Academic Requirements
In addition to meeting General Education requirements and other degree requirements, all political science majors must complete a minimum of nine courses with a grade of C or higher, plus a two-semester senior seminar and an 8-credit senior project (40–45 credits total) as follows:
- POL 1570/Introduction to U.S. Politics (3 credits; freshman or sophomore year)
- POL2110/Introduction to Political Theory (4 credits)
- An economics course (4 credits)*
*One of the following is strongly recommended:
– ECO 1500/Macroeconomic Theory I
– ECO 2280/Environmental Economics
– ECO 3080/Game Theory - Two courses in U.S. politics and law, 2000-level or above (6–8 credits)
-POL 2040/Women In Politics
-POL 2080/Environmental Justice
-POL 2130/Race and Politics
-POL 2210/Intro to Political Theory
-POL 2340/Beyond Voting
-POL 2600/Courts, Judges, and Politics
-POL 2610/Americas on Film
-POL 2650/Culture, Identity and Behavior
-POL 3045/Sex, Politics and Health
-POL 3050/American Constitutional Law
-POL 3070/ U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1945
-POL 3090/Race, Gender and the Law
-POL 3095/Queer Politics in the U.S.
-POL 3130/Immigration Policy & Political Inc.
-POL 3160/Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
-POL 3230/Presidential Politics
-POL 3330/ Radical Organizing
-POL 3400/Crises in Health Care
-POL 3465/Polarized Politics: Congress
-POL 3530/The Art of Culture and War in America
-POL 3540/The Politics of Public Policy
-POL 3670/Politics and Religion in America - Three courses in comparative politics and international relations, 2000-level or above (9–12 credits)
- POL 3880/Junior Seminar in Political Science (4 credits)
- POL 4885Political Science Senior Seminar I (1 credit)
- POL 4890/Political Science Senior Seminar II (1 credit)
- SPJ 4990/Senior Project I (4 credits)
- SPJ 4991/Senior Project II (4 credits)
Refer to The Senior Project for additional information.
Note: In addition, students are expected to take courses appropriate to their specific interests in political science in order to fulfill degree requirements for upper-level coursework.
Optional Concentrations
New and reinstated courses may be added to the lists in the following concentrations. Students should consult their advisor to determine whether a new or reinstated course counts toward a specific concentration.
Concentration 1: Islam and the Middle East (42–47 credits)
Political science majors who declare a concentration in Islam and the Middle East must fulfill requirements 1 through 10 listed above. In meeting requirement 5, students in this concentration select four courses from the following list:
- POL 2105/Citizens Living Under Islamic Laws
- POL 2115/Islam: Culture and Politics
- POL 2350/Free Speech, Heresy, and Gender in Islamic Societies
- POL 3255/Islamic State, Gender, and Sexuality
- POL 3430/Politics of South Asia
- POL 3740/The Middle East
Concentration 2: Human Rights (42–47 credits)
Political science majors who declare a concentration in human rights must fulfill requirements 1 through 10 listed above. In meeting requirements 4 and 5, students in this concentration select four courses from the following list:
- POL 2080/Environmental Justice
POL 3075/Women and Politics in Global Perspective - POL 3235/Globalization, Development, and Poverty
- POL 3245/Gender and Health: International Issues
- POL 3307/Politics and Memoir
- POL 3315/Constitutions and Rights: U.S. and China
- POL 3361/Cuba, Latin America, and the U.S.
- POL 3570/Human Rights
- POL 3573/Human Rights and Literature