Politics, Policy and Law (Undergraduate Certificate) [GOVT]

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Offered by the School of Public Affairs , this certificate is associated with the Politics, Policy and Law Scholars program (PPL), a rigorous three-year Bachelor of Arts program designed to prepare highly motivated students for successful careers in politics, policy, and law.

Admission to the Program

New freshmen students are admitted through the university’s Admissions Office. Due to the intensive cohort-based nature of the program, it is not possible to transfer into the certificate program.

Certificate Requirements

23 credit hours of approved coursework with at least 15 credit hours at the 300-level or above with grades of C or better. Grades of C- or D in certificate program courses will not be accepted toward the fulfillment of certificate requirements although these grades will be included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average in certificate courses in order to be awarded a certificate. Students in certificate programs must take a minimum of 6 credit hours during each 12-month period after they are admitted.
PPL students must maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average at the end of their second semester in the program. Students whose cumulative grade point average is below 2.5 at the end of their second semester may be required to leave the program.
Major in Law and Society (BA) or Interdisciplinary Studies: Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government (CLEG) (BA) .

Course Requirements

Required (20 credit hours)

GOVT-310 Introduction to Political Research (3)
GOVT-321 Congress and Legislative Behavior (3)
GOVT-391 Internship (1-6) (6 credit hours required)
JLC-101 Introduction to Law (3)
SPA-220 The American Constitution FA4 (3)
2 credit hours of approved, PPL-associated lab coursework

Capstone (3 credit hours)

SPA-489 Politics, Policy, and Law Capstone (3-6) (3 credit hours required)