Power and Politics, BA/BS
Power and Politics provides students with a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to the study of political engagement and institutional power.
Power & Politics – Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science
Power and Politics, BA/BS
Offered as a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Major
The program in Power and Politics at SOU is designed to acquaint students with the complexities, challenges, and possibilities of political engagement at the individual, group, national, and trans-national levels. Power and Politics offers a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of power relations as they inform political life. As such, the focus is much less on the particulars of the discipline of political science and much more on the subject matter: power and politics. Rather than devote primary attention to the structural and methodological elements of a single academic discipline – important though they can be-Power and Politics encourages students to engage with political phenomena through a variety of disciplinary methods: Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, History, Sociology, etc. In creating this kind of interdisciplinary approach, the program is intended to emphasize curiosity, discovery, contemplation, analysis, and presentation as a process of perpetual learning that can apply usefully to the study of all human behavior.
Students in the major will complete a 44 credit hour core sequence of lower- and upper-division required courses in Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy (with elective options in Criminology and Criminal Justice; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies; and Sociology/Anthropology).
Additionally, each student will select a minimum 36-credit hour combination of courses from at least two of four upper-division concentrations:
- Political Economy
- Global Power and Politics
- Identity
- Theory and Philosophy
Degree Fit
Program Preparation
Students interested in becoming actively engaged in public and private settings with a keen understanding of political institutions and processes, as well as experiences in politics, government, law, journalism, and social research will find an intellectual home in SOU’s Power and Politics program.
Degree Roadmap
The Power and Politics program at SOU provides a solid, interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum that prepares students for active engagement in public and private settings with a keen understanding of political institutions and processes.Through service-learning and internship programs, the program offers students experiences in politics, government, law, journalism, and social research. The program’s faculty provide active mentorship to students seeking academic challenge and community involvement. The Power and Politics Major requires students to complete interdisciplinary core coursework at the lower- and upper-division levels, as well as 36 or more credit hours of upper-division coursework in one of several multi-disciplinary areas of emphasis.
Capstone
All senior majors in Power and Politics are required to complete a senior capstone project: PS 498 – Senior Seminar. This course enables students to apply the concepts, principles, and theories of political analysis to a focused research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. This research may take the form of a traditional research analysis and report, but students have also produced original approaches to the project, including short films, audio narratives, etc.
Guided Pathways
Contact: William Hughes – 541.552.6188 – whughes@sou.edu
Associate Degree Paths
Rogue Community College: Associate of General Studies
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Career Opportunities & Outlook
Contact Political Science
SOU Political Science Program
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6124
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