Political Science (Course 17)
Department of Political Science
Bachelor of Science in Political Science
General Institute Requirements (GIRs)
The General Institute Requirements include a Communication Requirement that is integrated into both the HASS Requirement and the requirements of each major; see details below.
| Summary of Subject Requirements | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Science Requirement | 6 |
| Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Requirement [between two and five subjects can be from the Departmental Program]; at least two of these subjects must be designated as communication-intensive (CI-H) to fulfill the Communication Requirement. | 8 |
| Restricted Electives in Science and Technology (REST) Requirement | 2 |
| Laboratory Requirement (12 units) [can be satisfied by 17.803 in the Departmental Program] | 1 |
| Total GIR Subjects Required for SB Degree | 17 |
| Physical Education Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Swimming requirement, plus four physical education courses for eight points. |
Departmental Program
Choose at least two subjects in the major that are designated as communication-intensive (CI-M) to fulfill the Communication Requirement.
| Required Subjects 1 | Units | |
| 17.801 | Political Science Scope and Methods (CI-M) | 12 |
| 17.803 | Political Science Laboratory (CI-M) | 15 |
| 17.THT & 17.THU | Thesis Research Design Seminar and Undergraduate Political Science Thesis 2 | 24 |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Select seven subjects, including one subject from the each of the four groups listed below and three additional political science subjects representing a coherent plan of study. Specific subjects satisfying these criteria should be chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. | 81-84 | |
| Units in Major | 132-135 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 3 | 81-120 | |
| Units in Major That Also Satisfy the GIRs | (36-72) | |
| Total Units Beyond the GIRs Required for SB Degree | 180 | |
The units for any subject that counts as one of the 17 GIR subjects cannot also be counted as units required beyond the GIRs.
| 1 | Students typically enroll in subjects as follows: 17.801, fall term, junior year; 17.803, spring term, junior year; 17.THT, fall term, senior year; 17.THU, spring term, senior year. |
| 2 | 17.THT and 17.THU may be replaced by two additional elective subjects in Political Science. |
| 3 | This chart has been calculated based on an overlap of 36 units (three subjects) between the HASS General Institute Requirement and the departmental requirements. Students who develop a program of study with more overlap will be able to select more unrestricted electives to meet the number of total units beyond the GIRs required for an SB degree. |
Restricted Electives
Political Philosophy/Social Theory
| Select one subject in political philosophy/social theory from the following: | 12 | |
| Feminist Thought | ||
| Justice | ||
| Philosophy of Law | ||
| Introduction to Political Thought | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| Libertarianism | ||
| Modern Conceptions of Freedom | ||
| Liberalism, Toleration, and Freedom of Speech | ||
| Power: Interpersonal, Organizational, and Global Dimensions | ||
| Humane Warfare: Ancient and Medieval Perspectives on Ethics in War | ||
| Just Code: The Ethical Lifecycle of Machine Learning | ||
American Politics
| Select one subject in American politics from the following: | 12 | |
| Introduction to the American Political Process | ||
| Congress and the American Political System I | ||
| Electoral Politics, Public Opinion, and Democracy | ||
| Public Opinion and American Democracy | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and American Politics | ||
| Mass Incarceration in the United States | ||
| Public Opinion Research Design and Training Seminar | ||
| Political Misinformation in the Age of Social Media | ||
| The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime | ||
Public Policy
| Select one of the following options: | 12 | |
Option 1 | ||
Select one political science subject in public policy from the following: | ||
| Making Public Policy | ||
| Methods of Policy Analysis | ||
| American Public Policy for Washington Interns | ||
| Science, Technology, and Public Policy | ||
| Health Policy | ||
| US Social Policy | ||
| Leadership in Negotiation: Advanced Applications | ||
| Education, Inequality, and Politics | ||
| Human Rights at Home and Abroad | ||
| Environmental Law, Policy, and Economics: Pollution Prevention and Control | ||
| Innovation Systems for Science, Technology, Energy, Manufacturing, and Health | ||
| Global Energy: Politics, Markets, and Policy | ||
Option 2 | ||
Select one subject in another field designated as fulfilling the public policy requirement | ||
International Politics
| Select one of the following options: | 12 | |
Option 1 | ||
Select one subject in international relations / security studies from the following: | ||
| American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future | ||
| Chinese Foreign Policy | ||
| Introduction to International Relations | ||
| Causes and Prevention of War | ||
| International Relations of East Asia | ||
| Cybersecurity | ||
| Emerging Technology and International Security | ||
| US National Security Policy | ||
| Nuclear Strategy and Proliferation | ||
| US Military Power | ||
Option 2 | ||
Select one subject in comparative politics from the following: | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| How Dictatorship Works | ||
| Critical Perspectives on Data and Identity | ||
| Political Utopias and Dystopias | ||
| Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan | ||
| Introduction to Latin American Studies | ||
| European Politics | ||
| Israel: History, Politics, Culture, and Identity 1 | ||
| Russia's Foreign Policy: Toward the Post-Soviet States and Beyond | ||
| 20th Century Ukraine and Russia: Entangled Histories and Identity Politics | ||
| Electoral Politics in the Developing World | ||
| Engineering Democratic Development in Africa | ||
| Research Seminar in Applied International Studies | ||
| 1 | 17.567, a 9-unit version of this subject that is taught during IAP, is also acceptable. |
