Joint Major in Political Science

Political Science B.A. students may opt to fulfill the requirements for a second Major in another subject instead of declaring a Minor.

Advantages

  • Knowledge of two subject areas
  • Like having two degrees
  • More job opportunities
  • Crossover between subjects
  • Get to know Political Science students better
  • Usually can complete in same timeframe as a single Major

Disadvantages

  • Less course selection across departments
  • Less exposure to other subjects and instructors
  • Less flexibility in creating timetable due to need to complete required courses
  • Additional scheduling challenges if an optional concentration in Canadian Government or Global Studies is pursued

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences has a number of requirements to qualify for a Bachelor of Arts (Joint Major), which are outlined in the University Calendar. As part of their non-Political Science electives, candidates may wish to consider courses with associated content offered by other departments, such as Economics, History, Philosophy, Sociology, or Women's Studies. Refer to the MUN calendar for details.

To graduate with a Joint Major, a candidate must have an average of 60% or better in courses required for both Major programs (excluding 1000-level courses). A student receiving 55% or less on any Political Science course at the 2000-level or higher is expected to seek advice from the Department at the start of the next semester to ensure that adequate progress is being maintained.

Students interested in a Joint Major should formally declare by the time that they have completed 6 Political Science courses (18 credit hours) to ensure that appropriate course selections are made. Candidates may consult with the Head of the Department or its Undergraduate Liaison to receive advice on Political Science course selections.

Joint Major Requirements - Political Science
To obtain a Major in Political Science and a Major in another subject, students must complete the general requirements for the degree, the requirements for a Major in another subject, and the requirements for a Major in Political Science. This includes at least 36 credit hours (12 courses) in Political Science, as follows:

  1. In addition to meeting the general requirements for the degree, students completing a Major in Political Science must complete 39 credit hours in courses offered by the Department, including:

    1. 12 credit hours in POSC 1000, 2100, 2800, 3010;

    2. a minimum of 6 credit hours in Political Science courses numbered x2xx and/or x3xx;

    3. a minimum of 3 credit hours in Political Science courses numbered x6xx and/or x8xx (in addition to POSC 2800);

    4. 15 credit hours at the 3000 or 4000 level (in addition to POSC 3010), including a minimum of 6 credit hours at the 4000 level.

       

  2. Students for a Major degree are required to select courses as specified under Major in Political Science. A possible course pattern is presented in Table 3 Suggested Course Pattern for a Major in Political Science

Notes
Although not required, we recommend that Major candidates complete 1001 Critical Reading and Writing: Politics and Governance, preferably before the end of their second year.

Majors may opt to select courses that can be used towards a concentration in either Canadian Government or in Global Studies that, if completed, will be designated on their transcript.