May 12, 2026

2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog

Political and Global Affairs, Public Policy and Management Concentration, B.S.

Political and Global Affairs
615-898-2708
James Chaney, program coordinator
pga@mtsu.edu

The Department of Political and Global Affairs offers the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees in each of its majors. Students majoring in Political and Global Affairs can choose a general focus or a concentration in International Relations, Public Policy and Management, or Pre-law.

The Public Policy and Management concentration is for those seeking administrative careers in government or public service agencies. A combination of general political science courses, core public administration courses, pertinent political science electives, and courses in related disciplines provides a sound background for an administrative career.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Political and Global Affairs, Public Policy and Management, B.S., Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (TBC)	41 hours
Major Requirements	48 hours*
Political and Global Affairs Core/Methods	18 hours
Public Policy and Management Concentration	15 hours
Public Policy and Public Management electives	15 hours
Public Policy and Management Cognate	9 hours
Minor	15-18 hours
Electives	4-13 hours
TOTAL	120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the True Blue Core curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill True Blue Core requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.

True Blue Core (41 hours)

True Blue Core (TBC) requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.

The following courses required by the program meet True Blue Core requirements:

6 credit hours from GEOG 2000 , PS 1005 , or PS 1010 (HSSR)

Major Requirements (48 hours)

Politcal and Global Affairs Core (15 hours)

PS 1005 - Introduction to American Politics 3 credit hours
PS 1010 - Introduction to Global Politics 3 credit hours
GEOG 2000 - Introduction to Regional Geography 3 credit hours
PGA 2000 - Professional Development in Political and Global Affairs 3 credit hours
PGA 4800 - Senior Seminar 3 credit hours

Methods (3 hours)

Take one of the following:
PGA 2100 - Understanding Data and Research in Political and Global Affairs 3 credit hours
PS 3001 - Research Methods in Political Science 3 credit hours
PS 3360 - Law and Policy 3 credit hours

Public Policy and Management Concentration (15 hours)

PS 3160 - American Public Policy 3 credit hours
PS 3250 - Public Management 3 credit hours
PS 4270 - Non-profit and NGO Internship 1 to 12 credit hours (3 credit hours required)
PS 4290 - Public Service Internship 1 to 12 credit hours (3 credit hours required)
Take one of the following:
PS 2020 - State and Local Government 3 credit hours
PS 3400 - Municipal Policy and Politics 3 credit hours
PS 4120 - Tennessee Government 3 credit hours

Public Policy Electives (9 hours)

PS 3150 - Humanitarian Aid and Crisis 3 credit hours
PS 3170 - Civil Rights Policy and Politics 3 credit hours
PS 3318 - Liberalism and Conservatism 3 credit hours
PS 3350 - Interest Groups and Social Change 3 credit hours
PS 3360 - Law and Policy 3 credit hours
PS 3400 - Municipal Policy and Politics 3 credit hours
PS 3430 - Comparative Public Policy 3 credit hours
PS 3450 - The Politics of Social Welfare Policy 3 credit hours
PS 3600 - U.S. Environmental Policy 3 credit hours
PS 3610 - Environmental Justice 3 credit hours
PS 4120 - Tennessee Government 3 credit hours
PGA 4150 - Global Issues in Human Trafficking 3 credit hours
PS 4240 - American Foreign Policy 3 credit hours
PS 4260 - Women and Public Policy 3 credit hours
PS 4300 - Policymaking in the European Union 3 credit hours
PS 4550 - Climate Change Policy and Politics 3 credit hours
PS 4820 - Topics in American Politics 3 credit hours
PS 4830 - Topics in Public Policy and Management 3 credit hours
PS 4850 - Topics in Comparative Politics 3 credit hours
PS 4860 - Topics in International Relations 3 credit hours
PS 4950 - Community-Based Research Practicum 1 to 6 credit hours
PS 4970 - Undergraduate Research 1 to 6 credit hours

Public Management Electives (6 hours)

GEOG 4290 - Urban and Regional Planning 3 credit hours
PS 2020 - State and Local Government 3 credit hours
PS 3440 - Public Budgeting 3 credit hours
PGA 4275 - NGOs and Non-Profits 3 credit hours
PS 4590 - Administrative Law 3 credit hours
PS 4630 - Public Human Resources Management 3 credit hours
PS 4820 - Topics in American Politics 3 credit hours
PS 4830 - Topics in Public Policy and Management 3 credit hours
PS 4850 - Topics in Comparative Politics 3 credit hours
PS 4860 - Topics in International Relations 3 credit hours

Public Policy and Management Cognate (9 hours)

Choose three courses (9 credit hours) from the following categories in consultation with advisor.

