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Major and Minor

The Department of Political Science offers a major, which requires twelve courses, and a minor, which requires six. The sections below provide more information on the requirements for the major and minor. Visit the undergraduate curriculum page to learn more about the political science curriculum.

If you are ready to declare a political science major or minor, visit the Declare a Major/Minor page to see the instructions for declaring a major or minor.

Major Requirements

The Political Science major requires twelve units:

Notes and restrictions
AP Credit

Receiving a 5 on an AP exam (either American Government or Comparative Politics) can place students out of the equivalent 200-level course, but does not reduce the total number of courses (12) required to complete the major. Thus, instead of taking POLI_SCI 220 or POLI_SCI 250, the student must take an additional 300-level course. Students receiving 5’s on the AP exams in both American Government and Comparative Politics may place out of both equivalent 200-level courses and thus need to take two additional 300-level courses.

If you would like to use your AP credit in this way, you will need to:

IB Credit

Receiving a 6 or 7 on the Global Politics exam can place students out of POLI_SCI 240: Intro to International Relations. It does not reduce the total number of courses (12) required to complete the major. Thus, instead of taking POLI_SCI 240, the student must take an additional 300-level course.

If you would like to use your IB credit in this way, you will need to:

Study abroad

A maximum of two courses per quarter taken while studying abroad may count toward the Political Science major. More courses may be accepted toward the major for longer study abroad programs. Visit the study abroad page for more information on study abroad policies.

P/N Grades

Courses taken P/N cannot be counted toward the major, with the exception of courses taken during the Spring 2020 quarter. Courses completed with a grade of P in Spring 2020 will count toward the major requirements.

Minor Requirements

The minor offers a student the opportunity to complete an abbreviated yet coherent plan of study in Political Science. It is also designed to enable students to enrich their studies in various ways, especially by complementing a major in another field by adding a Political Science perspective on key subjects, and by preparing for certain careers (for example, law, public service, business, or teaching) by taking courses in Political Science that address relevant topics. The minor is structured to permit students to explore a variety of courses across subfields in political science or to concentrate their studies in one of them. Prospective minors are encouraged to consult with an undergraduate advisor to develop a program of study tailored to their needs.

Minor requirements (6 units):

Notes and restrictions
AP Credit

Receiving a 5 on an AP exam (either American Government or Comparative Politics) can place students out of the equivalent 200-level course, but does not reduce the total number of courses (6) required to complete the minor. Thus, instead of taking POLI_SCI 220 or POLI_SCI 250, the student must take an additional 300-level course. Students receiving 5’s on the AP exams in both American Government and Comparative Politics can place out of both equivalent 200-level courses and thus need to take two additional 300-level courses.

If you would like to use your AP credit in this way, you will need to:

IB Credit

Receiving a 6 or 7 on the Global Politics exam can place students out of POLI_SCI 240: Intro to International Relations. It does not reduce the total number of courses (6) required to complete the minor. Thus, instead of taking POLI_SCI 240, the student must take an additional 300-level course.

If you would like to use your IB credit in this way, you will need to:

Study abroad

At most one course from study abroad may count toward the minor. Visit the study abroad page for more information on study abroad policies.

P/N Grades

Courses taken P/N cannot be counted toward the minor, with the exception of courses taken during the Spring 2020 quarter. Courses completed with a grade of P in Spring 2020 will count toward the minor requirements.

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