Political Science (BA)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2025-Spring 2026 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Political Science
Academic Plan Code(s): See Track Requirements tab.

Program Information

This program can be completed 100% online.

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science program at UofL cultivates an understanding of policy, politics and governments in the United States and around the globe. We offer a wide range of courses including campaigns and elections, the Presidency and Congress, social movements and civil rights, terrorism and war, constitutional law, environmental policy, religious politics, urban politics and poverty, and international politics. The department is a particularly inviting environment for students, with small class sizes, our own building, a computer lab, and options to specialize via several tracks in our major.

Political Science majors at the University of Louisville have been extremely successful in earning prestigious scholarships and fellowships. The roster of recent successes includes numerous Fulbright Award winners and multiple Truman Scholars. Since 2010, three of our students have won the annual Mary Churchill Humphrey scholarship, often described as UofL’s Rhodes Scholarship because it supports graduate study in Great Britain. Many of our majors go on to have successful careers in government, international affairs, nongovernmental organizations, business, academia, and media.

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.

Degree Summary

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Some credit hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the program, in which case additional electives will be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree. 

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Political Science offers three BA options (two tracks and one non-track). For all three options, including the non-track, please refer to the Track Requirements tab.  

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Accelerated BA/MA in Political Science

Political Science majors who are considering pursuing a master’s degree (MA) in Political Science can speed up the process by applying some of their undergraduate credit hours toward a master's degree.  Students accepted into the Accelerated BA/MA take 9-12 credit hours (depending on the graduate option selected) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor’s degree and the eventual master's degree. 

Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/master’s degree offered through the university's Soaring Scholar Program must first meet with their Academic Advisor and be accepted into the program. Once accepted, students will receive an official admission letter outlining program policies and details. They will then work with their department and academic advisor to register for classes each semester, ensuring they meet the milestones and academic progress requirements of the Soaring Scholar program. A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester, they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.

Departmental Admission Requirements

There are no specific admission requirements for this degree plan.  

The Change Major Request form can be found under the Academic Progress tile on ULink.

Accelerated BA/MA Admission Requirements

The Department of Political Science also offers its undergraduate majors an opportunity to earn both a BA degree and an MA degree at an accelerated pace.  The non-thesis track of the program allows students to complete twelve (12) credit hours of graduate coursework while enrolled as undergraduate students.  The thesis track of the program allows students to complete nine (9) credit hours of graduate coursework while enrolled as undergraduate students. Interested students should apply to the program during their Junior year (i.e., when they have accumulated 60-90 hours of credit). Students must be Political Science majors with a GPA of approximately 3.2 or higher.

To apply, students must obtain two letters of recommendation from faculty attesting to their ability to do high-quality academic work at the graduate level.  Students must also write a personal statement where they describe their professional or occupational objectives, areas of interest in political science, and how the department's program (and specific faculty) will help to achieve those objectives.  The GRE is not required.  All application materials should be sent to the department's Director of Graduate Studies.  See the department website for contact information.

General Education Requirements

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above).  Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

No more than 6 hours of POLS 430, POLS 510, POLS 511 and/or POLS 512 may count toward the major.

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above. 

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Completion of the intermediate level of a single foreign language

²

In addition to courses counted toward General Education; 6 hours must be at 300 level or above

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May be incorporated into other degree requirements

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Fulfills General Education requirement.

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Substitutions may be approved by the departmental advisor.

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Fulfills WR requirement.

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Students who satisfy General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

Track Requirements 

Students who satisfy General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

Track in Applied Politics

Academic Plan Code(s): POLSBA_APO

Track in Global Politics and International Affairs

Academic Plan Code(s): POLSBA_GIA

No-Track Political Science BA 

Academic Plan Code(s): POLSBA, POLSBA_O

Students in this plan of study are required to take at least one course from each of Political Science's five subfields. 

¹

The department encourages students to satisfy a portion of the elective requirement through completion of experiential learning courses such as POLS 430, POLS 465, POLS 510, POLS 511, POLS 520 or POLS 530.

²

POLS 399 may be an appropriate elective under any category depending on its topic in a given semester. A student must obtain her/his advisor's approval before attempting to use this course to satisfy an area requirement. 

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POLS 333 may be used as an elective option under Public Policy or International Relations. It may only satisfy one requirement. It may not be used to satisfy both requirements. 

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POLS 341 may be used as an elective option under International Relations and Comparative Politics. It may only satisfy one requirement. It may not be used to satisfy both requirements. 

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POLS 363 may be used as an elective option under International Relations and Comparative Politics. It may only satisfy one requirement. It may not be used to satisfy both requirements. 

Accelerated BA/MA in Political Science

Students in the Accelerated Pathway should take 9 hours (thesis track) or up to 12 hours (non-thesis track) of graduate courses listed below:

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Other 500- or 600-level graduate POLS classes may be substituted, depending on what is needed to complete the undergraduate major, the timing of graduate offerings, and when the student enters the Accelerated Pathway.  Political Science courses at the 500- or 600- level that were taken before a student was admitted into the Accelerated Pathway cannot be double counted. Students should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies in Political Science and their undergraduate advisor to ensure that degree requirements for both programs are met.

Flight Plan

No Track - Political Science (BA)

Academic Plan Code(s): POLSBA

Track in Applied Politics*

Academic Plan Code(s): POLSBA_APO

*Students in the BA/MA Accelerated Option for the tracks in Applied Politics and Global Politics and International Affairs  should consult their advisor about modifying this flight plan for their specific needs.  

Track in Global Politics and International Affairs*

Academic Plan Code(s): POLSBA_GIA

*Students in the BA/MA Accelerated Option for the tracks in Applied Politics and Global Politics and International Affairs  should consult their advisor about modifying this flight plan for their specific needs. 

Accelerated BA/MA Option

The accelerated flight plan is the same as the No-Track Political Science BA flight plan listed in the above for years 1 and 2.  Students in the BA/MA Accelerated Option for the tracks in Applied Politics and Global Politics and International Affairs  should consult their advisor about modifying this flight plan for their specific needs. 

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "What-if Advisement Report."
   3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.