Politics Major

Summary of Requirements

• Maximum of Three Introductory-Level Politics Courses
• Three 200-Level Distribution Courses
• One Research Seminar Course
• Three Politics Major Elective Courses

Advanced Placement Credit

Transferred credit for POLT 099 counts toward the major.

 See the Advanced Placement Credit section of the department catalog page for details.  

Course of Study

The department encourages students to consult a faculty member when they begin to consider a politics major. When declaring the major, students work with a faculty advisor to develop a program that fits the student’s interest and goals.

Honors in Politics

The Honors Program in Politics has three components:

1. an honors thesis that involves a substantial piece of original research conducted over the course of the senior year;
2. an oral thesis defense administered at the end of the senior year; and
3. enrollment in the politics honors seminar in both the fall and spring of the senior year.

Students who are interested in the honors program submit a formal application to the department by the end of the spring semester of their junior year. The application includes a writing sample and statement of interest in honors. In deciding which applicants to accept into the honors program, the department considers the performance and number of courses taken in the politics major, as well as in broader college work, the quality of the writing sample, the coherence and thoughtfulness of the statement of interest, and the availability of faculty to serve as advisors for the proposed research projects in any given year. All senior honors students will work closely with a thesis advisor and will take POLT 403 in the fall and POLT 404 in the spring.

Detailed Major Requirements