Undergraduate Program

The mission of the undergraduate program in Political Science is to provide students with a solid grasp of the American political system and other political systems within the context of global forces, international conflicts, social movements, ideological systems and diversity. Courses in the major are designed to help students gain competency in the primary subfields of political science including American and comparative politics, international relations, and the theory/philosophy of politics; to introduce students to a variety of research methodologies and analytical frameworks; and to develop students' written and oral communication skills.

Students in other departments can choose to declare the Political Science minor. The minor in Political Science requires 30 units of study. If you are interested, please see a complete list of requirements. Students must complete their declaration of the minor no later than the last day of the quarter two quarters before degree conferral. For example, a student graduating in June (Spring Quarter) must declare the minor no later than the last day of Autumn Quarter of their senior year.

The Department of Political Science is pleased to announce summer research positions for undergraduates. Participants will work directly with a faculty mentor for ten weeks and receive a $6,000 stipend. The program, which is part of the Summer Research College, is designed to foster close intellectual exchange by involving students in the ongoing research of Stanford professors.