 | |||||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours | ||
Co-op | ENGL comparative literature requirement | 4 | Vacation | Co-op | |||||
ENGL diversity requirement | 4 | ||||||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||||
POLS 2399 | 4 | ||||||||
0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Year 4 | |||||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Full Semester | Hours | ||||
Co-op | ENGL elective | 4 | Vacation | ||||||
POLS elective | 4 | ||||||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||||
0 | 16 | 0 | |||||||
Year 5 | |||||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||||
Capstone | 4 | Integrative course | 4 | ||||||
Elective | 4 | English writing requirement | 4 | ||||||
POLS elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||||
POLS integrative course | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||||
16 | 16 | ||||||||
Total Hours: 129 |