Political Science SF Scholars Roadmap
The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.
This roadmap is a suggested plan of study and does not replace meeting with an advisor. Please note that students may need to adjust the actual sequence of courses based on course availability. Please consult an advisor in your major program for further guidance.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Units | |
| ENG 114 | Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (A2) 1 | 3 |
| PLSI 200 | Introduction to American Politics (Major Core, D3, USG) | 3 |
| GE Area A 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area B: Quantitative Reasoning (B4) 3 | 3 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PLSI 250 | Comparative Politics (Major Core) | 3 |
| GE Area A | 3 | |
| GE Area B: Physical Science (B1) and Laboratory Science (B3) 4 | 3-4 | |
| GE Area E | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Units | 15-16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PLSI 275 | Introduction to Political Theory (Major Core) | 3 |
| GE Area B: Life Science (B2) and Laboratory Science (B3) 4 | 3-4 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| GE Area D | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Units | 15-16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PLSI 303 | Fundamentals of Political Science (Major Core) | 2 |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| GE Area D | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 | 6 | |
| Units | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Summer Semester | ||
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 | 6 | |
| Units | 6 | |
| Fall Semester | ||
| PLSI 302GW | Writing for Political Science - GWAR (Major Core) | 4 |
| PLSI 304 | Scientific Inquiry in Political Science (Major Core) | 4 |
| GE Area UD-B: Upper-Division Physical and/or Life Sciences (Consider SF State Studies Course) | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 | 6 | |
| Units | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Breadth Requirement - Take Two 6 | 6-8 | |
| GE Area UD-C: Upper-Division Arts and/or Humanities (Consider SF State Studies Course) | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 | 6 | |
| Units | 15-17 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Summer Semester | ||
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 | 6 | |
| Units | 6 | |
| Fall Semester | ||
| PLSI 700 | Research Methods (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| Breadth Requirement - Take One 6 | 3-4 | |
| Major Electives - Take One 7 | 3-4 | |
| Graduate Elective 8 | 3 | |
| GE Area UD-D: Upper-Division Social Sciences (Consider SF State Studies Course) | 3 | |
| Units | 15-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PLSI 780 | Seminar in Political Theory (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| Major Electives - Take One 7 | 3-4 | |
| Culminating Experience 9 | 3-4 | |
| Graduate Related Courses 10 | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Units | 15-17 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PLSI 740 | Seminar in American Politics (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| PLSI 760 | Seminar in Comparative Politics (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| Graduate Elective 9 | 3 | |
| Units | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Select One (Culminating Experience): | 0-3 | |
| Culminating Experience Examination | ||
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Graduate Related Courses - Take Two 10 | 6 | |
| Graduate Elective (only if taking PLSI 896EXM) 9 | 0-3 | |
| Units | 9 | |
| Total Units | 151-159 | |
| 1 | ENG 114 can only be taken if you complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) and select ENG 114; if you choose ENG 104/ENG 105 through DSP you will satisfy A2 upon successful completion of ENG 105 in the second semester; multilingual students may be advised into alternative English courses. |
| 2 | To avoid taking additional units, it is recommended that you meet SF State Studies (AERM, GP, ES, SJ) and Ethnic Studies requirements within your GE or major. |
| 3 | Depending on courses completed through Early Start, students in Pathway/Category III or IV may be required to enroll in a support course to complement their Quantitative Reasoning/B4 requirement. There are multiple course options for this pathway. Before enrolling in a B4 course, students should verify their MATH Pathway/Category in their Student Center. Information regarding the courses that correspond with your MATH Pathway/Category can be found on the Developmental Studies Office Website. |
| 4 | Consider taking a class combined with a laboratory or a separate lab to fulfill B3 if not already satisfied. |
| 5 | Complementary Studies 12 units of Complementary Studies are required of all candidates for the B.A. degree in Political Science. These units must come from courses bearing a prefix other than PLSI that are not cross-listed with Political Science. Students can satisfy this requirement by completing a related minor, a secondary major, or through an approved Study Abroad program. Complementary Studies courses should have a direct bearing on the study of politics or deepen and enrich the study of politics. Such courses are typically found in departments like International Relations, Urban Studies and Planning, or Philosophy, and in the College of Ethnic Studies. Eight of the 12 Complementary Studies units may count toward the major as elective units if approved in advance by a Political Science advisor. Students must consult with an advisor in the department to ensure that their choices fulfill the department’s requirements. Courses from the following departments will be considered to be part of Complementary Studies for Political Science. Any minor automatically fulfills Complementary Studies and, depending on one’s emphasis, foreign languages can also fulfill Complementary Studies if they are associated with a focus on comparative politics and/or area studies. Africana Studies American Indian Studies Anthropology Asian American Studies Criminal Justice Environmental Studies Ethnic Studies History Humanities International Relations Latina/Latino Studies Philosophy Sexuality Studies Sociology Urban Studies and Planning Women and Gender Studies Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units. |
| 6 | Breadth Requirement (10-12 units) Upper-division Political Science courses selected to include at least one course in three of the four sub-fields: American Politics PLSI 460 Topics in American Politics (4 units)* Comparative Politics Political Theory Public Law |
| 7 | Electives (7-10 Units) Select enough to reach 42 units for the major. It is recommended that elective units be taken in Political Science. However, up to 4 upper-division units may be selected from closely related departments with the consent of a major advisor. Please note that only 3 units of electives can come from lower-division coursework. MEIS 300 Foundations in Middle East and Islamic Studies (3 units) (UD-D, GP) PLSI 100 Understanding Politics (3 units) (D1, SJ) |
| 8 | Graduate Electives (6–9 units) Students choosing to do a thesis should take at least two courses; those opting for comprehensive examinations should select three courses from the following:
|
| 9 | Culminating Experience (3-4 units) PLSI 605 Senior Seminar: Student's Choice Empirical Research Project (4 units) PLSI 606 Senior Seminar in American Politics (3 units) PLSI 607 Senior Seminar in Comparative Politics (3 units) PLSI 608 Senior Seminar in Political Theory (3 units) PLSI 609 Senior Seminar in Public Law: Legal Issues (3 units) |
| 10 | Graduate Related Courses (9 units) Graduate seminars and/or upper-division undergraduate courses in political science or related fields upon advisement and approval of the graduate coordinator. |
| * | PLSI 460 is a variable topic course and may be taken more than once for credit. If taken more than once, any additional semesters count towards the Political Science Electives. |
| ** | Moot Court (PLSI 555) may be repeated once for credit, but only 4 units may be applied to the Breadth requirement. |