The department has developed curricular tracks in four major areas of professional interest to facilitate advising. Study tracks are not required for the major in Political Science, however, we are frequently asked for our recommendations as to how students might focus their coursework to meet specific career goals. Below are a list of study tracks that are recommended for careers or further study in Public Policy, Law, American Politics and Government and Political Philosophy.

Due to the addition of the International Relations Major, International Relations is no longer listed as a Political Science track.

Since knowledge is increasingly inter-disciplinary in nature, students pursuing one of the tracks may substitute eight hours of approved courses from outside the department for four hours of political science. However, students who wish to concentrate their coursework in one of the following tracks of study, must take twelve hours listed in the track in order to substitute courses from other disciplines. These substitutions are not automatically handled by the registrar's office and must be approved by the Politics and International Relations Department Chair.

American Government Track
The study of American Government is ideal for students who plan careers in federal, state or local governments and national politics. This includes positions as staff assistants in legislative bodies like the U.S. Congress or state legislatures or in the offices of executive departments and agencies. It also includes working for one of the large numbers of interest groups attempting to impact governmental policies or in one of the research "think-tanks" that exist for the same purpose. Despite a slow down in the growth of government in the United States in recent years, career possibilities are still almost endless in number in this area. Finally, the cycle of American elections opens up many job opportunities in this area as well.

Courses
The American Government Track involves the following courses:

PSCI 234 Interest Groups [Wheaton in WA]
PSCI 382 Media in Politics
PSCI 348 American Political Thought
PSCI 381 Constitutional Law
PSCI 383 Religion and American Politics
PSCI 384 Presidency
PSCI 385 Urban Politics
PSCI 386 Congress and American Politics
PSCI 387 Electoral Politics
PSCI 421x Urban Policy Seminar

Approved substitutes include: (8 hrs. may be substituted for 4 hrs. of pol sci provided the student has already taken 12 hrs. in the track)

B/EC 346 Government Finance
B/EC 435 Public Choice and Constitutional Economics
B/EC 447 History of Economic Thought
B/EC 457 Public Policy and Business
HIST 351 American Civilization to 1865
HIST 352 American Civilization from 1865
SOC 366 Sociology of Religion
SOC 376 Sociological Theory
URBN 231 Chicago

The following are not eligible as substitutes for political science courses but are recommended for students in this track who plan to go to graduate school in American politics:

B/EC 321 Statistics
B/EC 375 Economic and Business Research
MATH 231 Calculus I
MATH 232 Calculus II
SOC 383 Statistics

Law Track
The political science major is not the only major suitable for pre-law students. In fact, there is no recommended program of pre-law study. The political science major does provide a thorough knowledge of American institutions and governmental processes, which is essential to an understanding of the law as an instrument of social control. Moreover, this major offers a liberal education which many feel is preferable for law training. It is a flexible major, allowing for minor concentrations in a number of disciplinary areas and for acquiring skills which will be useful in the later practice of law. The largest proportion of law school students have majored in political science.

Law, like medicine or engineering, is a discipline requiring an early commitment to a rigorous training of the mind and mastery of the following skills:

• clear and precise writing style
• ability to think logically
• analytical ability
• public speaking
• basic accounting principles
• understanding of macro- and micro-economic theories and their implications
• familiarity with the U. S. Constitution and American legal concepts
• familiarity with the U. S. governmental process

These skills can be developed through careful selection of courses within the B.A. program.

Courses
The Law Track involves the following courses:

Required courses (10 hrs.) are:
PSCI 271 Introduction to Law
PSCI 381 Constitutional Law
PSCI 346 Ancient Political Thought
OR
PSCI 347 Modern Political Thought

Six hours of electives from the following or approved substitutes:

PSCI 372 International Law

Approved substitutes include: (8 hrs. may be substituted for 4 hrs. of pol sci provided the student has already taken 12 hrs. in the track)

B/EC 452 Business Law
COMM 252 Argumentation and Debate
HIST 351 American Civilization to 1865
HIST 352 American Civilization from 1865
PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Problems
PHIL 243 Introduction to Logic
PHIL 318 Legal and Social Philosophy

The Pre-Law Society at Wheaton College is an active student group which, among other things, has hosted speakers from the legal field and has administered mock-LSATs to help students prepare for the law school admission exam. Students considering a career in law should get involved in this student-led organization. The Pre-Law Advisor is Stephen Bretsen, J.D. who serves as the Volkman Chair of Business and Law

Applying to Law School: Students should apply to law school early in the fall semester of their senior year. Informational materials on the application process can be obtained from individual law schools. The most useful law school reference is The Official Guide to U. S. Law Schools, available in the Political Science Office (Blan 103). at Wheaton College is an active student group which, among other things, has hosted speakers from the legal field and has administered mock-LSATs to help students prepare for the law school admission exam. Students considering a career in law should get involved in this student-led organization.

Applying to Law School: Students should apply to law school early in the fall semester of their senior year. Informational materials on the application process can be obtained from individual law schools. The most useful law school reference is The Official Guide to U. S. Law Schools, available in the Political Science Office (Blan 103).

The two most important law school admissions criteria are the undergraduate grade point average and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score. The LSAT is a half-day test administered four times annually and designed to measure aptitudes for law study. This test yields an overall test score and a separate score on writing ability. Registration information for the LSAT is available in the political science department. A student planning to apply to law school should take the LSAT offered in October of the senior year. Students are encouraged to prepare for this aptitude test through self-directed study, mock LSATs, or even a commercial course. Careful preparation has been shown to significantly affect scores.