Skip to Main Content

The University of Tennessee

University of Tennessee Department of Classics

Frequently Used Tools:



Welcome! » Undergraduate Program


Undergraduate Program

The Political Science Major

Political science 101 or 107, and 102 are prerequisites to the major. The major consists of 24 hours of courses numbered 300 or above. These 24 hours must include at least one course in each of the four areas of the discipline:

  • United States Government and Politics/Public Administration:
    311, 312, 315, 320, 321, 330, 340, 341, 401, 410, 411, 412, 420, 421, 425, 430, 431, 440, 441, 442, and 445

  • Comparative Government and Politics:
    350, 361, 451, 452, 454, 456, 459, 461, and 463

  • International Relations:
    365, 366, 370, 470, 471, 473, and 474

  • Political Theory:
    300, 374, 475, and 476

Application to the Major (PDF)

The Honors Concentration

The Honors concentration encourages highly motivated students to obtain a superior liberal education and more rigorous preparation in the discipline. Admission is selective. The Honors concentration is normally a two year program. Political science 101 or 107, and 102 are prerequisites to the major. The major consists of 27 hours of courses numbered 300 or above. These 27 hours of courses must include at least one course in each area of the discipline: political science 387 and 388 may be used to satisfy this requirement in the appropriate area. To graduate with Honors in Political Science, the student must have a minimum GPA of 3.3 in political science, and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Public Administration Concentration

Students majoring in political science who wish to prepare for a career in the public service may select to follow the concentration in public administration. Political Science 101 (or 107), and 102, and Economics 201 are prerequisites to the major in political science with a concentration in public administration. The concentration consists of 27 hours of coursework in political science, economics, and accounting. Students must complete Political Science 340, 401, and two of the following: Political Science 440, 441, 442; and two of the following: Economics 471, 472, Accounting 201. Students must also complete one course in each of the three remaining fields of political science: comparative government and politics, international relations, and political theory.

Minor in Political Science

Prerequisites to the minor are Political Science 101 or 107 and 102. The minor consists of 15 hours of courses numbered 300 and above.


Contact Information

Dr. Anthony Nownes
Department of Political Science
1001 McClung Tower
Knoxville, TN 37996-0410

Phone: (865) 974-7052
Email: anownes@utk.edu