2023-2024 Catalog

Advising Information

Students interested in the Politics major should consider taking POLS 101 (American Politics and Public Policy) during their first year. (POLS 101 is a prerequisite for several upper-level courses in the major.) In addition, the Politics major requires students to complete a course in each of the following six subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Public Law. For additional information, including lists of qualifying courses for each of the subfields, please refer to the College Catalog.

Placement Information

No placement exams are specifically required for the Politics major.

Sample 4-Year Plan


Fall

Spring

Year 1

  • Fall FYS course

  • POLS 101 (CPUD)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • Spring FYS course

  • Subfield Course

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 2

  • Subfield Course

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Subfield Course

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 3

  • POLS 300 (CPMS)

  • Subfield Course

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Additional POLS Elective*
  • POLS 300-level Writing Seminar
  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 4

  • Subfield Course

  • Additional POLS Elective*

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • POLS 495 (Senior Seminar)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Curricular Notes

  • POLS 101 can be taken in either the Fall or the Spring semester

  • POLS 300 must be taken before POLS 495

  • "Additional POLS Electives" must be selected from one of the subfields noted in the catalog.