Requirements for the Political Science Major

39 total credits are required to fulfill this major’s requirements, as defined below:

• 12 credits of Political Science Core courses 
• 12 credits within the chosen concentration
• 15 credits of additional Political Science electives

Students pursuing the Interdisciplinary Options for Law  and International Studies  concentrations should expect to complete 18 credits within their concentration, and 9 credits of elective coursework.

Students transferring in coursework from other schools must complete a minimum of 18 credits in Political Science at Westfield State University.

The Department of Political Science encourages students to participate in internships. Students may apply up to 6 Internship credits toward the 39 credit major.

• 3 of these Internship credits may be applied to the concentration.
• Up to 3 of these Internship credits may be applied toward the 18-credit minor.

For details about Political Science Internship credits, please click here to view the department’s Internship manual, or contact the department.

Political Studies Concentration - 12 credits

Courses that introduce to the broad philosophical and practical understanding of Political Science and its application to contemporary political issues (12 credits: choose four, at least two at the 300-level).

Additional Graduation Requirements

All students must meet the University Graduation Requirements  and complete a general education or common core of studies, distributed among the different academic areas as detailed in General Education: WISE  or Common Core .