Environmental and Energy Politics Option

The Environmental and Energy Politics option under the Political Science major provides students with the opportunity to focus their undergraduate studies on topics involving:

• Historical and contemporary environmental problems
• Governmental and non-governmental efforts to address problems at the local, state, federal and international levels
• Interactions between key actors and institutions involved in environmental policymaking in the United States and internationally

Option Code: 691

Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:

• Comprehend the basic structures and processes of government systems and/or theoretical underpinnings.
• Analyze political problems, arguments, information, and/or theories.
• Apply methods appropriate for accumulating and interpreting data applicable to the discipline of political science.

Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)

Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

Core Education course. Applies only to students admitted to an OSU undergraduate degree from Summer 2025 onwards

Select 16 to 24 credits from the political science courses listed. Up to 8 upper-division credits can come from courses listed in economics and sociology courses. Credits from all courses must add up to at least 24. Other courses applied to this total must be approved by the department

Any political science courses may be taken to reach the minimum of 52 total credits in the major with at least 36 of these at the upper-division level

Potential for Learning Outside the Classroom

Political science majors are strongly encouraged to pursue experiential learning and other educational opportunities outside of the classroom, and these experiences can be used to fulfill some political science graduation requirements. Such experiences can include research, thesis writing, projects, or internship. Credits will be placed in the appropriate PS 401 – PS 410 designator. A maximum of 4 credits of PS 410 may be applied toward the major. A maximum of 8 credits from any combination of PS 401 – PS 410 may be applied to the major, although additional credits from courses in this range may be applied to general graduation requirements. Additional experiential learning opportunities include "field schools" and study abroad. Students should discuss all of these opportunities with the political science undergraduate advisor.

Option Code: 691