Bachelors Degree

To receive a B.A. in Political Science, a student must complete the requirements listed below.

To receive a B.A. with Honors in Political Science, students must participate in the Research Track Honors Program. Students must apply to this program in order to participate. Interested students should click here to learn more. This is open to current sophomores, and applications are due April 1st at 5pm to Encina Hall West 100.

To receive a B.A. in Political Science, a student must:

1. Submit a proposal for the BA in Political Science to the undergraduate administrator, and declare on Axess. Forms are available in Encina Hall West, Room 100. Click here to download a copy of the proposal form. For additional information, drop by or phone (650) 723-1608. Students must complete their major declaration no later than the end of Autumn Quarter in their junior year.

2. Complete 70 units:

a) 45 Political Science course units must complete the breadth requirements.
b) One 5 unit Methods requirement by completing POLISCI 150A, 150B, 150C, 151A, STATS 60 or ECON 102A. The list of courses satisfying the Methods requirement will be updated each year by the department. Students should consult the Bulletin to learn of new courses that satisfy this requirement.
c) The remaining 20 Political Science units must be completed by taking other Political Science courses including no more than 5 units of directed reading. 10 units of ECON 1A/1B may substitute two 5-unit POLISCI courses.
d) No more than two 5-unit freshman/sophomore seminar courses can be applied throughout the 70 unit major requirement.

3. Satisfy breadth requirements (45 units): each student must take two courses out of the following Political Science courses, one of which must be in the primary concentration; the other must be in the secondary concentration. These courses must be completed by the end of sophomore year.

POLISCI 1. Introduction to International Relations
POLISCI 2. American National Government and Politics
POLISCI 3. Introduction to Political Philosophy or PoliSci 3P: Justice
POLISCI 4. Introduction to Comparing Political Systems

The primary concentration must be completed by fulfilling the depth requirement with at least 30 units (see Statement 4).

Each major should declare a secondary concentration in another subfield, with at least 15 units in that concentration, including the introductory course for that subfield.

4. Satisfy a depth requirement. Each major should declare a primary concentration in one subfield and take at least 30 units in this concentration, including the introductory course for that subfield. Subfields include:

International Relations (1, 110-119, 210-219, 310-319)
American Politics (2, 120-129, 220-229, 320-329)
Political Theory (3, 130-139, 230-239, 330-339)
Comparative Politics (4, 140-149, 240-249, 340-349)

5. Demonstrate the capacity for sustained research and writing in the discipline. This requirement is satisfied by taking a Political Science course designated as a Writing in the Major (WIM) course.

6. Take at least one 5-unit, advanced undergraduate seminar in Political Science.

7. Students may petition a maximum of ten units towards the major. Transfer students may petition up to 20 units. A maximum of 15 units may be applied towards breadth requirements and 5 towards other Political Science course units. All transfer cases require petitions which must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students can download the petition form here.

8. Directed reading and Oxford tutorial units require a petition and may only be applied towards related coursework units. These units may not be used to fulfill a breadth requirement, and no more than 10 units of directed reading and Oxford tutorial units may count toward the required 70 Political Science units.

9. Courses counting toward the 70-unit requirement must be taken for a letter grade. A minimum grade of ‘C’ is required for courses to count towards major requirements.

Notes:

• Stanford in Washington (SIW) course(s) and Oxford tutorials - may be listed on your proposal but will need final approval by submitting a petition form, which requires: a final letter grade on your transcript, syllabus, and coursework.
• Directed Readings - may be listed on your proposal but will need approval before you register for directed reading units in a given quarter. Students must submit a directed reading petition form, which requires: a faculty supervisor signature, project description and method of evaluation. This must be submitted by the first Friday of the quarter.