Political science department to add four-credit curriculum

03/10/09 -The University of Rhode Island's political science department is preparing a new four-credit curriculum that will tae effect during the fall semester.The new curriculum will be mandatory for incoming declared political science majors. Majors will be obligated to take eight, four-credit classes as opposed to taking 10 three-credit classes currently required. The required political science credits will change from 30 credits to 32 credits. Six courses from the old political science three-credit curriculum will be deleted and seven new courses will be added to the new four-credit curriculum.

Chair of the political science department, Gerry Tyler said students who have already declared a political science major will have the option to take a mix of three-credit courses and four-credit courses. This option will be available for the next couple of years until every current political science major has graduated.

"We are very conscious of the graduation issues," Tyler said. She said the new curriculum is not going to effect graduation dates.

According to Tyler's curriculum proposal, this new four-credit curriculum will also affect minors. Political Science minors will now be required to take 20 total political science credits, as opposed to the old 18-credit requirement. Completing a minor in political science will be accomplished by taking five four-credit courses rather than six three-credit courses.

Tyler also discussed how the new four-credit system will affect transfer students.

"We will make it as convenient as possible for transfers," she said.

Some colleges already have a four-credit based curriculum making it easier for transfer students, she added. However, with the four-credit and four-credit mix option, the curriculum will be sufficient for transfers from any college, Tyler said.

The curriculum proposal Tyler submitted provided sample course schedules of currently enrolled students, transfer students and incoming students.

"The overall point [of the new curriculum] is that it allows us to have an accumulative curriculum," Tyler said.

Students will learn certain material earlier in classes in which they can apply later to more focused classes.

"We cleaned up the old curriculum. We designed some newer courses that will combine some things [once offered in separate courses]," Tyler said.

Courses such as PSC 211, World Politics: Theories and Applications, or PSC 210, American Politics: Theories and Applications, generally have 100-200 students per section.

In the new curriculum, only four required classes will be this size. Other political science classes will be much smaller, Tyler said.

The new curriculum's smaller seminar courses will be "more one on one" she said. Three hundred level seminar courses will have a maximum of 25 students and 400 level courses will typically have 35 students.

"Students will be applying their cumulative skills," Tyler said referring to the new seminar courses.

According to the political science curriculum proposal these smaller classes will have a heavier workload.

"[Political science majors will be taking] fewer courses, but [will be involved with] more in-depth field-type experiences," Tyler said.

According to Appendix I in the curriculum proposal, PSC 434, American Foreign Policy will have an additional major project because of the additional credit. It states, "The addition of this semester-long project to the existing requirements of the course will add approximately 45 hours to the student's workload."

This is just one of six examples given.

The four-credit load allows "more time" and "all kinds of opportunities," Tyler said.

"We're in demand to speak to other departments," she said.

Departments such as English, economics, and psychology are interested in learning about the 4-credit curriculum and how it works, she said.

"We think a four-credit curriculum will be better for everyone.