Public Policy Management

Any courses listed under “Policy” and “Management” not used toward the major.

Minor (15-18 hours)

Electives (4-13 hours)

Curriculum: Political and Global Affairs, Public Policy and Management, B.S.

Freshman Fall

PS 1005 - Introduction to American Politics 3 credit hours (HSSR)
Written Communication 3 credit hours
Quantitative Literacy 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
Human Society and Social Relationships/General elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 16 hours

Freshman Spring

Information Literacy 3 credit hours
History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
Human Society and Social Relationships/General elective 3 credit hours
PS 1010 - Introduction to Global Politics 3 credit hours (HSSR)

Subtotal: 16 hours

Sophomore Fall

PGA 2000 - Professional Development in Political and Global Affairs 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression 3 credit hours
Non-Written Communication 3 credit hours
PS 3160 - American Public Policy 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 hours

Sophomore Spring

History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression 3 credit hours
GEOG 2000 - Introduction to Regional Geography 3 credit hours (HSSR)
PS 3250 - Public Management 3 credit hours
PGA 2100 - Understanding Data and Research in Political and Global Affairs 3 credit hours OR
PS 3001 - Research Methods in Political Science 3 credit hours OR
PS 3360 - Law and Policy 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 hours

Junior Fall

Public Management elective 3 credit hours
Public Management elective 3 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours
PS 4270 - Non-profit and NGO Internship 1 to 12 credit hours (3 credit hours required)
PS 2020 - State and Local Government 3 credit hours OR
PS 3400 - Municipal Policy and Politics 3 credit hours OR
PS 4120 - Tennessee Government 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 hours

Junior Spring

Public Management elective 3 credit hours
Public Policy elective 3 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours
PS 4290 - Public Service Internship 1 to 12 credit hours (3 credit hours required)

Subtotal: 15 hours

Senior Fall

Public Policy elective 3 credit hours
Public Policy and Management cognate course 3 credit hours
Public Policy and Management cognate course 3 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours
Minor course 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 hours

Senior Spring

PGA 4800 - Senior Seminar 3 credit hours
Public Policy and Management cognate course 3 credit hours
Minor course/General elective 3 credit hours
General elective 3 credit hours
General elective 1 credit hours

Subtotal: 15 hours

NOTE:

NOTE: Topics courses may be taken if topic is appropriate; seek departmental advisor approval.

Political and Global Affairs, Public Policy and Management Concentration, B.S.

Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (41 hours)

Major Requirements (48 hours)

Politcal and Global Affairs Core (15 hours)

Methods (3 hours)

Public Policy and Management Concentration (15 hours)

Public Policy Electives (9 hours)

Public Management Electives (6 hours)

Public Policy and Management Cognate (9 hours)

Public Policy Management

Housing/Community Development

Food/Health/Security

Inequality

Workplace Diversity

Communication

Law

Economics/Finance

Leadership/Management/Organizations

Non-profits/NGOs

Minor (15-18 hours)

Electives (4-13 hours)

Curriculum: Political and Global Affairs, Public Policy and Management, B.S.

Freshman Fall

Subtotal: 16 hours

Freshman Spring

Subtotal: 16 hours

Sophomore Fall

Subtotal: 15 hours

Sophomore Spring

Subtotal: 15 hours

Junior Fall

Subtotal: 15 hours

Junior Spring

Subtotal: 15 hours

Senior Fall

Subtotal: 15 hours

Senior Spring

Subtotal: 15 hours

NOTE: