Requirements
The Politics Department encourages students to explore several sub-fields and approaches, as well as to venture beyond the boundaries of politics to study economics, history, psychology, and the other social sciences. The department’s offerings are organized around the sub-fields of political theory, American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.
The department also affords students opportunities to experience politics at the practical level through participation in the Washington Semester Program or through the Public Policy Analysis Program. Students are strongly encouraged to declare their major in politics by the spring of their sophomore year.
Politics courses are numbered as follows: single-digit courses are introductory; double-digit courses are specialized courses and do not have prerequisites; and courses with three digits are advanced and have prerequisites. Courses are clustered by sub-field: political theory (1, 2, 10s, 20s, 110s, and 120s); American politics (3, 4, 30s and 40s, 130s and 140s); comparative politics (5, 6, 50s and 60s, 150s and 160s); international relations (7, 8, 70s and 80s, 170s and 180s); and special courses (90s and 190s).
Requirements for the Major in Politics
- Eight courses, one of which must be a specialized or advanced course in comparative politics; and at least one course in two of the remaining three subfields (political theory, American politics, and international relations). Only three introductory courses can count toward the eight total.
- A senior seminar in politics (counting as a ninth required course), whose objective is to encourage active individual participation in a collective learning experience. Although no previous exposure to the substantive issue taken up in the seminar is assumed, senior majors have the opportunity to apply their academic skills in a variety of dimensions as they develop in-depth expertise in the seminar topic. In special cases, a student may petition the Departmental Committee on. Senior Exercises to substitute a thesis for this requirement. At least two seminars are offered each academic year. Seminar topics are announced well in advance to allow junior majors to plan their senior year. Performance in the seminar is weighted in the award of departmental honors in the Senior Exercise.
- An oral examination in the senior year, based on a list of books supplied by the student and covering four topics chosen by the student. An orientation meeting is held early in the fall semester to inform majors about procedures, and to encourage them to begin thinking about the exercise well in advance of their final semester. The oral examination provides an opportunity for students to integrate their education both in and outside the classroom. Performance on the oral examination is weighted in the award of departmental honors in the Senior Exercise.
Requirements for a Minor in Politics
To complete a minor, students must pass three introductory courses (numbered 1-10), distributed across three of the four sub-fields of Politics, and three electives (numbered 11 or above). One elective must be an advanced course (numbered 100 or above).