Department of Government

Kwame Badu Antwi-Boasiako, chair
Vera Dugas LAN, Rm 124
Phone: (936) 468-4408
Fax: (936) 468-2732
P.O. Box 13045, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Email: antwibokb@sfasu.edu
Web: sfasu.edu/government

Faculty

Professors
Charles F. Abel, Kwame B. Antwi-Boasiako, Richard J. Herzog, Lee W. Payne, Michael P. Tkacik

Associate Professors
Alan I. Baily, George J. Day, George R. Franks, Steven E. Galatas, Donald M. Gooch, Charles E. Gregory, Julie Harrelson-Stephens, Milton C. Hill, Spencer L. Willardson

Lecturers
Megan Fleming, Katie McClain, Rebecca McElyea

MPA Coordinator
Richard J. Herzog

Political Science Coordinator
Lee W. Payne

Criminal Justice Coordinator
George R. Franks

National Security Coordinator
Julie Harrelson-Stephens

Pre-Law Advisors
Donald M. Gooch, Charles E. Gregory

Moot Court Sponsors
Donald M. Gooch, Charles E. Gregory

Public Administration Coordinator
Kwame B. Antwi-Boasiako

Objectives

The Department of Government offers courses that develop the theoretical knowledge and the practical essential skills to succeed in such fields as pre-law, practical politics, criminal justice administration, corrections, nonprofit organization management, public administration, law enforcement, court administration, public opinion research, legal assistantship and juvenile justice.

Beyond our undergraduate programs, our Master of Public Administration and graduate certificate in nonprofit management provide the sophisticated knowledge and skills necessary to advance in public service careers and offer an opportunity for integrating the study of administration with the study of the other social sciences, including economics, geography, history, political science and sociology. The National Intelligence Security Studies program prepares students to work in the growing field of intelligence and security studies. Courses are designed to maximize student preparation for a wide range of intelligence careers.

Honor Societies

Each curricular pattern or sequence within the department has one or more professional organizations in which students in that area of study are eligible for membership and participation.

Criminal Justice

Students who are academically qualified may join Alpha Phi Sigma, the national criminal justice honor society. Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum 3.2 overall GPA on a 4.0 scale and a 3.2 GPA in criminal justice courses. Students also must rank in the top 35% of their class and have completed a minimum of four courses within the criminal justice curriculum. The honor society is open to criminal justice majors and minors.

Political Science

Junior, senior and graduate political science students who have completed at least 12 semester hours in political science with at least six of those hours at SFA, and who have a minimum 3.2 GPA, both overall and in political science, may apply for membership in Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.

Master of Public Administration and Master’s Degree in National Security “Overlap” Graduate Study

The overlap graduate degree program permits qualified undergraduates to pursue a limited amount of graduate study (usually 12 credit hours or less) concurrently with undergraduate study. The Department of Government offers a capstone-based master’s degree in public administration that can be completed on a five-year track while the student is earning a BA/BS in criminal justice or political science.

For more information and eligibility requirements, consult the Graduate Catalog or the overlap program in the Academic Programs and Policies  section of this catalog. You also may contact the Department of Government for additional information.

Definition of Majors

Criminal Justice

Students who major in criminal justice may choose the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science. All majors are advised to choose elective courses related to specific career interests in their chosen field of criminal justice.

In addition to the requirements for the criminal justice major, students must complete the required university and college core requirements. As of fall 2016, those requirements include an approved minor consisting of 18 to 24 credit hours from any academic program offering a minor course of study.

All criminal justice courses must have a reported grade of a C or better to be credited toward the major.

Programs

• Criminal Justice, BA
• Criminal Justice, BS
• Political Science, BA
• Political Science, BS

• Criminal Justice Minor
• Political Science, Minor
• Pre-Law, Minor
• Private Security and Asset Protection, Minor
• Public Administration, Minor

• Private Security and Asset Protection Certificate