Curriculum for Majors and Minors

• two of these eleven are the "Introductory Sequence"
• four of these courses are "Field Requirements"
• one course is a "Capstone Requirement"
• and the remaining four courses are "Political Science Electives."

Introductory Sequence:

The Introductory Sequence consists of two courses: PSC 101, Politics; and PSC 102, Introduction to Empirical Analysis. Students normally take these two courses in sequence, although they may be taken simultaneously in a given semester, especially for students joining the department as sophomores or juniors. Normally, this introductory sequence should be completed before taking other courses in the Department.

Field Requirements:

Students must take at least one course in each of the following four fields: Comparative Government and Politics; International Relations; Political Theory; and American Politics. There is no particular sequence required or recommended, but most Majors try to fill these Field Requirements in their Sophomore and Junior years, giving them more choices for Electives during their Senior year. However, Majors may choose to take these courses any time after completing the Introductory Sequence. Click here for a list of courses that fulfill each of these four Field Requirements.

Capstone Requirement:

All students will take PSC 488 or PSC 489: Capstone Seminar in their senior year.

Political Science Electives:

Students must take four additional courses in the Department to fulfill their overall requirement of eleven courses. These "Political Science Electives" can be any course offered by the department, including internships, independent studies, seminars, tutorials, or any of the courses that fulfill Field Requirements. The Department usually offers a variety of interesting course possibilities under PSC 470, Special Topics, which count as PSC Electives; students are advised to look for these in department newsletters and in the course registration booklet. In addition, students may take Sociology 418 (Computer Applications in the Social Sciences) and have it count as a PSC elective. Finally, there are often courses taught in other departments that are "cross listed" with Political Science and which may count towards the Major; again, students should check Department newsletters and the Course Registration Booklet.

Requirements for a Minor in Political Science

Many students choose to supplement their Major with a Minor program that will round out their educational experience in a coordinated way. The Political Science Department's Minor is helpful for students majoring in other programs because of its flexibility and the wide variety of courses within the Department. 

A Minor in Political Science consists of six courses (18 credit hours) in the Political Science Department. Of these six:

• two of these are the "Introductory Sequence," PSC 101 & PSC 102
• the remaining four courses are "Political Science Electives," i.e. any four courses from the department's offerings (including SOC 418), subject to published prerequisites
• ordinarily, Minors should complete the Introductory Sequence courses before taking any of the four upper division electives

A student wishing to Minor in Political Science should have a minimum 2.0 overall GPA or have the specific permission of the Department Chair. To complete the Minor, students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in Political Science courses. Students normally should declare the Minor before the end of the first semester of their Junior year.

To "declare" a Minor in Political Science, students should get an appropriate form from the Dean's office -- or online -- fill in all information, meet with their advisor in their Major, and then meet with the Chair of the Political Science Department.