theundergraduateschoo ls - Wake Forest University

average. In addition, the candidate’s seminar paper must be defended before the departmental
honors committee. For additional information department faculty members should be consulted.
Political science majors who minor in Latin-American studies also have the opportunity to
pursue a five-year cooperative BA/MA degree program at Georgetown University in Washington,
DC.
The minor in political science consists of eighteen hours. Fifteen of the hours must be taken
at Wake Forest. No more than six hours may be taken toward the minor from introductory
courses (100-level courses). Highly motivated students who would like to further expand or
apply their study beyond the normal course of offerings can undertake internships, individual
studies, or directed readings if they fulfill the minimum GPA requirements of 3.0. No more than
three hours for any one or any combination of the following courses may be counted toward
the minor: POL 287, 288, or 289. Transfer hours toward the minor are awarded on an individual
case-by-case basis at the discretion of the chair. A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all
courses completed in political science at Wake Forest is required for graduation with the minor.
A student who selects political science to fulfill the Division IV requirement must take one of
the following courses: POL 113, 114, 115, or 116. Students who are not majors in political science
may take upper-level courses as electives without having had lower-level courses, unless a
prerequisite is specified.
American Politics
113. American Government and Politics. (3h) The nature of politics, political principles, and
political institutions, with emphasis on their application to the U.S.
210. Topics in U.S. Politics and Policy. (1h or 3h) Intensive study of one or more major problems
in contemporary U.S. politics and policy. Course may be retaken for credit if topic varies.
211. Political Parties, Voters, and Elections. (3h) Examination of party competition, party organizations,
the electorate and electoral activities of parties, and the responsibilities of parties for
governing.
212. U.S. Policymaking in the Twenty-first Century. (3h) Examines the contemporary U.S. policymaking
process. Special attention to ways issues become important and contributions of different
political actors, institutions, and ideologies in the passage or rejection of policy proposals.
Considers a range of social, economic, and regulatory policies.
215. Citizen and Community. (3h) Examination of the role and responsibilities of citizens in
democratic policymaking. Includes discussion of democratic theory, emphasis on a policy issue
of national importance (i.e. poverty, crime, environment), and involvement of students in projects
that examine the dimension of the issue in their community. Service-learning course.
216. U.S. Social Welfare Policy. (3h) Analysis of U.S. social policymaking and policy outcomes on
issues such as welfare, education, health care, and Social Security, with emphasis on historical
development and cross-national comparison.
217. Politics and the Mass Media. (3h) Exploration of the relationship between the political
system and the mass media. Two broad concerns are the regulation of the mass media and the
impact of media on political processes and events. Also listed as JOU 277.
218. Congress and Policymaking. (3h) Examination of the composition, authority structures,
external influences, and procedures of Congress with emphasis on their implications for policymaking
in the U.S.
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