Requirements for political science majors are flexible enough to allow students to tailor their programs of study to meet their particular interests. Political Science majors must complete a total of 11 courses: three core courses from this list (PO111, PO141, PO151/IR251, PO171/IR271, or PO191), seven elective courses (numbered 200-599), and one political science seminar (numbered 505-598).
Political Science Courses are structured as follows:
- PO 100-level and 300-level + are offered on the Charles River Campus.
- PO 200-level courses are offered through study abroad programming only. *Internship courses through study abroad programming may count as 400-level courses for the major.
Learning Objectives
Students graduating with a bachelor of arts in political science will be able to:
- Demonstrate substantive understanding of governmental and political processes in a global context, including mastery of key concepts.
- Conduct political analysis using a range of qualitative and quantitative tools.
- Reason analytically to evaluate causal claims in political science.
- Demonstrate a capacity, in both oral and written communication, to present arguments cogently and ground them in empirical evidence.
Political Science and the Hub
Possible hub requirements students can obtain through the major can be found on this page: CLICK HERE.
Core Courses
These courses introduce the five subfields of political science: American Politics, Public Policy, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory.
Since the core courses are the foundation on which subsequent courses draw, students should try to complete their core course sequence by the end of the sophomore year; however, the earlier, the better. Majors must complete THREE core courses from the following list of Introductory Courses:
- PO 111 Introduction to American Politics
- PO 141 Introduction to Public Policy
- PO 151/IR 251 Introduction to Comparative Politics
- PO 171/IR 271 Introduction to International Relations
- PO 191 Introduction to Political Theory
*Students MUST successfully complete THREE core courses or the equivalent (via approved transfer exact equivalency or through approved testing results), and this is strictly enforced for the Political Science major.
*Please note that PO1** Electives (PO 100-Level General Elective) Transferred in from another institution or test result cannot be counted as a 100-level core course requirement for the major as it is not equivalent to any of the above course options.
Elective Courses
Students may choose their seven elective courses from any of the Political Science courses numbered 200-599 that the department offers. PO 200-level courses are specifically offered through Study Abroad Programming, whereas PO 300-level and 500-level courses are offered on the Charles River Campus.
- No more than 8 credits toward the major shall be derived from directed study (CAS PO 491 or 492). *For Directed Study courses to count towards your major, you must speak with your assigned Academic Advisor before registering for any courses.
- Students may count 400-level Political Science Internships offered through Study Abroad Programming towards these electives.
- Students admitted to the Political Science Honors Program must take PO493 and PO494 as part of the program, which can count towards these electives in the major.
- Political Science courses at the 500 level may count toward your elective courses; however, one must be designated as your 500-level Political Science Seminar Requirement (between 505-598)
500-Level Political Science Seminar Requirement
Any Political Science course numbered 505 – 598 may count towards your 500-level Political Science Seminar Requirement. *Please note that this requirement MUST be taken at the Charles River Campus and cannot be taken through study abroad or at another institution.
*If you need help with your academic planning, please contact your assigned Academic Advisor in the Political Science department.